October 12th is the anniversary of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patroness of Brazil. The story is a rather unusual one, and yet it's another beautiful reminder of the love of Our Mother. In 1717, three fishermen prayed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, that God...
October 2nd is the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. How often do you think about yours? I confess that I do not think of or thank my own guardian angel regularly enough - and God knows he has seen me through my fair share of danger - physically and spiritually -...
The feast of St. John Chrysostom is September 13th. He is a Doctor of the Church and was known for his incredibly insightful and powerful preaching. Saint John Chrysostom lived from 349 to 407. As one of the early Church fathers, his writing has been extremely...
If you ever find the rosary hard to pray, or hard to commit to regularly, read on to find out our seven most surprising things that happen in your life when you start to pray the rosary more often! When you’re finished with this article, don’t forget to check out our...
It can be difficult to keep our love for the Lord alive. Daily life, responsibilities, and busyness seem to get in the way of our relationship with God. Hardships and times of suffering can stir up feelings of bitterness and resentment toward God that cause...
This story from the life of St. Clare not only reveals to us her incredible devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and her deep trust in the Lord's protection, but it also demonstrates the power of the Holy Eucharist. Though she was feeble and sick, St.Clare turned away an...
St. Teresa Benedicta. Do you know her? You ought to. Edith Stein was born in 1891 in Germany, the youngest of 11 children. She was raised Jewish but fell away from the faith and all belief in God as a teen. Highly gifted, Stein grew up to obtain her doctorate in...
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...
The month of August is jam packed with feasts of spiritual powerhouses. August 4th - or 8th in the pre-1962 calendar - is the commemoration of St. John Vianney, also known as the Curé of Ars. Born in 1786, the fourth of six children to devout Catholic parents in the...
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...
July 26th is the feast of St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus and mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although the Bible says nothing of her, devotion to St. Anne runs deep in both the Eastern and Western Churches' traditions. What we know comes from apocryphal tradition,...
On July 11th in the Liturgical Calendar, and on March 21st in the pre-1970 calendar, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, father of Western Monasticism. Saint Benedict's name has garnered more attention of late due to the conversation across the...
Did you know that on the 13th day of every month from May through October, 2017, Catholics can obtain an Indulgence in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions at Fatima? First, a quick refresher on the Blessed Virgin Mary's messages at Fatima,...
The Eucharist is described in the Catechism as the "source and summit" of our faith. Finding the time to go to Adoration can be difficult. But if you can make it happen, committing to regular Adoration with an open heart can have some surprising results. While they...
Gratitude is one of the most underrated virtues. It’s so often misconstrued as false enthusiasm, naivety or new-age positivity. It’s not. To be grateful takes strength to see beyond our own egos. If we concentrate only on what is negative in our lives, we forget the...
The True Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is one of the greatest mysteries of our Catholic faith. It is something that can be very difficult for us to understand. How does what appears to be a piece of bread and a cup of wine become the Body and Blood of our...
Have you heard of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, otherwise known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succor? Even if you didn't know the name, chances are you've seen the famous icon representing this title of Our Lady, as it is replicated and displayed in many Catholic churches...
In June Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. You may have seen various depictions of the image that was given by Our Lord to Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. Did you know that you can have an image enthroned in your home? Do you have...
Known and beloved as the "Golden Sequence," the Veni Sancte Spiritus is a beautiful, powerful prayer to the Holy Spirit that dates back to the thirteenth century. It is attributed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Stephen Langton. In 1570, this "sequence"...
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, we have a lot more time to plan and accomplish things. Where do you start? Think about the things...
It’s time to celebrate our Church’s birthday, the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (See Acts 2:1-22; 1 Corinthians 12:3-13; John 10:19-23)! We celebrate Pentecost this Sunday! After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, He did not leave us alone. He founded 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...
In today's Gospel reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a spiritual exercise based on Acts 2:1-11. 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...
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....