One of the best ways to enrich your spiritual life is to reflect on the Gospel. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method that we explain here. The following is a Gospel reading with a reflection that is especially aimed at...
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,...
Many of us have been listening to Bible stories since we were kids. Noah's Ark, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the lion's den are some of the classics that children love to hear again and again, but have we taken the time to read them as adults? Though they do...
A great form of prayer is Lectio Divina, a powerful method that we explain here. This week, Fr. Piccolo reflects on Matthew 13:44-52. We hope that it serves you in your personal prayer and that it serves as a resource that you can share with your apostolate....
Here's a battle I sometimes fight with myself: vacillating between exuberant repetitiveness about my faith, my conversion, how amazing God is, how I wish everyone I love would convert (for their own well-being and happiness!), how I wish every Catholic in the pews on...
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...
Every person who has an encounter with the Risen Jesus is changed. The accounts in the New Testament show the many different emotions and responses people experienced when they saw Jesus alive after they had witnessed His death on a cross and burial just three days...
Gospel of Luke 16:1-13 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to...
Gospel of Luke 16:1-13 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to...
Many times when I get bored at Mass, it is because I didn't prepare myself well beforehand. Or I might have had too many worries floating around in my head that I was unwilling to entrust to God. I think it would be safe to say that the readings of the...
St. Paul writes Hebrews that ‘the word of God is alive and active’ (Hebrews 4:12) and this is still true even in our darkest moments of pain and confusion. The Bible can provide us the answers and the comfort that we are seeking. Whatever you are going through, if you...
On a purely practical level, the intercession of the saints makes perfect sense to me. Yes, God is everything to me, but he's not the only thing. In other words, I cannot navigate life without the assistance of God's creatures (both living and dead). Whether it is the...
Have you ever found yourself in a prayer rut? Perhaps you've been saying the same prayers for so long you no longer pay attention to the meaning behind the words. Your prayer routine has become just that, routine. Though it is good to be in the habit of...
One of the best ways to enrich your faith is to pray with the gospel readings. A great way of doing this is using the “Lectio Divina”; this is a powerful method which we explain here. We hope that it helps you in your personal prayer and that it serves as a resource...
One of the best ways to enrich your prayer 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 helps you in your personal prayer and that it serves as a resource that...
Oftentimes our Wikipedia-mindset has taught us to read like robots. It's one thing to read a text looking to obtain information, it's another looking to undergo transformation. "Reading" the Bible isn't meant to merely offer certain ideas or reflections, it is meant...
Catholics are often accused of not knowing the Bible very well. Our Protestant brothers and sisters admittedly seem to have memorized more scripture than the average Catholic sitting in the pews today. Why is that? It is not due to lack of appreciation of...
When reading Holy Scripture, we can’t help but discover certain traits in the various characters of the bible that we can identify with. Whether it be those who walked side by side with the Lord Jesus, or those who proved their faith in God time and time again in the...
For an apostle, prayer is not optional. It is a fundamental need that spiritually nurtures us and allows us to offer an authentic testimony of a constantly renewed encounter with the Lord Jesus. Remember: no one gives what they don’t have. No matter how much you read,...
“It is the story of God’s love!” These were the words of my religion teacher, uttered when she was introducing us to the Bible. The truth in her words, thirty years later, I still unpack in the infinite treasury that is the Bible. Indeed, God created men and women out...