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...
Meaning of Suffering
25 Things You Can Do On Good Friday To Remember Christ’s Sacrifice
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...
Stretched For The Sake Of Love | Palm Sunday Spiritual Exercises
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...
Jesus’ Passion In Sacred Art: Meditating On The Sorrowful Mysteries Of The Rosary
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...
Guilty Silence: Religious Persecution And The Tragic Indifference Of The West
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...
15 Real-life Examples Of How To “Offer It Up” (and the meaning behind the phrase)
"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...
Here’s The Nativity Play That We All Need To See This Christmas
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...
Coping With The Sting Of Death During A Season Of Joy
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...
5 Things An Ancient Japanese Art Taught Me About Healing
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...
7 Starter Tips For When You Need Emotional Healing In Your Life
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...
10 Times Pope Francis Reminded Us It’s Ok To Cry
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, the...
How To Deal With Stress If You Want To Become A Saint
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...
The Eight Stages Of Genocide…And Why Catholics Should Care
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...
7 Characteristics Of God’s Forgiveness And Mercy
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...
Do You Know The 7 Final Messages Of Christ On The Cross?
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....
Without Suffering No One Wins The Crown | St. Thomas Becket
“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...
Children Are So Much Work! Are They Worth It?
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...
8 Books To Read When You Are Feeling Down
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...
Meet The Monk Who Says “I often thank God that He let me be blinded…”
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?...
Advent is a Time for Happiness, But How Can We Find It? | Catholic Bible Study
Gospel of the Luke 3: 10-18 The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they...
Accepting Suffering | Benedict XVI Quote
"We can try to limit suffering, to fight against it, but we cannot eliminate it. It is when we attempt to avoid suffering by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt, when we try to spare ourselves the effort and pain of pursuing truth, love, and goodness,...
Recommended Movie: The Good Lie (2014)
The Good Lie is an eye opening, inspiring and heartwarming film based on the true stories of some of "The Lost Boys" of Sudan. From the years 1983 to 2005 over 20,000 boys were orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War. This film does an excellent job of...
The Sad Solitude Of Those Who Won’t Let Go Of Their Comfort Blanket | Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have...
An Astonishingly Beautiful Icon To Remember The 21 Coptic Christians Martyred By ISIS
Do you remember February 13, 2015? On this day, 21 Coptic Christians were martyred for their faith by ISIS. This event has been depicted in a sacred icon by the artist Nikola Sarić . Our experience of icons can often be synonymous with historic events that seem...
“The Butterfly Circus”: Why Our World Needs Wonder!
“What this world needs is a little wonder!” There are so many themes that can be unpacked from the short film, The Butterfly Circus, that it is hard to know where to begin, but maybe beginning with wonder is a start. Set in the era of the Great Depression, this short...