"It would do us good to ask one question: Who am I? Who am I before my Lord? Where is my heart? Which of these people do I resemble most ? Who am I before Jesus who is suffering?" These are a few of the questions that Pope Francis has asked us to reflect on this...
While we often hear a lot about the popular culture that surrounds St. Patrick's Day, many of us are quite ignorant when it comes to the man himself. To put it simply, we do not call him "Saint" for nothing; the man's faith was truly impressive: “For by decent I was a...
I recently finished reading Mike Pacer’s Mercy and Hope, and it left me feeling... well... completely hopeful! It seems that in our world today, many people become overwhelmed and feel hopeless. Why do so many lose hope in the midst of their temporary circumstances?...
How is your Lent going?! Great, or not so great? Feeling like it is a long way to Holy Week? Has your Lent felt like a complete disaster so far? Are you feeling a bit sick of it all?! If your Lent has stalled- did you start with plans that were too much? Or did you...
It seems that Hollywood is starting to realize the power of the name of Jesus and is responding by creating more movies about the life of Jesus. Well, maybe. At the very least, producers have certainly realized the entertainment value of the story of His Life, Death,...
The Psalms are a wonderful way to pray at any time of year because they truly echo the emotions of the heart and draw us closer to God. Since the seventh century, it has become a common spiritual practice to pray the seven penitential psalms during Lent. These psalms...
“Brethren, let no disagreement remain amongst you seeing that these are the holy days [of Lent]… Maybe you begin to say to yourselves in thought: “I want to make peace but my brother is the one who has offended me… and doesn’t want to come to terms”. What then?… In...
Before we even start talking about fasting or abstinence, let's say something obvious: none of this makes sense outside the logic of faith. There are certainly psychological benefits and ways to explain the cultural or social reasons for fasting and similar practices,...
Life passes quickly. One moment you are twelve years old playing in the street, and today you are an adult, 40 years old. What happened to your youthful aspirations, your dreams, and your ideals? Though you remember them, do you maintain them? Have you gone through...
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...
Perhaps, like me, you have already made and broken several New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe you haven’t made any, or maybe you are doing great with all your plans. But have you thought of choosing a patron saint for the year? I know people who spend hours chopping lists...
Perhaps the way to become better acquainted with these Magi and to understand their desire to let themselves be guided by God’s signs is to pause to consider what they find on their journey, in the great city of Jerusalem.First of all they met King Herod. He was...
"It gives me great joy to know that the custom of creating a crib scene has been preserved in your families. Yet it is not enough to repeat a traditional gesture, however important it may be. It is necessary to seek to live in the reality of daily life that the crib...
“Christ is born, glorify him. Christ from heaven, go out to meet him. Christ on earth; exalt him: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice !” (Ps 96:1.11), for him who is of heaven and now of earth. Christ has made his dwelling...
“In the mystery of our Lord’s incarnation there were clear indications of his eternal Godhead. Yet the great events we celebrate today disclose and reveal in different ways the fact that God himself took a human body. Mortal man, enshrouded always in darkness, must...
Sometimes it can feel as though we live two separate Christmas experiences. One is an endless round of parties, presents, food and socializing, the bright lights, late nights and overindulging at the forefront. The other Christmas experience is the truth and beauty of...
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...
It can be difficult to extend the invitation to a neighbor or friend to join us at Mass for Christmas, but statistics show that 82% of people who do not go to Church are somewhat likely to attend if invited. This should give us the courage to be bold in our faith and...
“O what a novel and wonderful mystery! John has not yet been born but already he gives voice with his bounds; he has not yet appeared but already he manifests signs of his presence; he cannot yet cry and already he is heard through what he does; as yet he has not...
Important feasts such as Christmas require great preparation. Catholics throughout the ages have creatively come up with all sorts of ways to do so, many of which are symbolic. The tradition of the church incorporates material symbols because they help us get a better...
Saint Nicholas is not a jolly, chubby man dressed in red who brings gifts and lives in the North Pole. And while there are many popular versions to his story, today, we want to introduce you to who this great saint known as “Santa Claus” really was. This saint was a...
Where has the time gone? We are already ending Week 3 of Advent. Hopefully you have taken the time to pray, reflect, and prepare for the Birth of Christ. If you are a Catholic active on social media, you have probably noticed that many of your favorite Catholic...
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...
“Dear Brothers and Sisters, I am glad to welcome you at the General Audience a few days before the celebration of the Lord’s Birth. The greeting on everyone’s lips in these days is “Happy Christmas! Best wishes for the Christmas festivities!”. Let us ensure that in...
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...