“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.” —G.K. Chesterton. With the following quiz, we invite our readers to reflect on how a nebulous ideology (one Catholics know is...
Embracing chastity and starting to foster it is not always an easy task. If you come from a Catholic background and you have heard it since you were young then perhaps it’s more simple. It gets complicated when, like St. Augustine, conversion happens as an adult and...
I enjoy reading good books. When I buy a book that someone has recommended to me, I can’t wait for it to arrive and then to read it straight through to the end! But I must confess to owning a book which has been recommended to me by many people who I greatly admire,...
Though St. Benedict was born in 480 A.D., he is certainly a Saint for our times. He was a man of strength, conviction, and courage. Although he desired to live a life of solitude by choosing the life of a hermit and living in a cave, when word of his holiness and...
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...
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."… For since Jesus did and underwent everything with a view to our instruction he likewise consented to be led there and wrestle against the devil in order that every baptized person who,...
“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....
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?...
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...
Whatever type of ministry you do within the Church, chances are there will be a time when it becomes all-consuming and your own personal prayer life begins to suffer. Maybe you’re so busy and have already been praying all day with a group, talking about God, giving of...
It’s summer and that means many couples will be entering into the Sacrament of Marriage. If you want to give a great gift to your future spouse, then I would suggest studying a bit of Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. You can find information and guides at...
I must admit that I spent many years away from God. But that does not mean that he was ever away from me. I am sure that God has always been (and is, still) by my side. Guiding my steps and protecting me, sometimes even from myself. I believe my mother's prayers have...
St. Joseph and St. Maria Goretti, two incredible Saints who chose to live holy and chaste lives no matter what the cost, are the focus of this video reflection. These two Saints led very different lives but each shows how chastity can be implemented in any...
SophiaSketchPad.org has produced another excellent video that helps to understand and explain the sacrament of confession. If you go to their website they also offer viewing guides and other tools that can help to complete the learning experience. Sophia Sketchpad:...
Benedict XVI said: “There is a close link between holiness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The actual conversion of the heart, which is open to the transforming and renewing action of God, is the “engine” of all reform and translates into a truly evangelizing...
A few days ago I finished reading “Inner Peace” by Jacques Philippe. It is a brief spiritual book written in a simple language and filled with beautiful teachings about cultivating spiritual peace in our Christian life. The book goes over several actions and...
As the Church settles into the season of Lent, this video serves as a good reminder to evaluate not only what we have committed to, but why we are doing it. As the season goes on, some of that energy might wear off, and we might find ourselves second-guessing our...
Another great video from a FighttheNewDrug.com, Russell Brand, an actor/comedian with his own history of difficulties with pornography, lays out the many and unfortunate consequences of living in a world swamped by “icebergs of filth floating through every house on...
Man finds his perfection “in seeking and loving what is true and good” - Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1704. All of us have goals in life and we work hard to achieve them, trying to avoid bad habits. There's no better time for a re-set than Lent - a call from...
Advent is now upon us and, rejoicing in and living out the words of Pope Francis, we’ve assembled a list of simple acts of charity. They might seem small, but in reality they are true, concrete manifestations of God’s love. A heart conformed to God cannot remain...
Lately I’ve been a bit jaded about sports, even as someone who grew up playing all kinds, and enjoying them as both a participant and a spectator. I’ve found myself thinking that all sports are on steroids these days (literally and figuratively speaking), and...
How powerful is forgiveness? How far can God’s mercy reach? Are we called to forgive what seems to be unforgivable? Gary Ridgway was an American serial killer who was known as the Green River Killer. He was convicted of 49 murders but later confessed to nearly double...
Although eating snacks can be a very healthy part of one’s diet, it can become problematic when we use snacks and food to bury our emotions. Since we are a unity of mind, body and spirit, as St. Paul affirms in (1Tess 5:23), it is natural when we feel something on the...
We live in a world of instant gratification— we are so connected through technology, we are disconnected from reality. Prince Ea says, “I'm so tired of performing in the pageantry of vanity, and conforming to this accepted form of digital insanity”. But how do we...
"Slap Her" is a thought provoking viral video created by Fanpage.it in order to create awareness about domestic violence. The Italian news organization took to the streets of Italy to ask a few boys ages 7-11 years old questions about themselves and then introduce...