On social media, at work, at home, in your community, at school... are you building up or are you tearing down? Are you helping to proclaim Jesus, or are you adding to the anger and hatred - especially political - that fills society? Today's gospel reflection can help...
From the moment that we were called into existence, we received a call to cross the desert of life. And no one can make it without water. Thus, we can summarize our existence with two words: “I thirst.” From the wailing of birth to the silence of death, we experience...
Our regular readers have probably noticed... a few of us here at Catholic-Link take a particular interest in the restoration of sexual order and sanity in society. Catholic men's movements are one important thread of a complex tapestry of healing and restoration...
How do you respond to an invitation to a party? Jesus uses the metaphor of a party invitation to talk about a deeper spiritual principle in this week's Gospel. We're all invited to the heavenly banquet, which actually begins on earth in the Mass. But how do we...
Catholic music fans should be prepared to love the sounds on Matt Maher's newest album, "Echoes," as well as the message behind the lyrics. This is Maher's eighth full-length album, and he has previously won eight Grammys for his work. "Echoes" speaks to the heart of...
I don’t have an answer to “if there is a God, why is there suffering?”. It is a question I repeatedly struggle with, but it is a question that I do try to engage with. In recent years I have had a few extremely painful experiences that have left me asking exactly...
Do you have any Catholic Bible verses memorized? If you really believe in the power of the Word of God, you should make an effort to study it, understand it, and memorize it. It is a gift that we have been given to help us in our faith. It's very useful in the...
More often than not when I ask someone how they are doing, the reply is "busy". There's no denying that we live in a culture obsessed with busyness. At times, it can almost seem that our self-worth is determined by the number of activities we are involved in. Though...
When we make a list of the now deceased actor Robin Williams’ movies, surely one of the first to appear will be “Dead Poets Society”. It’s without a doubt a classic. The story is a simple one: John Keating (Robin Williams) is a literature professor who, through...
Are you bearing fruit? Seeing our own limitations, forming and examining our conscience, and connecting with God's mercy is something that takes deliberate and intentional work, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit and thanks to the insights of the saints who've gone...
If you’ve heard that being a feminist is anti-Catholic, think again. In today’s world, being a Catholic can be controversial. Especially when it comes to women’s rights. Feminism has a history of advocating for things that the Catholic Church contends with, whether it...
Frequently, while watching TV or when we go to the movies, we find that many of the stories told have as a protagonist the devil. There are diverse opinions about it: some believe that these stories are the result of old fashioned ideas from the past, which Hollywood...
October 2nd is the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. How often do you think about yours? I confess that I do not think of or thank my own guardian angel regularly enough - and God knows he has seen me through my fair share of danger - physically and spiritually -...
This insightful animation from Moondog Animation Studios is a part of the Willy Grunch series. Willy Grunch "is a carefree philosophizing poet happily stumbling through life… He’s not so different than everybody else, but we get to laugh at our own misery at his...
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to...
"Life is not fair!" Such a temptation and a thought-trap. How do we get past this pitfall? Today's Gospel reflection helps us by providing three strategies to overcoming this all-too-human struggle that threatens to derail our own personal progress and cooperation...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience at Sunday Mass is to pray the Mass Readings personally and to meditate on a Gospel reflection. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method which we explain here. The following is...
Men, Manhood & Masculinity Over the next five articles, we will embark on a brief exploration of the complex and often overlooked topic of being male. The articles will be reflective and open to discussion, so please share your thoughts and experiences in the...
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who...
The feast of St. John Chrysostom is September 13th. He is a Doctor of the Church and was known for his incredibly insightful and powerful preaching. Saint John Chrysostom lived from 349 to 407. As one of the early Church fathers, his writing has been extremely...
Womanhood is hard to define, even more so in a culture that suggests that there is no inherent difference between being male and female. What does womanhood mean? Is it less or more than manhood? Is there a distinct difference? Ascension Presents recently published a...
I have a pastor who is "in his natural habitat" at the altar and at the pulpit. His ars celebrandi (manner of saying the Mass) is so careful and reverent. He has a beautiful and clear voice for speaking and singing various parts of the Liturgy. His homilies are often...
The world has watched in horror this last week as Hurricane Harvey unleashed its destruction on Texas, Houston in particular. The suffering and devastation it has left in its wake has been horrendous and very frightening. However, as the famous Fred Rogers quote goes,...
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...
4PM Media (The Wild Goose, The Vigil Project) has partnered with Project Light to produce a powerful film that addresses many of the struggles that women in our society today must confront. The world has set such unrealistic standards of beauty, success, and...