A Prayer Before Mass Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of...
Thanksgiving week is a great time to get nice and cozy with the family on the couch and put on a movie that everyone will enjoy! And while some people have already been diving into Christmas movies for the past few weeks now, there are plenty of movies that are...
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Who was St. Elizabeth of the Trinity? There are some saints who, on the outside, do not appear especially remarkable; they are not like Catherine of Sienna guiding a pope back to Rome; or Joan of Arc leading an army into battle. By all outward appearances, they don’t...
St. Martin De Porres, Pray For Us! Image created by @thestumpofjesse
Author’s note: Are you contemplating taking your own life? - Please call or text 988 before you do anything else! There is always hope and always a better life just around the corner! You are not alone. Death is a Part of Our Fallen Reality Human beings are no...
The word Purgatory comes from the Greek root πῦρ (“pur”) which means both “fire” and “pure.” This is a fitting description, as the fires of Purgatory, rather than destroying like the fires of Hell, instead purify. Purgatory is where we expiate for the pain due to...
The Virtue of Thankfulness: Simply Justice or Piety? The act of gratitude or being thankful is something which is seen as important both in the Church and in the broader human family. Gratitude is universally important for human relationships to flourish. Who wants to...
https://vimeo.com/642910917/510f2312a7 What do I do now? A question all families of loss ask themselves the day after the funeral. Family members are going back to work. The house is a mess. You have no energy and find...
Who Is Albertus Magnus? One of the greatest saints in the History of the intellectual tradition of the Church is St. Thomas Aquinas. The Angelic Doctor, however, did not arise from a vacuum. Even the greatest teachers once had great teachers. The most famous teacher...
What if? Every movie, book, or play sees its genesis when someone somewhere utters those two words: what if? What if a mammoth shark terrorizes a beach community? What if a boy befriends a stranded extraterrestrial and works to help the being return home? What...
Who is St. Charles Borromeo? Carlo Borromeo was born in Arona, Italy near Milan in 1538. He became a cardinal archbishop and was active in the Catholic Counter-Reformation (after the Protestant Reformation) in Italy. St. Charles Borromeo died at the age of 46 in 1584...
Love and Song Over fifty percent of popular songs are about love, whether in the classical era or today. Paul McCartney’s song Silly Love Songs makes this observation when he says, “You’d think that people would’ve had enough of...
Did you know that each month has a traditional Catholic devotion? This year, let’s focus on each devotion month-by-month to grow in our faith and traditions! Make yourself notes, write it on your calendar, and pray a specific prayer each day of the month to remember....
St. Thomas Aquinas addresses this question in his Summa Theologica, and to reduce his nuanced arguments into one word – maybe. Thomas makes clear, in full accord with Scripture and Church teaching, that some souls do go straight to heaven or hell. Souls of those who...
There are wonderful times in our lives when God answers a prayer. Maybe it is something we have been praying for years; maybe it is something we never thought would be answered. Maybe the answer was beyond our wildest dreams, better than we ever could have imagined....
Thanksgiving Prayer O God, source and giver of all things,You manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodnessIn the earth about us:We give you honor and glory.For the sun and the rain,For the manifold fruits of our fields:For the increase of our herds and...
Gratitude is one of the most underrated virtues. It’s so often misconstrued as false enthusiasm, naivety or new-age positivity. It’s not. To be grateful takes strength to see beyond our own egos. If we concentrate only on what is negative in our lives, we forget the...
If you could bring anyone for dinner, dead or alive, who would it be? This isn’t a quiz, so there is no ultimate correct answer. You don’t need to say Jesus just because you are in a youth group, or a famous historical figure just because you want to sound smart. You...
7 How do you let Christ reign in you? | St. Josemaria Escriva “Christ should reign first and foremost in our soul. But how would we reply if he asked us: “How do you go about letting me reign in you?” I would reply that I need lots of his grace. Only that way can my...
’Tis the season to string up Christmas lights, decorate the tree, plan out party menus, and buy gifts at shopping centers where it’s close to impossible to find parking. Ladies and gentlemen, the Christmas season is in full effect…and it’s only November! Oddly...