Islam and Christianity. How do we begin to talk about this elephant in the room? On the one hand, Islamist persecution of Christians is a plague in places like Iraq, parts of Africa, Marawi City in the Philippines, and elsewhere. We must pray more ardently than ever...
It’s tennis season here in the UK, and fans all over the world will be tuning in to watch the All England Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, which are followed up several weeks later with the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, at Flushing Meadows in New York....
This video had the usually brutal Youtube comment section reaching for the tissues to dry their tears, as an articulate little boy and a warm, grandfatherly older man exchange their thoughts, struggles and joys. The most attractive part of their exchange is the fact...
One of the best ways to enrich your prayer life 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 that is especially aimed...
In today’s Gospel reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a spiritual exercise based on the readings for Sunday’s Mass. St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of...
“Lectio Divina” means divine reading in Latin. It’s an ancient practice that teaches us how to read, meditate on and live the Word of God. History tells us that it was the Blessed Guigo the Carthusian, who wrote the “most important stages” of this way of meditating...
"Spotlight of a Calligrapher", published by Ascension Presents, tells the story of Erica Tighe, a designer and calligrapher. Erica's story of how she came to be a full-time calligrapher is moving and poignant. She tells how she came back from a year and a half of...
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 that we explain here. The following is...
St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities. "For just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and...
As Catholics, we are required to go to Confession once a year, but why stop there? We know Confession can be daunting or difficult, and there might be many reasons why you don’t want to go. However, regular Confession, whether it be monthly, every two weeks, or...
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...