Take some time to reflect on these events from 2016 with your spouse, family, prayer group, or friends for a better understanding of how they have affected your lives and faith. (Click on the hyperlinks to see related videos or news articles.) 15 News Stories...
World in Crisis
The “Word of the Year” and the Season’s Most Popular Ads Reveal A Lot About Humanity
Its become the trend in the last few years for Dictonary.com to announce their ‘Word of the Year’, the word that they feel is most relevant or trending to the year. Past years words have included ‘Privacy’ (2013), ‘Exposure’ (2014) and ‘Identity’ (2015). 2016’s Word...
“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...
Don’t Pray For Persecuted Christians: Pray With Them
This coming Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, an initiative organised by Open Doors USA, a non-profit organisation. What more can be said about the persecuted Christians? Perhaps you, like me, can feel a guilty fatigue when you read...
Jim Gaffigan’s Advice When Discussing Political Views: Calling Them A Moron Doesn’t Work
No one in the history of opinions has ever changed his/her mind after being called an idiot. They might have stopped sharing with you or even started an ad hominem fight online. Opinions change. As much as people with strong ones think that their mind will never...
Who Can We Blame for the Horrible State of Politics in the U.S.?
We’ve found ourselves in quite a bit of a hot mess with the upcoming Presidential Election. The world is watching what choice American voters will make. Will we elect a woman who has no regard for the sanctity of life and who will make it her mission to further...
The 7 Social Problems That Every Christian Is Called To Heal
Today’s society has radically changed from the morals of the past. We’ve gone from traditional marriage to other forms of civil union, from the defense of life to abortion, and from freedom of expression to a cancel culture. We know that men change constantly, but, is...
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...
Read the Powerful Testament from a Priest Who Knew He Would Be a Martyr
The Church has always been persecuted; we know this. It is constantly persecuted all around the world. Yet in recent months, the waves of this persecution have been lapping ever closer to our western world for the first time in hundreds of years. In the West, we are...
“The Innocents”: A Harrowing, True Story of Strength in the Face of Evil
I am actually trembling and tears are welling up in my eyes as I sit here writing a review for this movie. The Innocents is truly a harrowing, yet at the same time inspirational film. It is one of those rare films that has the ability to change you as you watch the...
8 Contributions Christians Can Make To The World (According to Saint Francis of Assisi)
The main characteristic that distinguishes a Christian from a person of a different religious denomination is true love. This consists in feeling deeply loved by God, and loving Him in return, above all things. From this conception of life derives other...
Watch As The Evolution Of The Swimsuit Reveals How We Think About Beauty
As Catholics, we must reconquer the battleground known as "beauty." I currently live in Italy, and I am continually impressed by the fascination for beauty that seeps forth from the walls of almost of every Church and in many Museums. Each time has its imperfections...
If the Vatican Has so Much Money, Why Doesn’t It…? 7 Things To Know About The Finances Of The Church
Like every good Catholic, surely you have had to explain the Pope, the Virginity of Mary, priestly celibacy, and refute the nonsense that appears in tabloids and on TV—which includes everything from claiming Jesus had children to conspiracy theories about the worldly...
Former Facebook Workers: “We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News”
One of the most subtle and dangerous ideas is the belief that the internet and its most powerful outlets are "neutral." While you may wave your hand and say, "It's obvious!" I have little doubt that countless people, Catholics included, continue to absorb a huge...
Why No One’s Laughing And Everyone’s Offended: Political Correctness
esesourBig Think released a video a few years ago which struck a chord in many, receiving over 9 million views in 3 days. John Cleese, a well-known comedian, basically says that political correctness has gone too far, especially on America's college campuses,...
The Eight Stages Of Genocide…And Why Catholics Should Care
During a special Mass held in 2015 to mark the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the Holy Father referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century. “The first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century, struck...
What Caused This Professional Baseball Player To Walk Away From 13 Million Dollars?
I can't give you any statistics on (now former) Chicago White Sox's baseball player Adam LaRoche and I don't know much about his faith life, but I do know that he made a very powerful statement yesterday about family that we can all learn from. For the past six years,...
How Refugees, A Carpenter, And The British Museum Will Teach You About Using Your Gifts
The British Museum, located in the heart of London, is home to more than 8 million objects of international historic and social importance. However, this story begins more than 1500 miles away from London, on the Italian island of Lampedusa. In 2013, on October 3rd,...
The Modern Mind According To G.K. Chesterton
“The modern mind will accept nothing on authority, but will accept anything on no authority. Say that the Bible or the Pope says so and it will be dismissed without further examination. But preface your remark with ‘I think I heard somewhere,’ or, try but fail to...
How to “Go in Peace, Glorifying the Lord by your Life”
Do you ever think about these words said to us by the priest at the end of Mass? Too often, I’m flicking through the hymn book to find the last hymn, and I miss their significance. Every phrase said in the Mass is there because it is important, so this isn’t just a...
“You will not have my hatred.” Letter to a Terrorist from a Man who Lost his Wife in The Attacks on Paris
There are times when the enormity of a situation and the emotions within it are so huge that it feels impossible to respond with words that are adequate. The attacks in Paris have been one such time when words have come with difficulty, especially when the attacks...
Brother Terrorist, Tell Me What You Felt!
Brother Terrorist: Tell me, what did you feel? When you looked into the terrorized eyes of your brother and you triggered his absence in this life… when innocent men and women begged for mercy, cried out to the humanity that runs through your veins, and you denied...
The Starbucks Red Cup Controversy: ‘Tis the Season to Complain, Whine, and Rant About A Lack of Christmas Cheer
Father Rob Ketcham from Saint John the Baptist Diocesan High School in New York has just released this video about his take on the Starbucks red cup controversy and it is a beautiful reminder of our call to love. If you're not familiar with what has been going on,...
An Astonishingly Beautiful Icon To Remember The 21 Coptic Christians Martyred By ISIS
Do you remember February 13, 2015? On this day, 21 Coptic Christians were martyred for their faith by ISIS. This event has been depicted in a sacred icon by the artist Nikola Sarić . Our experience of icons can often be synonymous with historic events that seem...
LGBT 5 Step Guide to Manipulating Pope Francis’ Message in the USA
LAAD – an LGBT advocacy organization – has released a media guide ("The Papal Visit: A journalist's guide to reporting on Pope Francis and the LGBT community") encouraging journalists to favor its narrative during Pope Francis’ visit to the United...