I would rather die of passion than of boredom.
~Vincent van Gogh
NOVENA PRAYER (to be prayed every day from December 28 to January 5 for the intentions below) O Maid of Orleans, Savior of France, light of patriots, and strength of the Church Militant, hear our prayers for this great nation, the United States of America! Come to our aid now, as you [...]
“God will never forgive me for what I’ve done.” This is often the desolate, hopeless cry of a woman who made a decision to abort her child. The people and circumstances that led to that decision years earlier matter little to her when she thinks about the event now. Even if she was coerced into [...]
Do angels intervene in sacraments? We know from our earliest instructions in the faith that angels exist and are concerned about our welfare. Anyone who has learned the traditional Guardian Angel Prayer (“Angel of God”) knows that they are sent “to light, to guard, to rule and guide” us throughout life. (See the text of [...]
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was largely known for her work in India, so we tend to forget that she was born in the tiny Eastern European county of Albania. What many also may do not realize is that Albania is the first country in the world to establish atheism as the official state religion. Albania’s [...]
In 1531 the Virgin Mary appeared a number of times to a simple Indian at the center of the New World and evangelized a continent. Her maternal love overcame the deep cultural divisions of two hostile nations that could not find reconciliation through their own efforts. The first bishop of the New World, Franciscan Juan [...]
Christian forgiveness is a revolution. By that I mean it does what revolutions always do: it overthrows the ancien régime, the old, decaying order of the world. Forgiveness vanquishes the survival-of-the-fittest mentality that often characterizes our human relationships. It frees us from emotional slavery. Most importantly, it removes the devil’s death grip on our souls. [...]
Most everyone knows what it means to bear fruit in the natural sense of bringing children into the world, or in the financial sense of making an investment profitable. But what does it really mean to bear fruit for the Kingdom? During the Easter Season, the Church’s liturgy drew a great deal of wisdom from [...]
There are so many reasons to love Catholicism that I am faced with the proverbial embarrassment of riches when I speak of Catholicism’s beauty. Yet, there is one reason that overwhelms them all and binds them all together: her mystical character. The word “mystical,” in relation to Christ and His Church, means that the Spirit [...]
The Catholic religion is full of mystery — the mystery of God. This mystery is not a human puzzle that a Sherlock Holmes can “solve” by the force of brilliant deductions. Nor is it the type of enigma that can be understood only by an intellectual elite. The ancient world was full of “mystery religions” of [...]
Some years ago I walked into a Christian bookstore and a fascinating poster caught my eye. From a distance, it looked like an image of the holy face of Jesus, but as I drew closer I could see that the face was actually a composite of tiny faces that made up the contours and complexion [...]
Angels may have different meanings to different people, but I can assure you that they are not little chubby babies with wings. Neither are they lifeless doctrines or pious maternal presence that keep little children from falling off rickety bridges into running water. Angels are much more vital than that, and, quite frankly, I do [...]
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8) You may notice the play on words in the English language which seems to enhance the meaning [...]