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?
Gratitude is one of the easiest virtues to display. Anyone can say “thank you” and the occasions for doing so are innumerable.
Gratitude as a habitual disposition is rarer and far more radical.
What do you say “thank you” for? Do you mean it? Do you give thanks no matter what happens?
Sometimes, the struggle against sin, temptation, and human weakness seems overwhelming. At such times, looking to the past can be a source of hope.
Many people have had their life touched by the issue of suicide. I, personally, have grappled with suicidal thoughts and witnessed the consequences of someone committing suicide. Amidst all the sorrow caused by this evil, we might ask:
What does the Catholic Church teach about suicide? Why? And what can you and I do?
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?
“Do you know,” said Anne confidentially, “I’ve made up my mind to enjoy this drive. It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
In this scene, eleven-year-old Anne is facing the prospect of being sent back to an orphan asylum because…
Easter is a season of new beginnings. It’s a time for us to allow the blossoming of the spiritual seeds that Lent sowed in our hearts, and also to allow the restoration of that which was broken. The cry “He is risen!” is not a far-distant memory, but rather…
Too often we treat the Lenten season as a self-improvement program. Instead of seeking to draw closer to God, we end up seeking ourselves. A classic example is someone giving up chocolate so they can lose weight. Their focus is on an ulterior motive, not God.
Depression is a difficult topic to discuss. It afflicts a lot of people, but too often we miss seeing it in someone or we don’t know how to talk about it without causing offense. I have suffered from depression and know others who have as well. Here are my thoughts on it.