A good book is often the best tonic for when you are feeling down! We asked our Catholic-Link authors what their favorite book is when they need cheering up. Here are eight suggestions that you might like to try out next time you’re having a rainy day! Curl up with a...
One of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life is to master the virtue of chastity. It seems that everywhere we turn the world is pulling us away from the ideals God calls us to. Some people naively think that the struggle to remain chaste will go...
“It is good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well....
I love this quote below from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It actually alludes to humor and faith together, which is a little unusual. But more than that, it places humor correctly where it belongs in our faith. We often think of humor at odds with such a thing as...
Poor Oedipus. If you don’t know the classic story of the king who accidentally married his mother and blinds himself, I’d be surprised. Many deep ponderings can be taken out of this story about fate, truth, control, and free will, but what about that self-blinding?...
“The appetite of the sluggard craves but has nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is amply satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4) It’s so easy to just sit on our sofa at home! We feel comfortable, nothing or no one can bother us, we can prevent unwanted situations… anyhow,...
Father Dave Pivonka and The Wild Goose team have brought together a wonderful series of reflections on the Holy Spirit. These videos produced by 4pmMedia and the accompanying discussion/reflection questions are a great resource for both your personal life and for...
Fr. Mike Schmitz from Ascension Presents gives this awesome talk about getting to bed and getting enough rest. Most of the people I know have issues sleeping... night owls, early risers, and plenty with insomnia. What are we doing to our bodies and how is it affecting...
As believers and followers of the Prince of Peace, we are all called to bring peace to the world around us. Start by respecting each person you encounter, especially when others are not showing that respect. The Catechism paragraph 2507 teaches us, “Respect for the...
”The poor are thirsty for water but also for peace, truth and justice. The poor are naked and need clothing, but also need human dignity and compassion for those who sin. The poor have no shelter and need shelters made of bricks, but also of a joyful heart,...
"The Intern" begins when a successful startup company dedicated to fashion and online retail sales decides to start a program for senior citizen interns. Ben Whittaker (played by Robert De Niro) is a 70-year-old retiree and recent widower who signs up for the program...
As the Year of Mercy is now underway, I would suggest taking a moment to reflect on the official logo. While our own artistic sensibilities may vary, it’s always important to ask: God, how might You be speaking to me through this? Is there something here that I...
Dictionaries try to define beauty, but they can only provide vague glances at the truth. Instead of dictionary definitions, beauty is more accurately described with examples: Mother Mary is beautiful, love is beautiful, a perfect sky is beautiful, a symphony is...
Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents...
“Since our first conscious decision really to follow the teaching of Christ, we have no doubt made good progress along the way of faithfulness to his word. And yet isn’t it true that there is still much to be done? Isn’t it true, particularly, that there is still so...
It's the start of a new year and a great time for a reflection on the old one and how to begin a fresh start in the new one. Are you someone who makes a lot of resolutions, or do you prefer to avoid them altogether? It is so important to stop and think about how we...
Christmas songs often start playing the week before Thanksgiving and since for Catholics the Christmas season won't end until The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January, we need to get creative when it comes to listening to good Christmas music. Though so many of...
Many times when we're not in a Christian environment we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of sharing or defending our faith. We know this can be a challenge so we are providing 11 ideas that you can use when talking about God to others,...
The video we are presenting in today’s post, #ManontheMoon, offers us a beautiful story that helps us to remember some of the essential attitudes for this Advent Season. This is the story of a girl named Lily. One night, when she looked at the moon through her...
Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you just took a nap? Memes on Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites reflect this common experience. Many people, it appears, default to napping when overwhelmed, but is napping really the answer? Father Mike Schmitz...
Gospel of the Luke 3: 10-18 The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they...
Reality check: life is as beautiful as it is complicated. More often than not, difficult situations can shake us to the core, but fear not, faith comes to the rescue of those in need. Saint Augustine said it best when he said, “Faith is to believe what you do not...
I once asked a friend why had they stopped coming to Mass – their response – they were “taking a break from religion to sort their life out”… And I had to ask, doesn’t this miss the point of religion – of our relationship with God? Isn’t it God who wants us to come to...
Today we begin the Jubilee of Mercy which is an Extraordinary Holy Year that officially commences today, December 8 – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica. It will close Nov. 20, 2016 with the Solemnity...
This short video from Mark Hart, “Bored at Mass?”, will most likely speak to each and every one of us since it hits upon a very real struggle that many face – not only in the past, but also presently, and potentially in the future. But why? Why is it that we can...