"The name Saul means 'Great One', the name Paul means 'Little One'," began "Paul, Apostle of Christ" star Jim Caviezel. He surprised eight thousand college students attending SLS18, a FOCUS conference this past weekend in Chicago and inspired them to become little in...
Suffering
5 Ways To Be Mad At God & Open Up To Him In Prayer
I frequently get mad at God (maybe more than I should?... I don’t know whether there's a reasonable limit to these things). The thing is, I used to think it wasn’t okay, that it meant my faith and love were weak. Little by little, with the Holy Spirit’s help, I’ve...
6 Spiritual Lessons I Learned From The Book Of Job
If you haven’t read this Old Testament book, you’ve missed out on a major part of the Jewish spiritual understanding of pain and suffering. I won’t narrate the complete story, but in summary Job had to go through tremendous calamities. He lost his possessions, his...
2 Powerful Things You Can Do If You Feel Helpless About the Plight of Persecuted Christians
It's very often not the case that we simply don’t care about our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters across the world. The problem is often that we feel helpless and overwhelmed by the terrible situations they are in, and we don’t know what we can do to help...
What Do The Lamp, The Oil, And Sleepiness Symbolize in The Parable Of The 10 Virgins?
For those who have had the experience of keeping watch over a sick person through the night, especially if it was a very close loved one, you know what it means to fight off sleep. You do everything in your power to stay awake; you use every ounce of strength; you...
Matt Maher’s Newest Release “Echoes” Will Bring Hope
Catholic music fans should be prepared to love the sounds on Matt Maher's newest album, "Echoes," as well as the message behind the lyrics. This is Maher's eighth full-length album, and he has previously won eight Grammys for his work. "Echoes" speaks to the heart of...
4 Things God Might Be Up To When You Are Suffering And Cannot Feel His Presence
I don’t have an answer to “if there is a God, why is there suffering?”. It is a question I repeatedly struggle with, but it is a question that I do try to engage with. In recent years I have had a few extremely painful experiences that have left me asking exactly...
7 Powerful Stories of Hope Amidst the Suffering of Hurricane Harvey
The world has watched in horror this last week as Hurricane Harvey unleashed its destruction on Texas, Houston in particular. The suffering and devastation it has left in its wake has been horrendous and very frightening. However, as the famous Fred Rogers quote goes,...
How To Look Suffering In The Eye
Matthew 16:21-27 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,”God...
The Weakness Of St. Peter: What He Teaches Us About Surrendering Our Fears
How do you deal with suffering? How do you learn to push through discomfort, fear and anxiety for the sake of Jesus Christ? At some point in life, we all must encounter fears, and some of them are too heavy to overcome alone. In Matthew 16:21, Peter balks at Jesus'...
Struggling To Feel Joyful? Pope Benedict Identified One Unusual Reason Why
I sometimes think that Lent is a little easier to live out than Eastertide is, perhaps because we are so much more familiar with suffering than we are with joy. We’ve all experienced suffering, probably more than we wanted to, but joy doesn’t seem to be as obvious in...
5 Blesseds Every Catholic (Especially Young People) Should Get To Know
How often have you met a young adult and thought “Wow, they are so holy”... or looked to them as an inspiration and example for your own faith? Teens and young adults, especially those in high school or college, are notoriously stereotyped as the opposite of saintly,...
15 Real-life Examples Of How To “Offer It Up” (and the meaning behind the phrase)
"Oh, Caleb, just offer it up!" I've probably uttered this phrase in exasperation a few more times than necessary. It's my go-to line when my kids complain too much about anything from being hungry to physical ailments. I must be honest, though, I really have...
5 Things To Do When God’s Plan For You Doesn’t Make Sense
There are times when life just doesn't make sense at all. It's a total mystery why God would ask us to go through trials, tragedies, and suffering. During these dark seasons of life, it can be tempting to turn to despair and become angry with God and His plan for our...
Adoration: The Ultimate Act And Habit Of Friendship
One of the most fruitful yet daunting experiences in my life has been Eucharistic Adoration. Just a few years ago, I would often marvel at how some people could sit before the Blessed Sacrament and get lost in the experience. Meanwhile, I was scratching my head trying...
5 Things An Ancient Japanese Art Taught Me About Healing
Ever since I first heard about kintsugi a few years ago, it has been one of my favorite motifs for understanding healing and redemption. As is explained in this video, kintsugi is the is an ancient Japanese art of repair. Think of a cracked vase. Rather than throwing...
7 Starter Tips For When You Need Emotional Healing In Your Life
Anyone who has seen the movie Good Will Hunting will know the famous “It’s not your fault” scene. Even if you haven’t seen it, the moment stands powerfully alone, uncomfortable at first, until you cannot fail to be pulled into the breakdown of emotion that Will (Matt...
The Holiness And Sufferings Of Padre Pio: A Rare Peek Into His Life!
Born May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy, Padre Pio has been and continues to be one of the most fascinating and sought-after saints of our times. Deeply pious as a child, at age 15, he took the Habit of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on January 22, 1903. He took...
3 Quotes to Help You When You Feel the World is Falling Apart Around You
Let's talk about the world again. If your summer has been anything like mine, it's probably been a summer of intense political debate, on both sides of the pond. And let's not forget the horrendous plight of the parts of the world that are so regularly suffering...
Without Suffering No One Wins The Crown | St. Thomas Becket
“Remember then how our fathers worked out their salvation; remember the sufferings through which the Church has grown, and the storms the ship of Peter has weathered because it has Christ on board. Remember how the crown was attained by those whose sufferings gave new...
8 Books To Read When You Are Feeling Down
A good book is often the best tonic for when you are feeling down! We asked our Catholic-Link authors what their favorite book is when they need cheering up. Here are eight suggestions that you might like to try out next time you’re having a rainy day! Curl up with a...
It Is Good For Us To Have Trials | Thomas à Kempis
“It is good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well....
Meet The Monk Who Says “I often thank God that He let me be blinded…”
Poor Oedipus. If you don’t know the classic story of the king who accidentally married his mother and blinds himself, I’d be surprised. Many deep ponderings can be taken out of this story about fate, truth, control, and free will, but what about that self-blinding?...
Is It True That “We Are All Addicts”?
“We are all addicts.” I was told this four years ago and have never forgotten it. It was a comment addressed to a group of young Catholic adults by a priest who worked with people who had drug and alcohol addictions. When he said it, I couldn’t believe what he was...
When Chaos Brings Fear And Anxiety|Catholic Bible Study
'There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the...