Time is passing into eternity, and it’s happening every day. The Church marks the passing of time with the liturgical year, which makes each day bear more significance than simply another cycle of 24 hours. With the proclamation of the … Continue reading
holiness
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
The Faculty of Wonder
The mother of Holy Father Dominic allegedly discerned an “odor of holiness which always clung to” the preacher of grace. Bl. Jane of Aza must have reared her son with wonder and admiration, rejoicing at the mysterious designs of divine … Continue reading
A Wounded Church
In light of the recent abuse and cover-up crisis, Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, wrote a letter to the “Pilgrim People of God in Chile.” He acknowledges the grievous sins of certain members of the Church, encourages Christians to hope … Continue reading
From Peter to Francis: A Constant Papal Teaching
At Mass today, we hear from the closing of St. Peter’s First Epistle, which mentions a man whom Peter calls “Mark, my son.” It can be easy for those of us in the pews to forget that these holy saints, … 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
Check Yourself
“Yo, priest! You best check yo’self!” A priest who taught me the faith when I was a boy used to tell this story. Once, when he was leading a group of high school students on a pilgrimage to the March … Continue reading
Known By Your Fruits
Today the Church celebrates the feast day of a Dominican saint and doctor of the Church, St. Albert the Great. The list of his contributions to Western thought is staggering. He was one of the first to comment on many … Continue reading
Of Mice and Martin
He never met a miracle he didn’t like. That is to say, St. Martin de Porres was a prolific miracle-worker. In his meekness he never tried to draw attention to the marvels he worked, but his miraculous output, prodigious as … Continue reading
To Be In That Number
“Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number, when the Saints go marching in!” Like every good New Orleanian, I always interpreted the song “When the Saints Go Marching In” as a prophecy of the impossible regarding the day … Continue reading
Fixer Uppers
We all need to be fixed. Of course, we generally try to avoid admitting this to each other, and so it’s often God Who gets to hear the most about our brokenness. “Jesus, I really hurt my brother this morning. … Continue reading
Heaven on Earth
Holiness is not something that we will get to someday. We are called to holiness today by living life for the sake of Heaven day by day. We have a tendency to be hobbits, elves, or dwarfs—and all in the … Continue reading