What is servant leadership? As leaders, we should be oriented towards service, self gift. It's a simple principle, but it has to be renewed constantly. We also have to take care of ourselves in order to be able to give of ourselves to others. In this week's Catholic...
Growing up, I was regularly told that we were to abstain from meat on Fridays. So, when I moved to America a few years ago, I was surprised to hear many people tell me there was no longer a need for us to observe ‘meatless’ Fridays, as the Church had done away with...
Everyone thought he was just a cute and cuddly dog, a homeless mutt, who sat shyly in his little kennel corner. He seemed gentle, submissive, and in need of a walk outside the animal shelter where he waited a home. I volunteered to walk him, hoping he’d benefit from...
The Capuchin Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart in Poland have made it a habit to workout each morning in their habits in order to keep strong and able to serve orphaned children. You'll be inspired by the intensity with which these hardworking nuns hit the gym. We can...
“What is your aim in philosophy?” “To show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle.” ~ Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost Paraphrasing Wittgenstein, we can say that the aim of the Resurrection is to show us the way out of the places in which we are trapped, from the...
Are you holding back in your faith? Cowering in the locked upper room like the Disciples? Father Ian VanHeusen leads us in a Catholic Bible Study on John 20:19-31, and the awesome trustworthiness of God to catch us when we step out, risk big, and shed our fears in...
Fr. Ian presents a gospel reflection and spiritual exercises on the Gospel reading options for Easter ( 20:1-9, Mk. 16:1-7, and Lk. 24:13-35). Using the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, we examine how to discern between authentic feelings of consolation and the ego traps...
"One of life's greatest scandals is pain." - Archbishop Fulton Sheen In the midst of pain and suffering, it can be tempting to fall into despair and feel as though God does not see what we are going through. In this powerful video produced by Thing In A Pot...
I have some news for you. You’re going to die. We all are--not now, maybe, not in the near future, but one day, all of us will physically cease to be. This isn’t meant to be depressing or frightening; it is a condition of life that it must cease, or otherwise it isn’t...
Mario Lopez, former star of Saved By the Bell and current host of "Extra," has spent the last week in the Holy Land. He has shared several video highlights from his trip on social media, but the video that has gone viral is of his baptism in the Jordan River....
The minimalist movement is a refreshing trend in modern society. It’s a turning away from the mentality of Madonna’s “Material Girl” and turning towards a less wasteful, less consumerist mentality. Some are more extreme about it than others. This movement can manifest...
One of the things we say when referring to Jesus, is that we call Him our Redeemer. We do this because Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt that came to be on account of our sin. By His death and resurrection, He won us freedom from the bondage that comes about...
Good things are happening somewhere in Middle America: Vocations are booming in Lincoln, Nebraska (and Wichita, KS). It's not a secret in the American Catholic world, though it is somewhat perplexing that more bishops have not looked to imitate certain successful...
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt isn't in it for the fame, but it sure is coming her way. Not only has she won the hearts of many across the United States, but the basketball team that she has cheered on and prayed with for years has just won a game that will put them into...
When Mercy Me released “I Can Only Imagine" in 2001 it was one of the first Christian songs that I had ever heard on the radio. I remember thinking about the lyrics and truly imagining how my heart might feel when the time would come for me to meet Jesus. At that...
Fr. Ian VanHeusen presents a gospel reflection and spiritual exercise on the Gospel reading of John 12:20-33, Jesus' startling statement about hating life in this world in order to gain eternal life in heaven. Throughout the Lenten season, Father encourages us to...
https://catholic-link.org/infographic-what-is-the-meaning-behind-the-priestly-vestments-a-practical-guide/ God calls those He wants to be priests. He chooses them from among His people in order to consecrate them, to make them His own. From that moment on, priests no...
Think science and faith are incompatible? It's a common myth that science and faith contradict each other. These 15 people prove that Catholics can make great scientists. Not only have they upheld the teachings of the Church, but they have also made incredible...
I was scrolling through Facebook one day and I stopped on a photo of a group of friends I knew. They were laughing and posing happily for a selfie. Having grown up together in the same Catholic Group, these particular groups of friends enjoyed a level of intimacy,...
“The imagination is more active in the dark than in the light of day.” ~ Immanuel Kant When we were young, we were afraid of the dark because we couldn’t distinguish the things around us. In the silence of the night, every sound seems louder. In the dark, it’s not...
Fr. Ian VanHeusen presents a gospel reflection and spiritual exercise on the Gospel of John 3:14-21, when Jesus proclaims Himself the Light of the World. Throughout the Lenten season, Father encourages us to invest in prayer of self-examination, and he provides...
"For so long, I kept things to myself and refused to open up because I didn't want to burden people with my problems and because I didn't think anyone would understand what I was going through. I was so wrong. No matter who you are, no matter what you're struggling...
“Words are choice and precious vessels that can be filled with anything, even the wine of error.” ~ Augustine, the Confessions Words express the way we relate with the world. If we pay attention to the way we speak, we will probably grasp something about the way we...
Fr. Ian VanHeusen presents a gospel reflection and spiritual exercise on the Gospel reading for the 3rd Sunday of Lent, John 2:13-25, when Jesus cleanses the Temple of money changers, foretells of its destruction and - to the bewilderment of those who hear Him - that...
Fr. Ian VanHeusen presents a gospel reflection and spiritual exercise on the Gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, Mark 9:2-10, the account of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. Throughout the Lenten season, Father encourages us to invest in prayer of...
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Tip: These make amazing Catholic Christmas Gifts too!