In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast, Fr. Rob and Fr. George Elliot discuss how silence is an essential aspect of the spiritual life whereby one comes to a deeper knowledge of the truth of the present moment and increasingly aware of God's presence in their...
Silence
Embrace Silence During Holy Week (And Improve Your Mental Health!)
Palm Sunday Gospel One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,went to the chief priests and said,"What are you willing to give meif I hand him over to you?"They paid him thirty pieces of silver,and from that time on he looked for an opportunityto hand him over....
Come To Know God In The Silence
Gospel of Luke 22:14-23 When the hour came,Jesus took his place at table with the apostles.He said to them,“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,for, I tell you, I shall not eat it againuntil there is fulfillment in the kingdom of...
4 Practical Ways to Stay Connected to Jesus
1. Build a Daily Practice of Prayer (even if it means praying in the bathroom) Prayer is simply a conversation with Jesus. Of course, formal times of prayer are spiritually beneficial, however, daily life can sometimes make them impossible. While a simple chat with...
How To Hear God When (You Think) He Is Being Silent
There seems to be a huge stereotype about the way that God speaks to us. Many times, we think back to the conversion of Saul (who became Paul) who heard God’s voice booming through the clouds above him asking “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Other times, we are...
6 Surprising Things That Happen When You Decide To Embrace Silence
In the last few months I’ve really tried to embrace silence more often. To put my headphones down, turn off Netflix, logout of Instagram, and just be still. To pray more often, without distractions. To my surprise, it is not that easy. I don’t think I’m the only one...
3 Reasons God Speaks To The Human Heart In A Whisper
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...
The Solemnity Of St. Joseph, Truly A Saint For Our Times
The Gospel of Matthew gives emphasis to St. Joseph, for it is through him that the legal, filial line passed from King David to Jesus. The following are virtues we all stand to learn from St. Joseph. St. Joseph's Silence If we look at Sacred Scripture, there is not...
This Berlin Wall Experiment Proves That God Can Speak Through Anything
“If you want to challenge yourself, you have to rethink what you consider impossible.” So begins the opening of this 2015 experiment that involves the Berlin Wall, a group of school children and a storybook about a cat. The challenge that has been set in this video is...
This Year’s Oscar Candidates: Five Films of Interest to Catholics
It’s the that time of year again when “Oscar buzz” starts to fill the air and films and individual performances are being chalked up as award candidates. From now until February we will be bombarded by beautiful pieces of art (and all the surrounding chatter) as they...
“Silence” Director Martin Scorsese Moved by the Vatican’s Response to His Film
Set in 17th century Japan, the film "Silence" revolves around the lives and struggles of Portuguese Jesuit missionaries. It is chock full of stars such as Andrew Garfield ("Amazing Spiderman"), Adam Drive ("Star Wars: the Force Awakens") and Liam Neeson ("Shindler's...
How To Begin Praying With The Breath To Improve Your Spiritual Life
Through intentional breathing, we are subtly able to affect both our heart rhythm and our interior life (see Heartmath Institute). Such gentle guidance of our interior life constitutes a form of asceticism whereby we can calm the disorders of the heart and create the...
18 Special Moments In Daily Life To Discover God’s Presence
Not infrequently I've heard it said, “God has forsaken me, God does not hear me,” or “I do not know where God is.” Our lives are often hurried, immersed in routine and in the thousands of activities demanded by today's world. Such activity can make us lose the sense...
Does living in a culture of “now” mean you never have time for God?
This video, made by Dan Stevers (check out Jesus.net) transmits a clear and timely message “God has a vision for your life. However, daily life tends to obscure that vision, our frantic schedules push God to the fringe of our lives, and we beginning to develop habits...