Sometimes we avoid the medicine because we don’t like to admit that we are sick. We look away, make excuses, or minimize the danger. Then, with a jolt, a shock bends us double, knocks us down and out. Finally, desperately … Continue reading
Saints
The Virtuous Mother
It can be said that mothers do it all when it comes to their children. They raise them by taking care of their physical, material, emotional, and spiritual needs. They, of course, have the help of their husbands to assist … Continue reading
What Made John the Baptist so Holy?
Today is the memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist, who was killed by the corrupt King Herod for condemning the monarch’s illicit marriage (Mk 6:17-29). For John, this was the culmination of a life of sanctity announced by … Continue reading
Hunger is the Best Sauce
Today, the restless love of Saint Teresa of Calcutta was rewarded with the restless love of Jesus, the unsleeping rest of heaven. Many times in Luke’s account of the Gospel, we hear of a master and a servant. In two … Continue reading
A Daily Examen
Today, people live busy lives. We are surrounded by noise and distractions as we hustle off to work or school…and then back to home…only to rush off in the evening for another meeting or another social event. We like to … Continue reading
The Work of God
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
An Unequivocal Endorsement
2019 Summer Reading Recommendations:Conchita: A Mother’s Spiritual Diary by Marie-Michel Philipon, O.P. I seldom endorse books with unequivocal praise. Still less do I endorse authors in such wise, especially if I have not read most (if not all) of his … Continue reading
The Maid of Orleans
Who could have seen upon her little facethe pain that God’s great wisdom would allowFor this young maid, just dancing, filled with grace,bedecked with crowns and chains of daisies now.The gentle light of heav’n upon her brow,Her dark curls shine … Continue reading
Why Relics?
Why relics? It’s a natural instinct to keep meaningful tokens. Anyone who has lost loved ones knows the impact of an old photo, a handwritten letter, or a crackling recorded message. In a way, the ones we have lost become … Continue reading
Thankless Charity
Growing up, most of us were probably taught that when someone does something nice for us, we should say thank you. As a result, we have come to expect gratitude when we do something kind for another. Yet, sometimes—perhaps even … Continue reading
Under the Altar
People realize that something strange is going on with Catholic altars when they visit a church that has the full body of a saint in a glass case beneath the stone slab. Saint John Neumann’s shrine in Philadelphia (pictured above) … 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
Maternal Mystery
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a mystery. Although she is human like we are, it can be easy to consider her an enigma, perhaps far too lofty to be relatable. Conceived immaculately, never stained by original or personal sin, her … Continue reading
His Holiness
For many generations, especially throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, several popes had negative reputations on account of their sinful lifestyles or corrupt governance. While still possessing the authority of the Vicar of Christ on earth, these popes were not … Continue reading
The Filthy Feet of Jesus
Feet are filthy, smelly things. Makes sense; they take a beating. We walk on them all day, sweating in sneakers, bashing them on soccer balls, or stubbing them on stones or stairs. Blisters, bunions, and black toenails frequently bedeck our … 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
The Elegant Power of the Holy Spirit
Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the day the Church celebrates the conception of God Incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The union between the power of God and the fragility of mankind is made manifest … Continue reading
The Silent Man’s Word
Saint Joseph’s silence is famous. It is often said that scripture does not relate a single word that passed from his lips. The Gospels show him to be the faithful and prudent head of the holy family, the chaste husband … Continue reading
Being Loud
Faith and Film Friday: A Man for All Seasons Editor’s Note: This is the fourth review in our series, Faith and Film Friday. Read the whole series here. Important things—what we may call “things of consequence”—tend to be loud. Soldiers fighting a … Continue reading
Painting the Contemplative Life
Today we celebrate the feast of our Dominican brother, Blessed John of Fiesole (more commonly known as Fra Angelico). His paintings are some of the most enchanting depictions of the life of Christ and of the Church, and they continue … 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
St. Thomas the Teacher
Is there a doctor in the house?! This frequent cry in movies or TV is a call for help during an emergency. Doctor is also the title that the Church gives to St. Thomas Aquinas. The rarest of titles given … Continue reading
Stony Souls
Saul stood by with a heart harder than the stones striking Stephen. Unconvinced by Stephen’s eloquent preaching, unmoved by his miracles, blind to his angelic countenance, blinder still to his burning love, the eyes of Saul’s soul, sealed shut by … Continue reading
The Glory of the Hidden Stars
He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world (Jn 1:8-9). The cold keeps many from wondering at a January night sky where every star, … Continue reading
The Murderer’s Wife
There lived in fourteenth-century Rhineland a young woman of a respectable family. Raised by such a family in a land under the Christian Gospel for centuries, she became a pious young woman. She must have been full of hope for … Continue reading