What is the Steward of the Kingdom? A steward is appointed by the ruling king or queen to represent them and help them to govern. Another word we could use to describe the steward is “prime minister.” In the Old Testament, the chief steward of the king was able to rule with the authority of […]

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, during the season of Lent. Each year, during this season of the Church, Pope Francis provides wisdom and encouragement for our Lenten journey. Today, we present a Lent quote from each year of Pope Francis’ papacy to inspire and guide us on our Lenten journey. […]

I couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t much secular news coverage of this year’s World Youth Day celebration in Lisbon. Maybe it’s because the media couldn’t twist Pope Francis’ words out of context as easily as they usually do with our Holy Father? Throughout the week, Pope Francis shared some really powerful words with […]

Health and soundness are better than all gold, and a robust body than countless riches. Sirach 30:15 St. Paul made clear that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16 -1 7; 6:19 – 20), and St. Thomas elaborated in his great Summa Theologica that Christ’s command to love God with […]

The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?  – Edgar Allan Poe The film, The Pale Blue Eye, opens with this line from the famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe. It is a fictional story of Augustine Landor, a retired […]

Is there something wrong with your life? Maybe something is missing. Maybe you’re depressed. Maybe you’re overwhelmed. Maybe you’re trapped by compulsive behavior. Maybe there’s a particular sin you haven’t been able to overcome no matter how hard you’ve tried? Maybe you’re in a state of despair because you think nothing will ever change? Whatever […]

Every day, we face numerous choices, many of eternal consequences.  When our hearts and minds are ordered toward God, these choices are usually between two goods.  We could read to our children, or pray the rosary.   We could spend Saturday afternoon serving at the soup kitchen, or go to confession.   We could go […]

I want to introduce two things to you- discernment of spirits as taught by St. Ignatius and Satan as the great accuser.  St. Ignatius taught that there are three spirits at work in our lives. The first is the spirit of God. The idea is that we can tell which spirit is at work by the […]

Sacramentals are powerful sacred signs and an indispensable means of grace. Through them, the liberation from evil and the healing of sicknesses (including psychological disorders) can occur and conversions may happen. Sacramentals can help to overcome multiple difficulties in life, providing a manifold help on the way to God. The blessing of persons is an […]

Today we mourn the loss of Pope Benedict XVI, a holy man of God who lived the faith well. May he rest in the arms of God for eternity! Read more about his life and be inspired by his legacy. Pope Benedict XVI Dies At The Age Of 95 Who Was Pope Benedict XVI? Long […]

CARITAS IN VERITATE | June 29, 2009 Each person finds his good by adherence to God’s plan for him, in order to realize it fully: in this plan, he finds his truth, and through adherence to this truth he becomes free (cf. Jn 8:32).  Pope Benedict XVI Without God man neither knows which way to […]

Parents often wonder when they should begin teaching the Theology of the Body (TOB) to their children…the answer is: In the womb! Yes, that means talking to your unborn child who begins to hear and recognize voices—your body matters to the unborn child.  “The Body Matters” That phrase, “The Body Matters” ought to be on […]

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 […]

Even if you didn’t watch the Oscars, you’ve likely seen all over social media what occurred between Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Will Smith. An offensive joke was told at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband retaliated by walking on stage to slap Chris Rock and then proceeded to cuss him […]

Gospel of Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”So to them Jesus addressed this parable:“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,‘Father give me the share of […]

Would you describe yourself as perfectly happy? Perhaps you’d say you are somewhat happy or happy enough, but not especially so. We often get the general impression that lasting happiness is far-off, practically impossible, not to be hoped for in this life. When we are made to confront our own unhappiness, it can be distressing, […]