If you think you’ve had it rough this year, what with covid-19 morphing into the Omicron variant and new restrictions on our freedom looming, you have our sympathy. We have all had a tough year and we need a break. Christmas...
Wars not only destroy human lives; they destroy homes and heritages, they ravage fields, trees, lakes, and soil. But the life that God bequeathed to all creation is stronger than death. And so it was that, the chalky, bomb-pummeled, soil...
Winston Churchill referred to it as his “black dog.” American writer and educator Parker Palmer speaks of, “the snake pit of the soul.” Whatever we call it, depression is a hard thing – and incredibly common, though often not spoken...
On this Commemoration of All Souls, I am reminded of the chant Dies Irae, a liturgical meditation on the Last Judgment. From at least the mid-14th century it was sung as a Sequence on this day and in Funeral Masses....
Last week, a relatively young friend of mine died after a long battle with cancer. As his close friends, my wife, Christine and I were asked to offer words of reflection at his memorial service. As Christine spoke of her...
Bayard, Inc. Launches Virtual Pilgrimage Rome, at the heart of the Church "For the Church, pilgrimages, in all their multiple aspects, have always been a gift of grace." John Paul II Worcester, October 19, 2021 - Pilgrimage, one of the most meanginful expressions of...
Photo: Shutterstock Teresa of Avila, also known as Teresa of Jesus, was a remarkable woman of her time. She was practical and no-nonsense kind of woman. She worked at reforming the Carmelites with St. John of the Cross. Her spirituality is profound and...
St. Pius of Pietrecina (1887-1968) is generally better known by his more popular name: Padre Pio. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Padre Pio was a man of deep humility, spirituality and compassion. Through his faith, he...
The soul-stirring pageantry during the opening of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress earlier this month in Budapest came as a gift after a time of pandemic fast from communal celebration. It was a display of faith and community, as Catholics celebrated...
Today’s culture has begun to realize that recent decades of overzealous positivity have led to unsustainable expectations for happiness and success, often with dire consequences. The mantra in this burgeoning awareness of mental health is: “it’s okay not to be...
