Pete Burak, director of i.d.916 gives a quick rundown of some creative ideas for young adults to think about giving up this Lent. The suggestions to give up eye-rolling, extra guac, and not finishing a book spoke directly to my heart! Which ideas will inspire...
Looking for a fun, quick, and easy way to explain Lent to your children, class, or youth group? Check out this great video produced by Trideo. Ash Wednesday and Lent in 60 seconds - with Lego! https://youtu.be/beWSVFNPw0s Looking for more? An Excerpt Pope Francis'...
Every year without fail all things Lent appeal to me. The books, the retreats, the daily emails, the texts... Inevitably, I sign-up for everything and buy at least a few books. I have this desire to soak up all the spiritual resources that I can find. But, you...
When I was growing up, my understanding of Lent was that I wasn’t supposed to be eating candy, I got “black stuff” on my forehead at the beginning of the season, and we didn’t eat meat on Fridays. What it actually meant was beyond me; and to be completely honest, I...
The lives of the saints provide us rich, beautiful sources of instruction in virtue. But there's a particular heroism to be gleaned from stories of the martyrs. Today we present 15 saints - some well known, others, more obscure, but all are admirable for a common...
Jesus comes to Peter to wash his feet. Peter says to him, "Lord, do you want to wash my feet?" Jesus answers, "What I am doing you do not know now but afterward you will understand." Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not...
On Holy Thursday, we are invited to remember and celebrate four events: the Last Supper, the Washing of the Apostle's Feet by Jesus, Christ's agony and prayer in Gethsemane, and the arrest of Jesus. In Jesus' time, the Hebrew Pasch (Passover) was celebrated at home,...
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year for Christians. This is the day when we remember Christ's death on the cross for us. We remember the suffering He endured for our sake. We are reminded of the depths of His love for us. Do not let Good Friday go by as...
Each year during Holy Week, we celebrate the most fundamental aspects of our Catholic faith. We remember the love of God, the sacrifice of His Son Jesus for our sake, the institution of the Eucharist, etc. Perhaps most importantly, we rejoice at the end of Holy Week...
In this Lenten series and Catholic Bible Study, Father Ian VanHeusen presents his weekly spiritual exercise based on scriptures to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method...
The Case for Christ on DVD has just been released and I'm so excited to be able to view this great film and discuss with both my small group Bible study and my family. I had the opportunity to watch an early screening of the film when the movie was released in...
What is the purpose of Lent? Lent is not simply a way to renew your commitment to a New Year's resolution or jump start your diet. It's much more than a tradition or ritual. Lent should be a time of spiritual renewal and purification that ultimately leads us to...
Holy Week should be the most important week of the year for all Christians. It should be the week in which we give of ourselves to the fullest in order to fully receive Christ during the Easter celebration. That's the ideal. However, we all know that sometimes...
In this Lenten series, Father Ian VanHeusen presents his weekly spiritual exercise based on the Sunday Readings to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method of examination...
Most Catholics are aware of the Lenten traditions of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Besides eating meat on Fridays, there are a few other things that Church says we can't do during Lent. There is one particular word that we don't say during this Holy season...
Are you looking for a way to end Lent on a great note and welcome the Easter season with Joy? The Lanky Guys will take us on a journey through Holy Week, unpacking the Scriptures and walking with us along the steps of the Apostles to see what they saw. Even for those...
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...
So, we’re approaching the midpoint of Lent! How is it going for you so far?! No matter how you feel you’re doing, this is a good time to pause and reflect on what has happened so far and to remind yourself of the purpose of this important time. To help you, we’ve...
In this Lenten series, Father Ian VanHeusen presents his weekly spiritual exercise based on the Sunday Readings to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. What is a Spiritual Exercise, you ask? St. Ignatius of Loyola writes, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises”...
This post aims to compile some of the reflections the Lord has given me during a retreat I lived not long ago. They are not the result of my own inspiration whatsoever, but a true gift from God and the good preacher, whom God put in our path. In our lives, we are like...
In this Lenten series, Father Ian VanHeusen gives us a weekly spiritual exercise based on the Sunday Readings to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. What is a Spiritual Exercise, you ask? St. Ignatius of Loyola writes, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is...
There's an interesting phenomenon at work in this annual, very public ritual (and it's not exclusive to Catholics; other Christians mark their foreheads with ashes to commemorate the start of Lent). While in some parts of the world it's become less common to see...
In this series, Father Ian VanHeusen gives us a weekly spiritual exercise based on the Sunday Readings to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. What is a Spiritual Exercise, you ask? St. Ignatius of Loyola writes, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant...
Lent is a great time to grow in one’s faith and there are tons of ways one can make Lent more fruitful. However, since most often, the penances we adopt during Lent don’t stick on after Easter, I wanted to present a set of challenges to those who really want to grow...
What is a Spiritual Exercise you ask? St. Ignatius of Loyola writes, “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...