The synod of the family held a few years ago was a great opportunity for the Church to listen and better understand the situation of many Catholics. Often the Church is accused of being insensitive with these issues. From one point of view, this is understandable. The...
Sacraments
The Importance Of Making A Spiritual Communion And How You Can Do It Anytime, Anywhere
Spiritual communion is a great way to cultivate our love for Christ in the Eucharist for those times when we can’t make it to Daily Mass for a variety of reasons (no priest, something unexpected, weather, job, sickness, etc.). It is important to note that a spiritual...
Divorced and Remarried? 5 Tips For Living out Your Catholic Faith
With today's post, we would like to offer some tools to help those who would find themselves in a difficult situation, yet desire to draw closer to the Church and renew their relationship with God. Each one of us is called to search and respond to God in our personal...
What’s the Big Deal With Remarried Couples Receiving Communion?
You might have heard or read quite a bit about the issue of remarried couples and the Eucharist. Still, amongst the hype, there hasn’t always been a lot of clarity about what’s at the heart of it all. Why can’t remarried couples receive communion? Is it some kind of...
What Is The Meaning Of A Priest’s Vestments? A Practical Guide
If you have paid attention at Mass or at other liturgies at Church, you will have noted how the priest’s vestments change through the various seasons. It’s possible that you might have asked yourself why the change and what the different colors might mean. Put simply,...
10 Reasons You Should Be Skeptical About Becoming Catholic
Are you considering becoming a Catholic? Are you thinking about taking your Catholic life seriously, if you had neglected it? I do not know if converting to Catholicism is a good idea. If I was you, I would think it carefully before taking the next step. Catholicism...
Why are Catholics So “Exclusive” About Holy Communion?! 13 Ways To Approach This Sensitive Subject
Recently I attended a Baccalaureate Mass, and I couldn't help but feel the generally awkward vibe that tends to arise whenever Communion comes around, especially when the priest must explain that those who aren't Catholic may come forward and receive a blessing, but...
What Does Jesus Teach Us About Healthy Eating? | Luke 9:11-17
One of the best ways to enrich your faith-life is to pray with scripture. A great way of doing this is using the "Lectio Divina"; this is a powerful method which we explain here. We hope that it serves you in your personal prayer and that it serves as a resource that...
7 Names For The Holy Spirit That You Probably Didn’t Know
In college, I had the pleasure of taking a sacraments course with Dr. Scott Hahn, which was equal parts awe-inspiring and overwhelming. For starters, the man is practically a living encyclopedia when it comes to the Catholic faith, so notetaking in his class was...
7 Secular Musicians Who Accidentally Stumbled On The Sacraments
As a teacher, one of the primary things I try to instill in my students is the notion that whether one is a professed Catholic, or running away from the Faith, one cannot avoid talking about (and even glorifying) the Faith... if only accidentally. In other words, to...
Are You Courageous Enough To Pray “Come Holy Spirit”?
I was excited to see that ‘The Wild Goose’ is inviting everyone to join them in a worldwide prayer vigil for Pentecost. If you don’t already know, ‘The Wild Goose’ is an online series, created in partnership between Fr. Dave Pivonka and 4pm Media. (You can see our...
Kirk Cameron’s Controversial “Archaic” Marriage Advice
Both the media and Twitter users have decided to tear Kirk Cameron apart for his views about marriage that he recently shared in an interview with The Christian Post. Cameron is best known for his role in the 80’s sitcom Growing Pains but has more recently starred in...
An Extraordinarily Beautiful Video Series About The Value Of Family And Marriage
One of the most misunderstood teachings of our time is what the Catholic Church says about sexuality, marriage, and family life. The beauty of what our Church truly believes is often overshadowed by what the media distorts it to be. As a result, there is truly a lack...
8 Encouraging Stories Of Confession That Will Inspire You To Visit The Sacrament
Confession can be scary. But it is always worth going to, no matter how we feel about it beforehand. The graces and mercy that flow from this Sacrament always conquer the fear and anxiety that we might feel. People will find a million reasons to avoid this gift....
7 Characteristics Of God’s Forgiveness And Mercy
In my post, 9 Things I Would Like To Have Known Before Getting Married, one of the points that raised a lot of questions was number 8: "A good marriage is the union of two people who are good at forgiving." Many people contacted me relating how difficult it was for...
A 7 Step Visual Guide For Going To Confession
If you’re thinking of going to Confession, but it has been a while, this post is for you. Going to Confession is never pleasant or enjoyable, but it is always worth it. However, it can feel so much worse if you’ve not been in years. Maybe it has been so long ago since...
God Does More Than Just Erase Our Regrets, He Makes All Things New
As you will see in today's video, chances not taken or dreams not chased often make up our regrets in life. Our heads spin with “what if” questions and “if only” hypotheses. But, are regrets simply supposed to plague us at night when we are trying to sleep? Or can...
Why You Should You Get Married In The Catholic Church?
With so many options nowadays, the humble church building can be the last place that is considered for a wedding. We asked 7 couples why they chose to get married in a Catholic Church. These answers, ranging from the comprehensive to the short-and-sweet, are honest,...
How To Make Your Examination Of Conscience
In recent years, some have noted a widespread crisis in the Church regarding the practice of the examination of conscience. On the one hand, for many it has become a legalistic examination (basically putting oneself in the courtroom), done exclusively within the...
7 Things You Need To Know About Infidelity In Marriage
Esther Perel is a prominent Belgian psychotherapist who lives in New York. She has dedicated 30 years to couples therapy and to the study of infidelity; and she has been traveling around the world for the last 10 years, collecting information about this topic in...
A Love Letter To My Future Wife
Dear Future Wife, It’s funny to write this letter, and yet not know if you will ever read it… Because where should I send it? I have no address for you. No phone number on which to contact you. Facebook and WhatsApp are of no use, and Skype and Instagram will not...
6 Things To Know About God’s Mercy
Even those who don’t know much about Pope Francis could likely tell you that he is passionate about revealing God’s mercy to all people. “The Name of God is Mercy” was released in January 2013 with hopes of helping people better understand the mercy of God...
John the Baptist Preaches God From The Womb | St. John Chrysostom
“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...
9 Things I Would Like To Have Known Before Getting Married
This past November 7th, the Solemnity of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, my wife and I celebrated our seventeenth wedding anniversary. Seventeen blissful years that I would not trade with any other stage in my life. Today, I can say these have been years of conjugal...
Jesus Is With Us In The Eucharist
“God was not content with giving us His only Son once for all, willing Him to take flesh in the womb of a Virgin - flesh like ours, so that He might suffer and die for us on the Cross - but He wished Him to remain with us forever, perpetuating His real presence and...