I can’t forgive. Not always and never easily. It is hard to forgive and sometimes I don’t want to forgive. What do you do when there is something in your life that is too huge for forgiveness? These points may not be a step by step process of ‘how to forgive’ but they...
We all like to look good. We get up in the morning and think, “Today, I’m going to go out, look handsome or beautiful and make everyone who passes me by fall in love.” But there are times that regardless of what we do some characteristics seem to sabotage...
Are you considering becoming a Catholic? Are you thinking about taking your Catholic life seriously, if you had neglected it? I do not know if converting to Catholicism is a good idea. If I was you, I would think it carefully before taking the next step. Catholicism...
In the United States, the number of single dads continues to increase. In the 1960's there were just 300,000 households led by single fathers, but in the most recent survey by Pew Research that number rose to 2.6 million. As a Catholic faith community, we must show...
It's the time of year when many families decide to take a vacation and get away from the daily grind and busyness of life. It's important to remember that we should include God in our plans even while we are away. Today we present a list of vacation ideas for...
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 comments section below. Be mindful...
Dear Young Catholic, Just because you should be doing something doesn’t make it easy, nor does it mean you should have to do it alone and unsupported. There are times when being Catholic can be tough when you feel like you are the only person in the entire world who...
School is out, the weather is getting warmer, and ice cream trucks are once again making the rounds. Summer is here! For many, summertime means a relaxed schedule with no classes (and no homework!), shorter workdays, and vacations. It is a joy-filled season and a...
We’re already halfway through the Year of Mercy, a time when the Church (that’s us!) is invited to discover God’s mercy for ourselves, as well as for those around us. Pope Francis has been very clear on the importance of this and has encouraged us to “assist others...
As Catholics, we must reconquer the battleground known as "beauty." I currently live in Italy, and I am continually impressed by the fascination for beauty that seeps forth from the walls of almost of every Church and in many Museums. Each time has its imperfections...
Though there may not be a perfect formula for obtaining the holiness required to become a Saint, there are a few common characteristics that many of the Saints seem to share. As you study the lives of the Saints, it becomes very clear that most had a true...
When I first read Pope Francis’ thoughts on gossip, I was both surprised and relieved- and chastened. His words about gossip are so strong. I didn’t think I was someone who was a big gossip, but when I thought about it, I was sad to realize that I was, and what’s...
A highly creative piece, Andrei Rublev's Troitsa (Russian for Triune or Trinity) hails from the summit of a more-than-thousand-year-old iconographic tradition. As you might have surmised, it is a Trinitarian interpretation of Gen 18:1-16, the episode in which "three...
Spiritual survival and wilderness survival – True Survivor has it all! This is an outstanding initiative that gives us a rich look at the ways that our faith can survive and flourish in the midst of the struggles that we may encounter in today’s world. It does this by...
Ladies, don’t you sometimes wish you could find uplifting material online that aligns with your values and the way you think? The internet is filled with magazines and online publications that claim to empower women, but many of these publications “enhance”...
I remember a day when I woke up and decided I was going to be holy. Sounds good, doesn’t it? The problem was, I didn’t think I could be holy enough as myself. So I looked at the people around me who I felt were holy and tried to be like them. Of course, it was a...
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...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience at Sunday Mass is to pray the gospel reading personally. A great way of doing this is using the "Lectio Divina"; this is a powerful method which we explain here. The following is the Sunday gospel reading with a...
“The 33” is a movie based on the true story of 33 men who were trapped in a copper mine for 69 days. You may recall the event from 2010 that had the whole world watching and praying for the men from Chile living 200 stories below the earth. This is a powerful story of...
Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is also the host of CATHOLICISM, the groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic Faith (and a newly released sequel...
When was the last time you made it outdoors? I don’t mean just popping out of the house to get a coffee or to go shopping. I mean, when were you last completely away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday living, and out in the magnitude of God’s creation? It can...
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...
One of the most misunderstood teachings of our time is what the Catholic Church says about sexuality, marriage, and family life. The beauty of what our Church truly believes is often overshadowed by what the media distorts it to be. As a result, there is truly a lack...
Everyone who is engaging in their faith will experience this eventually- at a time when difficulties or despair set in, when doubts become overwhelming, and God feels distant. Prayer feels impossible and no long or short the length of the dry spell, there is no...
Softly spoken, with a gentle demeanor, Fr Douglas Bazi delivers his message for the camera with quiet but unapologetic firmness. His tone is even, straightforward, but something in his voice carries an urgency. There is a sense that time is running out. There is a...