As we navigate through the Coronavirus and the seemingly unending strain of directives and regulations released by the Church and government agencies, we pray for and await good health and healing in all the world. In most dioceses, the latest is: Closed and locked...
Teens are hungry for God. They want to know what is true. They yearn to experience authentic encounters with the risen Lord. Many may have faith in their hearts, but are still trying to figure out what is real for themselves. They need proof. They want to know...
The waiting period is over and the apostles receive the gift promised! So to do we receive the Holy Spirit, especially in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. This week on the podcast we talk about how not all experiences with the Holy Spirit are dramatic, some...
Ascension seems the silliest solemnity. Jesus spent thirty years preparing for His mission, three years preaching His mission, three days suffering, dying, rising to complete His mission, and many days thereafter appearing to His apostles so that they would believe in...
This week on the podcast we discuss a lot about waiting for the Holy Spirit. Discussing the first reading we ponder the Ascension from the perspective of the Apostles. How did they feel? What were they going through? We discuss how hard discernment is, and how hard it...
This week we talk about the call to rejoice in the suffering of our time. We venture into anxiety and the culture, how to care for our spiritual health and our physical health. The implementation of gratitude is so important in fighting the dryness and anxiety, and...
If you ever visit the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, you will see huge statues of the Apostles lining the nave of that church. Each statue appears larger-than-life and any viewer is left in awe and wonder at the respect these statues command. It is almost...
This video produced by Trideo is a fun explanation of Pentecost that children (ok, and adults!) are sure to love. Pentecost Explained With Lego! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvy-_Dayaoc The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome, says: “For all who are led...
On Pentecost Sunday, Christians are accustomed to finding birthday wishes all over the internet—in celebration of the Church, of course. And really, who can be blamed? Most people love birthdays. Plus, anything with icing tends to be pretty popular with the kids....
For whatever reason, the gift of tongues has become one of the most controversial gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, before you dismiss this post because of something you may have previously heard or experienced relating to the gift of tongues, I encourage you to read on....
In my journey back to the faith I had spent much time researching, listening, and learning about what it meant to be a daughter of God, what it meant to be a follower of Christ, and to clumsily pick up my cross and carry it. All of this seemed like an overwhelming...
People often ask us to pray for them, whether they’re facing challenges personally, at home, at work, or they’re battling a particular illness. The common practice is that we promise to pray for that person, putting it off to some point in the future (that, let’s be...
Known and beloved as the "Golden Sequence," the Veni Sancte Spiritus is a beautiful, powerful prayer to the Holy Spirit that dates back to the thirteenth century. It is attributed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Stephen Langton. In 1570, this "sequence"...
The celebration of Pentecost reminds us of our need for the Holy Spirit. How often do you pray to and invite the Holy Spirit into your life? Jesus left us with the Advocate to help us grow in holiness, but many of us don't understand how to incorporate this aspect of...
It’s time to celebrate our Church’s birthday, the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (See Acts 2:1-22; 1 Corinthians 12:3-13; John 10:19-23)! We celebrate Pentecost this Sunday! After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, He did not leave us alone. He founded the...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience Mass is to pray the Mass Readings personally and to meditate on a Gospel reflection. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method which we explain here. John 20: 19-23 On the...
In today's Gospel reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a spiritual exercise based on Acts 2:1-11. 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...
Don’t be surprised if you hear in the coming days that a few hundred thousand people are making their way to Rome. They’ve all headed there to mark the 50th anniversary of the charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church, a phenomenon that is estimated to have impacted...
The late Cardinal Suenens, one of the fathers of the Second Vatican Council, said the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is not a “movement” in the usual sense of the word, but it is a “current of grace.” Cardinal Suenens saw the Charismatic Renewal as a rekindling of the...
In today's Gospel reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a Catholic Bible study and spiritual exercise based on John 14:15-21. St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of...
One of the best ways to enrich your spiritual life is to pray with scripture and meditate on its application to your own life. Enjoy this free Catholic Bible Study that will enrich your spiritual reading! A great way of doing this is using the technique of...
I did not fully understand the significance of the Sacrament when I received my Confirmation. While I’m certain my teachers did a wonderful job preparing me in an academic sense, my mind and heart were just not completely open to the transforming power of the Holy...
Have you ever witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit? Not many of us can say that we have actually seen a miracle occur before our very eyes. In the exciting new film about the Holy Spirit, Fearless, you will have the opportunity to watch miracles unfold as you...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience at Sunday Mass is to pray the gospel reading personally. A great way of doing this is using the "Lectio Divina"; this is a powerful method which we explain here. The following is the Sunday gospel reading with a...
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...