July 26 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 that we have a lot more time to plan and accomplish things. Where do you start? Think about the...
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....
The origin of the Rosary dates back to the year 800, but it has evolved throughout the centuries resulting in the Rosary we know today. The Rosary invites us to make a beautiful meditation about the life of Jesus and the Holy Virgin Mary. Whether we pray it alone or...
The Feast of Mary Help of Christians is celebrated every May 24. We often hear of the invocation “Help of Christians” in the Litany of Loreto, but how did it start and flourish? What To Know About The Feast Of Our Lady Help Of Christians 1. The Battle of Lepanto It...
Most nights, although I'm exhausted at the end of the day, I stay awake thinking about all the things I could have done differently as a mom. I replay the day in my head and inevitably hear the harsh sound of my own voice reprimanding my children. I should have been...
In today's video reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a spiritual exercise based on Luke 24:13-35. We hope you enjoy and use this Catholic Bible study. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week, two of...
One of the best ways to enrich your faith is to read the scriptures daily. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method which we explain here. The following is from the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35 with a Catholic Bible study that...
Every person who has an encounter with the Risen Jesus is changed. The accounts in the New Testament show the many different emotions and responses people experienced when they saw Jesus alive after they had witnessed His death on a cross and burial just three days...
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...
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 mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities. "For just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and...
Most people can tell you that Lent is 40 days, but how long is Easter? One day? Yes, Easter Sunday is one day, but do you know how long the season of Easter really is? Seven weeks. Think about that. Do you celebrate Easter one day, one weekend, all season, or with...
Alleluia! Now what? Did you know that Easter is both an Octave (8 days) and a season (Eastertide is 50 days long!)? We are an Easter people, as the saying goes, and, as such, we ought to know how to pause in, or stretch out, what really is the center and foundation of...