Can the Guadalupe Tilma Make An Atheist Convert?! Well, I believe it can. In general, Our Lady appears to men and women of faith, and she does so in order to share a particular message to her children. These apparitions, almost without exception, are accompanied by...
All of us have surely noticed the jump in Mass attendance at Christmas. Many Catholics who don’t attend Sunday Mass regularly, make it a point to attend either a vigil Mass on Christmas Eve or a Mass on Christmas Day, in an attempt to add a spiritual dimension to...
People have all sorts of “Mary problems,” like issues with the titles Catholics give her, with her apparition sites, with her statues in our chapels, or with our dogmas declaring her perpetual virginity, immaculate conception, or assumption into heaven. Those can all...
We talk this week about putting on the glory and the splendor of God, what that means for our church life and for the garments of the priesthood. How some dress lesser to seem lesser in false humility, and how some are in the rut of familiarity and routine. We talk...
Join is this week for the discussion of the Sunday readings. Due to a technical difficulty we had to restart the stream and jump into the second reading right away. We still talk about part of the first reading about The Lord our Justice. Father Ian talks about how we...
This week we go over the prophecy of Daniel regarding the saying "one like a Son of Man". We discuss the charism of celibacy and the witness of joy in the culture. We go over the Revelation reading and discuss how we relate to Christ as a King and how we see him as a...
Thanksgiving Prayer O God, source and giver of all things,You manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodnessIn the earth about us:We give you honor and glory.For the sun and the rain,For the manifold fruits of our fields:For the increase of our herds and...
It's no secret that I'm not a Pinterest kind of mom. Any craft or project I try usually ends up as a complete fail. Maybe I'm slightly bitter about my horrible creative skills and that's why I've never been able to fully get behind the "Elf on the Shelf" craze, but I...
St. Christina was born in Belgium in 1150. By the time she was just three years old, both her parents had died. At the age of twenty-one, she fell ill and it was thought to be dead. However, as Mass was being said for her, her...
Fr Ian VanHeusen and Alanna Burg talk about the readings for The Nativity of St John the Baptist. Questions for reflection. Do you think that names can have a hand in your destiny? What would draw you to someone? What type of magnetism would you respond to? Are you...
When I was dating and engaged, I often wondered what chastity in marriage looked like. Having just celebrated my fourth wedding anniversary with my dear husband, and also having counseled couples in a faith-based therapy setting, here are a handful of takeaways that...
Summer is my favorite time of the year here in Ohio. I love everything about it, especially the warm weather and the long nights. Having my kids home from school can be incredibly exhausting, but it's absolutely the highlight of the summer months. So many...
Meditation for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ “These things, brothers and sisters, are called Sacraments, for in them on thing is seen while another is signified.” - Saint Augustine. The famous psychologist, Zygmunt Bauman, said...
If you ever visit the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, you will see huge statues of the Apostles lining the nave of that church. Each statue appears larger-than-life and any viewer is left in awe and wonder at the respect these statues command. It is almost...
This video produced by Trideo is a fun explanation of Pentecost that children (ok, and adults!) are sure to love. Pentecost Explained With Lego! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvy-_Dayaoc The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome, says: “For all who are led...
On Pentecost Sunday, Christians are accustomed to finding birthday wishes all over the internet—in celebration of the Church, of course. And really, who can be blamed? Most people love birthdays. Plus, anything with icing tends to be pretty popular with the kids....
Though the media would have us think differently, the Catholic Church does not oppose science. In fact, the Church encourages us to develop our knowledge of the world around us because it always points to the Divine Creator. Catholics need to be able to articulate our...
The pain of loss -whether it is the loss of your dream to have children, the loss of a child, or the loss of your own mother - can make Mother's Day incredibly difficult to celebrate for some families. When you go to Mass this weekend pray for those who may be...
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark (16:15-20) Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will...
Today we present Part 3 of our series on the Doctors of the Church, having begun our list with Part 1, the Eight Ecumenical Doctors – four from the West and four from the East. In Part 2, we brought you the remaining eight Patristic Era Doctors. The eleven that follow...
Catholic-Link's Best Mother's Day Posts "What a joy to remember that she is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?" - St. Therese of Lisieux https://catholic-link.org/7-things-mom-needs-hear-mothers-day/...
TXT Stories has imagined what communication would have looked like if the followers of Jesus had text messaging at the first Easter. Of course, this isn't scripturally accurate, but with Easter Sunday falling on April Fool's Day this year, we can all enjoy...
Back in January, I realized that I didn’t know my Mother. No, not my biological mother, my spiritual Mother…our spiritual Mother. The one who not only brought Jesus into the world in a stable, but the one who watched Him suffer, die, and who today can lead us closer...
Fr. Ian VanHeusen presents a gospel reflection and spiritual exercise on the Gospel reading for Palm Sunday, Mk. 14:1-15:47. Throughout the Lenten season, Father encourages us to invest in prayer of self-examination, and he provides practical assistance in the method...
One of the things we say when referring to Jesus, is that we call Him our Redeemer. We do this because Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt that came to be on account of our sin. By His death and resurrection, He won us freedom from the bondage that comes about...