Blog - St. Joseph's Shelf

Anointing of the Sick: Do You Know the Essentials about This Sacrament?

Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament many Catholics are unfamiliar with. Who should be anointed? Why? When? How is the sacrament administered? What practical steps can we take to prepare for it?

Practical Ways to Cultivate Chastity in Body, Mind, and Heart

Lust is a brutal sin to combat. At times, the struggle against it can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many practical steps we can take to overcome it. Here are six suggestions for everyone regardless of their state of life.

We Rejoice in Creation—Meditating on the Wonder of the Physical World

Have you ever reflected on how precious the physical world is in God’s eyes?

We tend to think of our Faith in abstract, intellectual terms. But the Catholic Faith is not some mere philosophical theory. It is something real and alive, which we experience and express in our daily lives in tangible ways.

What the Simplicity of Bethlehem Signifies for Us

Too often, we view the Nativity in a sentimental way. Teresa Kidron reminds us of the earthliness that characterized the stable at Bethlehem and the significance of the humble, meager conditions amidst which Christ was born.

Silence: An Underrated Theme of Christmas

There’s a unique quality about Christmas, one often described as the “Christmas spirit” that seems to unite people from all walks of life together in a profound way, regardless of whether they are Christian or not. What is this special something that bonds people together? Vir Christi suggests that it is silence.