Receiving Communion has been much in the news lately. This post will cover what the Church teaches about when the faithful should receive Communion, as well as the Scriptural basis for this teaching. In all honesty, I went to Catholic school for twelve years, and I don’t remember being taught
The most watched crowd-funded show in internet history is about the life of Jesus. That’s pretty cool. Even better news is that the show is compelling and well-made. The show is called The Chosen. Show creator Dallas Jenkins and his team are planning seven seasons in all. Seasons One and
The three most famous Marian apparitions are at Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fatima. These three are famous in large measure due to the miracles associated with them. The miracle of Guadalupe is the most enduring – the tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has survived, inexplicably, for nearly
The Virgin Mary appeared to Sister Catherine Laboure twice in the year 1830 in Paris. During the second apparition (November 27), Mary showed Catherine the design for what would be called the Miraculous Medal. Mary promised that all who wore the medal would receive great graces. The front of the
The science of near-death experiences is real. In the past fifteen years, there have been four peer-reviewed studies of near-death experiences published in scientific journals, including The Lancet, the leading medical journal in Great Britain. Collectively these four studies examine 3,500 near-death experiences. A near-death experience can occur when a
“He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to
I highly recommend Peter Kreeft’s book How to Be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint. Kreeft is a professor at Boston College and has written many books about the faith. I’ve liked all the ones I’ve already, but How to Be Holy might be the best: it’s concise, deep
Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the best-known apparitions of Mary. A similar but less famous apparition took place in Guaitara Canyon, Colombia in 1754. As she did two centuries before in Mexico, Our Lady of Las Lajas (Our Lady of the Rocks) left behind evidence of her appearance
Our Father, We are so blessed to be Your children! Your love and mercy have no end. May every knee bend before You, and may every tongue reverence Your Holy Name! May the communion of love that binds Your kingdom dwell freely in our hearts here on earth.
On August 15 we celebrate Mary’s glorious assumption, body and soul, into Heaven. What is Heaven like? Heaven is a communion of love. It is a love that unites the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with those who trusted in His mercy and took up their cross. It is hard
Controversy over predestination led to wars and schisms during the Protestant Reformation. For Catholics today, it may feel like a daunting topic best avoided. It wasn’t something I understood well until a priest explained it in a simple way in a homily. The Church’s teaching on predestination boils down to
What is freedom? There is a modern definition of freedom that is freedom to. These are the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We are free to speak as we choose. Free to write as we choose. Free to meet with who we choose. Above all, free to worship
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) God is love. If we want to know what love is, and how we are
“[Saint Joseph] also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.” It’s not always easy to accept the fact that we’re not
On December 8th of 2020 Pope Francis declared a “Year of Saint Joseph.” The pope also wrote an apostolic letter, “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”) proclaiming the virtues of Saint Joseph and encouraging the faithful to follow in his footsteps. For fathers especially, the example of Saint Joseph is
The 20th Century was one of the bloodiest in human history. The damage wrought in those years shook the faith of many. Yet God never abandons His people, and is often most active amidst the greatest storms. Consider God’s work amidst the storms of the 20th Century: July 28, 1914:
Our parish priest shared a powerful story about God’s forgiveness recently that I had to share. The story concerns Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom Jesus revealed the devotion to his Sacred Heart. When Saint Margaret Mary shared Jesus’ message with her confessor, Saint Claude do la Colombiere, he was
A friend shared a prayer with me, the Surrender Novena, that I had to share with you. This prayer was given to Servant of God Dolindo Ruotolo by Jesus. I found the Lord’s words in this prayer so profound and so comforting. About Father Dolindo. He was born in Naples
I like to end my nightly prayers by saying, “Good night, Jesus. Good night, Mary. I love you. I’ll see you soon.” In one of the Narnia books, Aslan, the lion who is the Christ-figure in the story, tells the children that something good is going to happen “soon.” The
Many Catholics have heard of and made the First Fridays devotion that comes from a promise Jesus made to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. Other Catholics know of the first Saturdays devotion that Mary revealed to Saint Lucia dos Santos. And many Catholics know of neither of these devotions. So what