As human beings, we learn to do great things by imitating others. “Imitation is natural for man from childhood,” says Aristotle, “one of his advantages over the lower animals being this, that he is the most imitative creature in the … Continue reading
Discipleship
The Soul of the Apostolate
2019 Summer Reading Recommendations:The Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard, O.C.S.O I once spent two weeks in Kolkata on a discernment and mission trip where I worked alongside the Missionaries of Charity. By the end of those two weeks, … Continue reading
Of Earthquakes and the Power of the Holy Spirit
The call to follow Jesus throughout the Gospels always involves Jesus calling an individual out of his or her old life and into a new life. This new life involves being a disciple of Christ, which means being with him … Continue reading
The Fruit of Obedience
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Abide in me, … Continue reading
Follow the Lamb
Glancing up from the riverbank, the Baptist “looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’” (Jn 1:36). His disciples understood the subtext: Follow the Lamb. Where, O Lamb, are you going, where do you abide? … Continue reading
Preaching in Lystra
When Paul and Barnabas heal a crippled man at Lystra while proclaiming the Gospel there, the miracle at first seems to backfire. By preaching in Lystra, they intended to turn the locals away from idolatry to the true worship of … Continue reading
The Joy of A Faithful Community
Perhaps a lesser known fact about St. Catherine of Siena was that she lived with a small “spiritual family” around her in Rome toward the end of her life. Throughout her travels many people flocked to her because they saw St. … Continue reading
Awake, O Sleeper, and Arise from the Dead
Alleluia!! Christ is risen! Indeed he is risen! Hopefully you had a joyful celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection yesterday with solemn worship and appropriate feasting after our season of fasting. But don’t forget—Easter is not over! In a certain sense … Continue reading
Later, you will follow
“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13:36-37) You have to feel for … Continue reading
Peter’s Promise
At the Last Supper, as is written in today’s Gospel, St. Peter confidently proclaimed to Jesus, “I will lay down my life for you” (Jn 13:37). He surely meant it, but martyrdom is easier intended than done. The possibility of … Continue reading
The Weight of Betrayal
Depending on the friar’s piety, the habit rosary is a little less than a pound, give or take a few saint medals. The weight of this devotional to Our Lady roughly equals that of 30 Tyrian shekels, the preferred currency … Continue reading
St. Thérèse and the Passion Flower
Bygone devotions and prayers to the saints, as well as the piety that characterized their once-prolific cults, often focused on the external, observable manifestations of mysticism. Consider, for example, the medieval fascination with the stigmata of St. Francis and its … Continue reading
Songs of Joy
On this day in 1827, the renowned classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven passed away. He spent his life writing music that has captivated listeners, from the stern opening sounds of his Symphony No. 5 to the stirring Für Elise and, … Continue reading
Martyrdom: Is it really about death?
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on February 6, 2015. Fr. Bonaventure Chapman was ordained to the priesthood in May 2017 and now serves as the assistant chaplain and adjunct professor of philosophy at Providence College for the Dominican … Continue reading
Make No Resolutions
10, 9, 8, 7, 6,…It’s New Year’s Eve and as the countdown to the new year draws near you may be thinking that you should make a resolution to change your life. We’ve all heard it before, and usually the … Continue reading
The First Shall Be Last
We all want to be first. From our earliest days, we jockey for the prize. Mom’s affection, a gold trophy, bragging rights: you name it, we want it first. Rivalry courses through our veins, and it boils when heated by … Continue reading
Roots
A tree’s fruit should reveal the quality of its root. What a man says and does should reveal the quality of his heart. The root of a righteous act is a heart converted to God. Rooted like this, one’s heart … Continue reading
The Need to Abide in Love
In today’s liturgy, we read from the Second Letter of St. John. Tomorrow, we will read from his Third. And beginning next Monday, we will work through his Apocalypse (Revelation) until the beginning of Advent. Ending the liturgical year with … Continue reading
The Mirror of the Cross
Today has traditionally been celebrated as the feast of St. Narcissus, a second century bishop of Jerusalem. For a saint and bishop so close in proximity to the apostles, devotion to him has not been as popular as with other … Continue reading
A Christian is Obedient
Several years ago a small board examined me, asking me to reflect on my time in the Boy Scouts of America. This examination was the last requirement necessary for earning the rank of Eagle Scout; and their questions took on … Continue reading
By Grace, Slaying Giants
Editor’s note: This is the seventh post in our newest series, Beholding True Beauty, which consists of prayerful reflections on works of sacred art. The series will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the month of October. Read the whole … Continue reading
Look at Me
Imagine it is 8 a.m. on a Friday morning and everyone is preparing to rush off to work or school or whatever morning activity is in their schedule. Now when someone gets to work or school, it is usually the … Continue reading
Self-Enclosures and Jammed Locks
I once spent a frigid night awake at a Florentine McDonald’s after getting stuck at the train station Firenze Santa Maria Novella. That part of the night wasn’t horrible. I conversed with a native Florentine who, among other things, boasted … Continue reading
He Casts Down the Mighty and Raises Up the Lowly
As a religious, one of the most beautiful parts of my daily prayer is singing the Magnificat at Vespers. The humility of the Blessed Mother’s prayer always strikes me. Rather than accepting the praise for herself, her “soul proclaims the … Continue reading
Call and Response
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him (Mt 9:9). We hear little else about the apostle Matthew from the … Continue reading