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 love attention. I knew this from a tender age; those days I would come out to our living room packed with people to dance for them and get applauded for being such a good dancer. I basked in the admiration. As I grew older, that love matured into something more...
Depending on where you live, it's most likely that school's out for the summer, or nearly is. Or perhaps, the students and teachers in your life are still embroiled in exam preparation and stress! Either way, this time of year reminds us of the importance of teachers...
My New Year’s Resolution this year was to try and live out the commandment that appears so often in the Bible: “Be Not Afraid.” Personal circumstances meant that I had much need of this encouragement and I bounced into the New Year assuming that since I had decided...
A wise, sane, holy man –G.K. Chesterton- once said that “the modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth, and their...
Going on the occasional retreat is essential to the Christian life. It is necessary to set aside time to be with the Lord and meditate on Scripture in order to cultivate our relationship with God. Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, finding the time to get...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience in prayer is to pray with scripture. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method which we explain here. The following is the Sunday Gospel reading with a reflection...
This viral video of a young girl's poetry performance in her school classroom makes for powerful and somewhat painful viewing. She is a 7th-grade student, only twelve or thirteen years old. In watching it, my heart went out to her, because I understood her struggles....
What does a Pope pray before bed? Pope Francis' bedtime prayer is one that we can all easily incorporate into our nightly routine. With the beautiful simplicity of this prayer, we can teach our children to come before the Cross of Christ and meditate on what He has...
Here's a battle I sometimes fight with myself: vacillating between exuberant repetitiveness about my faith, my conversion, how amazing God is, how I wish everyone I love would convert (for their own well-being and happiness!), how I wish every Catholic in the pews on...
The celebration of Pentecost reminds us of our need for the Holy Spirit. How often do you pray to and invite the Holy Spirit into your life? Jesus left us with the Advocate to help us grow in holiness, but many of us don't understand how to incorporate this aspect of...
Ordinary Time doesn’t have to be so ordinary. It can be just as prayerful, meaningful, and productive as any of the liturgical times of the church year. The difference is that we have a lot more time to plan and accomplish things. Where do you start? Think about the...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience 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. John 20: 19-23 On the...
Growing up, my mom taught my brother and I the importance of managing our money well and how important it was for us to give of our time, talents, and treasures. And, I wish I could tell you that I've always managed a budget and done everything I was supposed to do...
Don’t be surprised if you hear in the coming days that a few hundred thousand people are making their way to Rome. They’ve all headed there to mark the 50th anniversary of the charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church, a phenomenon that is estimated to have impacted...
June 3rd is the feast of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions. These great saints have been officially designated as martyrs for the Catholic faith. Officially, St. Charles Lwanga is the patron of converts, torture victims, and the African Catholic Youth Action....
Artists Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder built a house that spins and tilts on one pivot point. Once it was complete, they moved in and lived in it for five days. The video shows the delicate response of the house to their movements and makes a very obvious illustration...
The late Cardinal Suenens, one of the fathers of the Second Vatican Council, said the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is not a “movement” in the usual sense of the word, but it is a “current of grace.” Cardinal Suenens saw the Charismatic Renewal as a rekindling of the...
Do you know about the Catholic sacramental of blessed salt? A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. (The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church are Baptism, Confirmation, The Eucharist, Confession, Holy Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick, and...
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...
We get it. You already have a to-do list that is long. This list isn’t meant to guilt you into an impossible regimen on top of your already crammed day. The goal is to start incorporating one or two of these things into your day and then keep working until these...
Today the Church celebrates the Feast Day of St. Philip Neri, who was born in Rome in 1515 and died in 1595 on 26th May. He was a priest and was the founder of the Oratorians. He is well known for his humor, his gifted spiritual direction, and his habit of making a...
In today's Gospel reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a spiritual exercise based on the readings for the Mass of Our Lord's Ascension. St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method of examination of conscience, of...
I'm sure you can recall a time when someone's words caused you deep hurt and pain. What that person said to you cut you to the heart and many times those horrible words that you've tried so hard to forget seem to be stuck on repeat in your mind. The words of...
What's a sacramental? Even if you're not sure about the word, you are familiar with Sacramentals, and you probably use them regularly! I tend to file Sacramentals into my mental "Theology-of-the-Body Folder," not because they have anything to do with sexuality, but,...