Matthew 16:21-27 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,”God...
How do you deal with suffering? How do you learn to push through discomfort, fear and anxiety for the sake of Jesus Christ? At some point in life, we all must encounter fears, and some of them are too heavy to overcome alone. In Matthew 16:21, Peter balks at Jesus'...
St. Teresa Benedicta. Do you know her? You ought to. Edith Stein was born in 1891 in Germany, the youngest of 11 children. She was raised Jewish but fell away from the faith and all belief in God as a teen. Highly gifted, Stein grew up to obtain her doctorate in...
Whether it’s being blown off by a friend, not getting the job we applied for, or being left on "red" by someone we care about, low-key rejection stings. In fact, it sucks. Especially when it's something that’s not major enough to force us to stop life in its tracks,...
A few weeks ago, four seminarians from Michigan embarked on a pilgrimage to Iraq. Iraq may seem like an unusual choice for a pilgrimage destination for most of us, but the country holds a special meaning for these four men. They are all studying to be Catholic priests...
I sometimes think that Lent is a little easier to live out than Eastertide is, perhaps because we are so much more familiar with suffering than we are with joy. We’ve all experienced suffering, probably more than we wanted to, but joy doesn’t seem to be as obvious in...
The lives of the saints provide us rich, beautiful sources of instruction in virtue. But there's a particular heroism to be gleaned from stories of the martyrs. Today we present 15 saints - some well known, others, more obscure, but all are admirable for a common...
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year for Christians. This is the day when we remember Christ's death on the cross for us. We remember the suffering He endured for our sake. We are reminded of the depths of His love for us. Do not let Good Friday go by as...
In this Lenten series and Catholic Bible Study, Father Ian VanHeusen presents his weekly spiritual exercise based on scriptures to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method...
Have you noticed the proliferation of zombie apocalypse imagery and themes everywhere in popular entertainment? The phenomenon is ironic to me, because just now as zombies preoccupy campy media, real life has become increasingly anesthetized. Death and sin are swept...
Ten seconds into this video and you think you’ve seen it before: the sound of firearms, of men shouting in an all too familiar language that we’ve heard over and over again in news sound bites. Twenty seconds into this video and you’re “sympathetic” towards the...
"Oh, Caleb, just offer it up!" I've probably uttered this phrase in exasperation a few more times than necessary. It's my go-to line when my kids complain too much about anything from being hungry to physical ailments. I must be honest, though, I really have...
This short video from Speak Life shares a brief but beautiful insight into the life of a mother and her daughter Leeva, who has Down’s syndrome. Leeva is taking part in a Nativity play, and all her cast-mates also have Down’s syndrome. It is explained that the play...
The death of a loved one leaves an indelible mark upon your heart, and forevermore there is something that you carry around with you; it can feel heavy, or dark, and it’s especially around festive periods that the loss can feel most prevalent. As families come...
Ever since I first heard about kintsugi a few years ago, it has been one of my favorite motifs for understanding healing and redemption. As is explained in this video, kintsugi is the is an ancient Japanese art of repair. Think of a cracked vase. Rather than throwing...
Anyone who has seen the movie Good Will Hunting will know the famous “It’s not your fault” scene. Even if you haven’t seen it, the moment stands powerfully alone, uncomfortable at first, until you cannot fail to be pulled into the breakdown of emotion that Will (Matt...
God has gifted us with many ways to express the emotion that wells within our hearts. Our culture will often tell us to suppress those feelings especially when it comes to crying. The world wants us to believe that to cry is to show weakness and defeat. However,...
I have become convinced that one of the most important indicators of someone’s spiritual maturity is how they deal with stress. Even good people with great intentions fail to maximize their spiritual life precisely because they deal with their stress in ways that...
During a special Mass held in 2015 to mark the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the Holy Father referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century. “The first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century, struck...
In my post, 9 Things I Would Like To Have Known Before Getting Married, one of the points that raised a lot of questions was number 8: "A good marriage is the union of two people who are good at forgiving." Many people contacted me relating how difficult it was for...
There is so much to think about and reflect on during Holy Week that it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. One meditation that I have found to help draw me deeper into contemplating the Passion is the tradition of studying the 7 Last Words of Christ....
“Remember then how our fathers worked out their salvation; remember the sufferings through which the Church has grown, and the storms the ship of Peter has weathered because it has Christ on board. Remember how the crown was attained by those whose sufferings gave new...
At a first glance, the idea of parenthood and having children is pretty insane. Parenthood is demanding. From the moment of conception till their death, and particularly till they are out of your house, your life is theirs. Grab your bucket, because you better be...
A good book is often the best tonic for when you are feeling down! We asked our Catholic-Link authors what their favorite book is when they need cheering up. Here are eight suggestions that you might like to try out next time you’re having a rainy day! Curl up with a...
Poor Oedipus. If you don’t know the classic story of the king who accidentally married his mother and blinds himself, I’d be surprised. Many deep ponderings can be taken out of this story about fate, truth, control, and free will, but what about that self-blinding?...