The Spirit of Lent
Lent is a season of prayer for interior renewal.
The somber chant of the Miserere (Psalm 51) on Ash Wednesday instills within us the spirit of this season of repentance: Continue »
A Pause That Refreshes
It’s way more satisfying than a nap.
Did you know that the Hebrew word “selah” occurs seventy times in thirty-nine of the psalms? While we don’t know for certain what it means, many biblical scholars believe that selah was a musical term used to indicate a pause in a song, whether for emphasis or for reflection. Continue »
“God’s mercy overcomes every barrier and Jesus’ hand touches the leper. He does not stand at a safe distance and does not act by delegating, but places himself in direct contact with our contagion.” —Pope Francis Continue »
The title “Mother of God” is the Western church’s equivalent of the ancient Eastern title Theotokos, which means “God-bearer.” In 431, the Council of Ephesus sanctioned the title Theotokos for Mary as a way of declaring and protecting the divinity of Christ. The title declares the most important truth about Mary: She is the Mother of God. Continue »
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Continue »
Come to the Father
This Advent and Christmas season, let yourself “be encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.”
In 1902, a sociologist named Charles Cooley developed a theory called the “Looking Glass Self.” According to Cooley, the way we think about ourselves is formed in large part by what we think the most important people in our lives think about us. Continue »
Praying with Thanksgiving
Let your gratitude to God give shape and substance to your daily prayer to him.
Prayers of thanksgiving make up a big part of all my daily prayer times. I thank the Lord for all the marvels of his creation and love. I praise him for this vast universe of one hundred billion galaxies, for this beautiful planet he made as a dwelling for us, his sons and daughters, and for the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us as Jesus Christ, in whom we have salvation and eternal life. Continue »
The Church celebrates All Saints Day on November 1. Find inspiration and wisdom about conversing with God in prayer in this selection of quotations from the saints. Continue »
Finding God’s Peace in Everyday Challenges
Meditations on the effectiveness of prayer
The Power of Our Prayers Continue »
Praying to the Rhythm of the Rosary
Dwelling on the mysteries of the rosary is a powerful way for the Spirit to penetrate beyond the surface of our lives and lift us up to heaven.
What do you suppose would happen if someone were to mention the title of your favorite song? Wouldn’t you, almost unconsciously, begin hearing the tune in your mind? Maybe you’d even start tapping your toes to the rhythm and humming along with the music. Continue »
The Gospel of Matthew
Knowing the Gospels Better Opens the Way to Prayer
Years ago I was privileged to be part of an excavation team working on a site in Israel along the coast of the Sea of Galilee. Continue »
Life on this earth has always been stressful. Threats to our survival and well-being, whether from the natural world or from what we may perceive as dangerous, have been part of every age. Continue »
Prayer, Our Lifeline to God
Do You Find It Hard to Pray? Here’s Some Practical Advice . . .
Prayer is not a last resort. It’s not what we do after we read the self-help books, after we go to the specialists, or after we surf the Internet. Prayer is our lifeline to God. Continue »
The Assumption of Mary
Authentic Faith Looks Forward to Having a Glorified Body
We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. —Pope Pius XII, "Munificentissimus Deus", 44 Continue »
