Many Catholics know the Assumption is an important event in Mary’s life. However, they frequently fail to ask an essential question: What does the Assumption of Mary mean for you and me, in both an immediate and an eternal sense?
Do you know how to live Sunday as the Lord’s Day?
Attending Mass is only one part—albeit the most important one—of keeping Sunday holy. But the commandment to keep holy the Lord’s Day doesn’t stop there. Rather, we should strive to sanctify the whole day. Here are four ways we do that.
Have you ever felt broken beyond repair?
Fr. J. shared a story of how he once broke a precious vase. He could have fixed the vase, but to no avail. Even if every piece were glued back into place, you’d still see the multitude of cracks running through the vase.
Sometimes, we resemble that vase and we wonder: Can God fix me and, if so, why doesn’t He?
I had coffee recently with my friend Frances. We were talking about the struggle all of us encounter at times when people fail to understand us. Frances then shared with me a beautiful image God planted in her mind regarding this difficulty.
During the Last Supper, Jesus gives His Apostles the mission to “go and bear fruit” (John 15:16). That mission is still relevant to us today. How do we take the graces we receive from the Eucharist and share them with others?
Do you prepare for Mass?
We prepare for so many things—work, school, a birthday party, a vacation—so as to do or enjoy those things as best we can.
Likewise, we need to prepare to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass. It is…
At the end of the Bread of Life discourse, after many of His disciples abandon Him, Jesus asks the Twelve: “Do you also wish to leave?” A person may hear this question and automatically think, “I’ll never walk away from Jesus.” Yet is that true?
There are a number of pamphlets and such discussing how to spend a Holy Hour. The problem is, these writings tend to focus on how to fill up your time during Adoration. But how do you go beyond formal devotions like the Rosary and enter into a deeper communion with God?
Something that frequently gets omitted in conversations about the Eucharist is not the what or the how, but the why. Why would God bother giving us the Eucharist in the first place? What’s the point of transforming bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ?
My fellow writer Vir Christi made a striking observation to me about parents and priests and their children. He pointed out how parents are available to their children, 24/7. Vir Christi wondered what the world would be like if all priests were as generous with their spiritual children.
In the midst of all of the solemnities the Church celebrates around the month of June, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart gets overlooked. Why does the Church ascribe so much importance to an internal organ of Our Lord? Isn’t that kind of strange?
“Sunday best.” For many, it’s not what it used to be. Shorts and a t-shirt? Check! We’re all set for Mass.
Or not.
Sunday Mass is special. If there ever were an occasion for dressing up, this is it. But why?
June is here. At this point, we’re probably all hankering for a break. But too much leisure time takes a toll. Before we go barreling into summer, let’s reflect on how we can sanctify and refresh ourselves through the pursuit of leisure.
When I recently began praying the Divine Office, something significant leapt out to me. In prayer, it is easy to focus on ourselves. We ask for favors, thank God for things He’s done, and beg His pardon for our sins. How much time, though, do we devote to praising Him?
Vir Christi delves into mental prayer: what it is, why it matters, and how to do it. He also answers the question of how we know whether our time spent in mental prayer is bearing fruit or not. This is a must-read!