These last twelve days for me as a British subject have been very strange ones. We have continued our ordinary lives, while all about us in the public sphere, momentous and solemn things have happened. The death of our Queen, the instantaneous transferral of symbolic...
I find that the term “spiritual warfare” often makes me think it’s more dramatic and epic than it actually is. I think of saints doing heroic penances and exorcists fighting off demons, but truly spiritual warfare is often a subtle battle the devil wages against us to...
Would you describe yourself as perfectly happy? Perhaps you’d say you are somewhat happy or happy enough, but not especially so. We often get the general impression that lasting happiness is far-off, practically impossible, not to be hoped for in this life. When we...
No little baby needs a ‘trigger warning’, not even a baby lost to miscarriage. But I do want to give a note here that I cover some very gritty realities of miscarriage in the following article, especially discussing burial...
Since Pope Francis became pope, the way of life and the spirituality of Franciscans have received closer attention. With the pope’s announcement of the Year of St. Joseph, there has been even more focus on the spiritual life of...
God, I’ll do anything you want, just don’t ask me to be a Sister (or a Priest)! That was the first thing both of us thought when we found ourselves pursuing God’s plan for our lives. We were ready to do something radical and bring Christ’s love to a needy world, but...
It doesn’t take long when first discovering the world of natural family planning to realize that most couples have a love/hate relationship with NFP. The reasons to love it are obvious and the reasons to hate it are obvious. It is a strange mix of sweet...
Did you know that studies consistently show that 70% of the newly ordained first heard the call to the priesthood between birth and 18 years of age? (1) At the risk of stating the obvious, these are the prime educational years for faith formation. Children should...
Graced and Gifted with Kimberly Hahn || Biblical Wisdom for the Homemaker's Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuAFxl-oW0A Catholic homemaking done well creates a domestic church, where your home becomes a sacred space to live out your vocation. Kimberly Hahn is a...
Open foot, insert mouth. Wait. I mean the other way around. Fr. Michael Zimmerman here, assistant director at Vocations Boston. I’ve probably said a few items on this list myself, and I’ve been on the receiving end of far more, but how can we actually encourage...
“It’s times like these when God is going to call great saints to come forth, and beyond any doubt, you were called to be one," says Brother Angelo in the new vocations video for the Knights of the Holy Eucharist. The Vocation To The Religious Life...
I was a postulant with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity when I learned that there is a difference between being happy and being joyful. Up until then, I had thought the terms were interchangeable. Someone could be happy being able to see their friends. A...
“And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Growing up I had never been around religious sisters as my entire education was in the public schools, and it was not until I was an undergraduate in college that one...
Let’s face it. Purity is not always the easiest virtue to cultivate. And our culture isn’t giving young men any breaks! But the battle against lust is one that every Catholic man must fight. While that fight looks different for...
Pope Francis recently named new cardinals, but not all of them are bishops...is that even allowed? Well actually, in the history of the Church, it's not that uncommon. Fr. George explains the history of cardinals and what their function is today. We also learn about...
I had the best intentions for my first year of virtual schooling. I imagined us waking up early, enjoying a healthy gourmet breakfast, praying the rosary together, reflecting on the daily readings, singing a few songs, and then...
What did I do today that matters? Sometimes the mundane and yet busy daily life can seem ordinarily boring without significant meaning. I can belittle my work, motherhood, and small acts of love that are largely private. We currently live in a society that values what...
If you missed Ask a Priest Live with Fr. George Elliott, you can watch the replay here. Each Sunday at 3:00 PM Central, I go live on the Catholic-Link Facebook page. I will start with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, then provide a quick reflection...
Summer months allow for seminarians to spend time in parishes and embrace pastoral and apostolic work more readily. Many priests recall lasting, grace-filled lessons, friendships, and memories that began on summer assignments or in home parishes as seminarians.As...
Volunteering is incredibly beneficial to our spiritual growth. Serving in the community provides opportunities to focus on the needs of others, challenges us in new ways, develops virtues, and encourages us to pray more. But, once you become a mom, isn't your family...
"The road may not be the direct route you were hoping for, but direct routes are rarely fulfilling or transformative. God thinks too highly of you to rush the divine work he is doing in your life." Read the full letter here. Use this video to start discussion with the...
I would ask that you take the title with a sense of humor as it is meant be. After recently posting about motherhood, I knew we couldn't leave fathers out. Still, keeping in mind the 9 months of pregnancy, the hours of agonizing pain during childbirth,...
In this enlightening video reflection, Mother Gabriella of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery shares about the importance of spiritual motherhood and the calling that all women have to live this vocation....
“I’m going to take a pregnancy test!” I shouted across the apartment to my husband as I anxiously walked into our bathroom to find out if I was having phantom pregnancy symptoms or if I was in fact carrying another life inside of me. I was bracing myself...
I was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Rockford on June 1st, 2019. Since then, I have been able to celebrate over sixty masses, anoint several people, preside over a couple of funerals, and baptize one child. I also attended two friend’s ordination to the...