What Child Is This?

What child is this? This child born this morning, born to no acclaim, born in a dwelling meant for cattle, what is he? Ignored by the world but acclaimed by the angels, who is he? As the classic Christmas carol … Continue reading

Holy Souls?

Today we pray for the holy souls in purgatory. This idea of the holy souls in purgatory seems an odd notion to contemporary ears. One tends to think of heaven as the place where the holy souls go. Purgatory, one … Continue reading

Clinging to the Cross

These past few weeks have been filled with suffering. The revelation of scandal has caused an immense amount of pain among the members of the Body of Christ, both the victims and all who love the Church. It raises a … Continue reading

Rise, and Have No Fear

Peter, James, and John were terrified at the Transfiguration, and rightly so. After all, according to the Gospels, it was a pretty scary scene. Their friend, Jesus, was transformed before their eyes, his face shone like the sun and his … Continue reading

How Are You Going to Die?

“How are you going to die?” A morbid question, and one which few would want to answer. Surely we can’t know how we are going to die. There is, of course, what many would consider the ideal scenario: passing peacefully, … Continue reading

The Calculus of Love

How much does it cost to love someone? This is a difficult, if not impossible, question to answer. (Spoilers!) Several months ago, Bishop Robert Barron reviewed Lady Bird, a film which, despite its at times questionable treatment of sexuality, captures … Continue reading

Two Weeks Too Late

Today we celebrate the Annunciation. . . two weeks late. Having just celebrated the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s death and Resurrection during Holy Week and the Easter Octave, we now take a step back to the event which made it … Continue reading

Preferring the Light

Are you happy? Or, at least, happier? We’ve hit the halfway point of Lent—three weeks down, three weeks to go. That’s three weeks without whatever little pleasures we sacrificed for this penitential season. Three weeks deprived of coffee, or soda, … Continue reading

Sports and Religion

Sports are all around right about now. The NFL season is in full swing, the College Football Playoff is just around the corner, and college basketball has tipped off (Go Friars). It’s an exciting time of the year for sports … Continue reading

An Image of Sanctity

“Why isn’t she a saint yet?” This was the reaction a classmate of mine had to seeing an image of Mother Teresa. And it makes sense. This was a woman known around the world for her charity, compassion, and love … Continue reading

By His Wounds

Jesus Christ did not die to save humanity. That is, not some abstract notion of it. Our Lord’s head was pierced with a crown of thorns. His back was scourged. His face was spit on. His clothes were torn off … Continue reading

I Am Able

If only we could have the confidence of James and John. “‘Are you able to drink the chalice that I am to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able’” (Mt 20:22). And lest we think that they don’t know … Continue reading

Homeward Bound

Being lost in Manhattan can be a terrifying experience. No idea where you are, no idea where to go, and no familiar faces to ask for directions. Might as well throw on a blindfold for good measure. And yet, if … Continue reading

Misunderstanding Marathons

I don’t understand running. I mean, if you’re being chased by a bear, sure, by all means, run. Or playing sports? Of course. But going out to run for fun? I don’t get it. That’s an awful lot of energy … Continue reading

Loving Disappointment

“I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.” If you’ve ever stolen a cookie from the cookie jar and subsequently gotten caught, you’ve likely heard these words from your parents. And boy does it hurt to hear that. More than if your … Continue reading

Marco Polo

“Marco!” “Polo!” “Marco!” “Polo!” If you’ve spent more than ten minutes at a public pool during summer vacation, there’s a good chance you’ve heard these familiar words being yelled by children enjoying their time off from school. It’s a simple … Continue reading