The first thing that Mary did after receiving the Angel's message was to go "in haste" to the house of her cousin Elizabeth in order to be of service to her. The Virgin's initiative was one of genuine...
Google "how to get ahead" and you'll get over a billion results. I know because I just tried it. Everyone has advise for getting ahead-life coaches, financial planners, career experts, and the brother-in-law with a great...
My co-workers husband died recently. I don't want to say the wrong thing. What should I do?
It is good that you want to do something. When someone has a loved one die, people often feel uncomfortable talking...
During the month of May, special focus is placed on devotions to the Virgin Mary.
Join us every Monday in May as we honour the Mother of our Lord Jesus. This collection of Marian reflections and prayers consists of a...
Imagine that the Pharisee and the tax collector have suddenly been transported to our time, have received degrees, and now teach at your child's school. Whose class would you choose for your child? The Pharisee would probably be an...
Don't priests miss having a family of their own?
When I was trying to decide whether or not I should be a priest, one of the hardest things for me to imagine was letting go of having a family...
After almost 20 centuries, the Church is still:
reaching back to Jesus and His Apostles
striving to fulfill Christ's mission
upholding the truth of the Bible and Church tradition
sharing faith in Jesus' life and Resurrection with all Christians...
It can be hard to give everything to God. Maybe you haven't forgiven yourself for something. Maybe you focus on the ways you don't measure up. These are all good reasons to spend a few moments in God...
When I try to pray, my mind jumps all around. Can you help?
You are not the only one who struggles with this! Though we might use different words to describe it, pretty much everyone has a mind that sometimes...
In the 21st century, the Church is reaching out to all people and looking to the future.
Vatican Council II
This council, held between 1962 and 1965, revitalized Church practices, calling for liturgical reform and ecumenical (interfaith) dialogue - a challenge...
Did you dye eggs for Easter? Do you know that eggs are symbols of life and rebirth? "Rolling" them on laws recalls rolling aside the stone from Jesus' tomb. As a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, many families...
My wife died. Can I still talk with her?
When someone we love dies, the world is changed forever. We usually feel a mixture of emotions, including sadness that we can no longer see them or do many of the...
From the 17th through the 19th centuries, a new spiritual energy resulted from reform. This energy sustained the Church in a rapidly changing world.
Pervasive changes brought about continuing challenges. For example:
Doctrine disputes within the Church contributed to religious...
Jesus shared an uncomfortable historical truth: namely, that at two moments in history, God sent his prophets to others and not to his chosen people. It's right there in the Scriptures. But instead of taking these reminders to heart...
What is the Holy Spirit like?
When I was in school, I learned a lot about the Holy Spirit. For example, l learned that the Holy Spirit:
Is the third person in the Trinity
Was experienced in a powerful way...
In the 16th century, after having been the Church of the western world for over 1,000 years, Catholicism faced a great crisis and challenge.
The Reformation
Several main religious groups, under individual leaders, split from the Roman Catholic Church...
Christ is Risen!!
For many years, Christians greeted each other this way all through the Easter season. "Christ is risen," one would say. Another would respond, "Christ has indeed risen. Alleluia!" What a beautiful, joyful thing to say! Why don...
Did Adam and Eve really exist? Is the Bible true?
Someone once gave us these words of wisdom: "Every story in the Bible is true; some of them even happened that way." What that means is that yes, every story...
The 15th century was an age of reformers, writers and individualists. It was a time of:
New Culture
There was a rebirth of interest in classical Greek and Roman culture. Popes patronized the arts. During this period, Michelangelo painted the...
A bowl that once belonged to my mother sits on a table in my living room. Look closely and you will see a crack down the middle, from years ago when a baseball made contact. I've been tempted to...