Your Lord and Savior is Now the Size of a Prune! Baby Jesus has been growing at a fast pace since the Annunciation and will be fully developed by the end of this month! Those tiny buds from last month are now arms and legs, hands and feet, fingers and toes. These...
When you hear the word retreat you probably think: solitude, monastery, deep prayer, and peace. These are all images of a retreat that you may have attended or have envisioned yourself participating in some day. It hardly lines up with the word,...
Here are 3 ways in particular that I rely on the Holy Spirit to parent: The Holy Spirit sanctifies me and fills me with God’s love when I am empty, He comes through on his scriptural promises, and He gives practical gifts which bear fruit. Let’s dive into these one at...
We sometimes wonder why our prayers are not answered in the way that we hope. And often, we will never know because there are so many variables, including the fact that we may actually be asking God for something that’s not good for us in the long run. Or we may be...
I stared at my computer at the half-written essay. I had been working on it for one of my toughest classes and feared it wouldn’t be finished before it was due at 11:59pm that night. I also knew that I might not have been able to finish, because our soccer team had a...
What is the legend of St. Brendan's Stone? Enjoy an imaginative retelling of this Irish folklore and an inspiring Saint! St. Brendan's Stone Where the green ground of the Emerald Isle met the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a man stood along the coastline, looking...
Recently, the lyrics to the song “One Spirit, One Church” by Kevin Keil and Maryanne Quinlivan, OSU, began running through my mind: We are a pilgrim people, we are the Church of God. A family of believers, disciples of the Lord. United in one spirit, ignited by the...
St. Joseph, the silent husband of the Virgin Mother, terror of demons, and earthly father of Christ our Lord, is a man of few words. His role within the Holy Family as the father of Christ reveals a very important metaphysical truth. Identity is not determined by...
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, mountain enthusiast, student, fun-loving, and passionate Catholic, was born in Italy in 1901 and died when he was only 24. Born to a wealthy family, he used his privileged position to secretly support the poor. He led an ordinary life...
We need one another. As men, we need strong women. We need their support. Women need strong men and need their support as well. When it comes to being men and women, we desperately need to be and remain GROUNDED, to avoid getting caught up and carried away by...
Drink to good health! That has been the cry of saints and popes as they have served mugs of beer to the sick. In times of plague, members of the church have used beer to fight disease. St. Arnold of Soissons St....
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name…” Luke 24:35-48 What Did Jesus Actually Accomplish By Dying And Rising From The Dead? Most of us...
Saint Vincent Ferrer was a priest from Spain who lived in the 14th century. His missionary work is attributed to leading thousands of people in Europe to the Catholic faith. His feast day is celebrated on April 5th and the life of this saint continues to lead people...
I tease that I grew up as a “Metho-byterian-ist of God” - I was baptized United Methodist, sang in a Presbyterian traveling youth choir, went to Wednesday night Bible study with my Baptist friends, and often visited an Assemblies of God church with a guy I dated. As...
During this Season of the Resurrection, we are mindful that the ministry of Jesus did not come to an end with His earthly life. Just before His Ascension, Jesus promised to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to strengthen and guide His Church. The Holy Spirit...
I remember the first time I introduced my oldest child to Easter. It was Good Friday, and my wise-for-her-years two year old was asking about what was special about the day. So I took a crucifix down from the wall, and let her hold it. I touched Jesus’ hands and feet,...
One day each year – and one day only – there is no Catholic Mass celebrated throughout the world. One day. The Easter Triduum begins with Holy Thursday Mass. What many Catholics don’t realize is that Good Friday service not a Mass, but a liturgy, as no hosts are...
What is an Indulgence? Do Catholics still practice indulgences? That stopped after Martin Luther pointed out that they are wrong, right? To be sure, the 16th Century was a confusing time. There was a Dominican preacher named Johann Tetzel who Luther claimed was...
First things first. When I embarked on the quest to find Catholic women, who are not saints or blesseds, I was prepared for surprises. Many of us know our holy and inspiring women saints (Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Rita, Saint Therese, Saint Edith Stein… I could...
The beauty of the beast. “Sixteen is the terrible twos times eight plus a driver’s license.”—One mother in speaking for many. “Just enjoy them now; those teen years are coming.”—a forewarning from veteran parents to the beginners. Poll one hundred...
Lent dates back to the 4th century, a time when it began to be observed as a period of penance and renewal for the entire Church through sacrifice, fasting, and abstinence. Although in the West, this time is not as rigorously observed, there has never been any debate...
On December 30, 2020, I literally lost my mind. Collapsing on my living room floor, I did not have another coherent thought for nine weeks. Although I began drinking when I was young, I eventually became addicted and my drinking spiraled out of control. It overtook my...
For many people, the priest is the one whom people go to for their spiritual needs, for prayer requests, for Mass offerings, and other sacraments. Have you ever wondered how a priest is sustained spiritually for the work they do? Should we be praying for a priest as...
Cheesy Catholic Pick Up Lines For When Ash Wednesday And Valentine's Day Are On The Same Day
The day passes you by and the prayer time you wanted to spend with God never happens. Kids, job, spouse and other important demands seem to push out the time you wanted to spend in prayer. You are exhausted from the day and you just want to “veg” out, so you reach for...