One of the most common objects Catholics keep in their homes is a crucifix. Jesus’ suffering on the Cross is a reminder that his death was the means to destroying death. Many non-Catholics have charged Catholics with being too focused on the death of Christ rather than his Resurrection. But without the real and tangible […]

Humility is, as it were, a disposition to man’s untrammeled access  to spiritual and divine goods. St. Thomas Aquinas  (Summa Theologica, II-II Q. 161. a. 5) St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that pride (superbia in the Latin), “is so-called because a man thereby aims higher (supra) than he is” (ST, II-II, Q. 162. a. 1). […]

Gospel of Luke 8:4-15 When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after anotherjourneying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed.And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,and the birds of the sky ate it up.Some seed fell on rocky ground, […]

Who Was Pope St. Pius X? Born in 1835 in Venice, Guiseppe Melchiorre Sarto was pope from 1903 to 1914 under the name Pius X. He was a staunch defender of the truth, a liturgical reformer, and a man of great faith. Pope St. Pius X is well known globally for his repression of Modernism […]

I find that the term “spiritual warfare” often makes me think it’s more dramatic and epic than it actually is. I think of saints doing heroic penances and exorcists fighting off demons, but truly spiritual warfare is often a subtle battle the devil wages against us to slowly and steadily lead us off of the […]

Have you ever heard of “The Looking Glass Self”?  It is a popular concept in the worlds of sociology and psychology and has been around for quite some time. The belief is that we understand ourselves through what we think others think of us.  When applied, we could say that if I see genuine pleasure […]

What is Desiderio desideravi? Desiderio desideravi, the title of Pope Francis’ 2022 document on the Sacred Liturgy, comes from the Latin version of Luke 22:15: “I have earnestly desired (desiderio desideravi) to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Pope Francis begins this beautiful and relatively short reflection on the beauty, goodness, and truth […]

On May 15, 2022, Pope Francis introduced ten new Saints to the Catholic Church. Each of these holy men and women are powerful examples of lives dedicated to God through service, faith, and love. At the canonization Mass, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that all are called to become saints. “Being disciples of Jesus and […]

Gospel of John 21: 1-19 At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.He revealed himself in this way.Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”They said to him, “We also […]

The virtue of charity is our union with God. The  Council of Trent declared that we maintain the virtues of faith and hope after we commit a mortal sin, both of which encourage us to seek out the sacrament of confession. But  the Catechism of the Council of Trent explains that “whoever offends God, even […]