During the season of Lent, when the Church teaches on penance, I thought I would include some excerpts from the Catechism on what penance is and what the sacrament is. It has been my experience that, in the last 40 years, very few Catholics were properly taught about this and might need a refresher. Here’s […]
Penance in the Christian Life and the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) Read More »
Even though Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is still alive, he is now in his mid-90s and very frail so has ceased to write. From the time I was a seminarian almost 25 years ago, I loved to read what he wrote long before he ascended to the throne of Peter. As a professor, author, and
A Marriage Reflection on St. Valentine’s Day Read More »
As we move into Lent in just over a week, I wanted to wrap up some topics before then so I can focus later on the spiritual strategy of that holy season. I haven’t written about the saints of the month in a while, so I wanted to start with February 1st. John Paul II
Chairs, Revolutions, and Saints Read More »
Last Monday, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus). It certainly ranks as one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible, with a 180 degree turn from a man who was literally ordering Christians to be dragged to their death to the man who, together with St.
Conversion and Candlemas Read More »
With so much attention being paid to the Covid-19 epidemic and the constant barrage of secular media coverage of those suffering due to that particular illness, I thought it would be a good time to reflect a little bit on the Christian view of illness, so we understand how it fits into our life in
The Christian View on Illness Read More »
This coming Friday, January 22nd, our American bishops are asking all Catholics to observe a terrible anniversary with a day of prayer and fasting for the legal protection of the unborn. This will be the 48th anniversary of the day the U.S. Supreme Court decided to declare war on innocent, unborn human life in the
New Challenges in Defending Life Read More »
Every year, the Christmas season concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which we celebrate today. This makes sense when we think about what Christmas means: the Son of God becoming manifest and visible to us. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the very Son of God, took on our human
Jesus’ Father and Our Father Read More »
The feast of the Epiphany (from Greek appearance or manifestation) is traditionally celebrated on the twelfth night after Christmas (January 6th). As a result, it is sometimes called Twelfth Night, but is also known as Three Kings Day or sometimes Little Christmas, depending on which country or Christian tradition you belong to. In many cultures,
From One King to Another Read More »
As we continue joyfully to celebrate the octave (eight days) of Christmas, we remember today the Holy Family of Nazareth: Jesus, Joseph and Mary. Every Christian family is privileged to be sanctified by the Holy Family, who intercede for them and serve as an example of how to become holy precisely in their familial love.
Pope Paul VI on the Holy Family Read More »
In these last few days of the Advent season, I wanted to turn our attention to St. Joseph – to view this season through his eyes. That’s because Pope Francis has recently declared this year (from now through next December) as The Year of St. Joseph. When popes declare a holy year, that means they
Advent and the Year of St. Joseph Read More »