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Spirituality
Public penance: History offers examples when those in power repented
These days we are used to our confessions being entirely private matters between only ourselves and our priests. Any penance we perform we usually keep to ourselves. Seldom do we directly tell others about the sins we needed to have…
St. Joseph and C.S. Lewis
Can anyone imagine what was going through the mind of St. Joseph as he discovered the responsibilities he had? Coming to realize that his wife was pregnant with the Son of God, he would be responsible for safeguarding, supporting, and…
‘He was freely inviting my heart to follow him’
My path of discerning a religious vocation was a journey from an intellectual knowledge of God to a unique and personal relationship with him. God planted many of the seeds of my vocation through FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University…
February: St. Zacchaeus — Salvation has come to this house
St. Zacchaeus has one of the greatest conversion stories of all time, so much so that the Eastern Church gives him his own Sunday. Falling this year on Feb. 3, it is the first harbinger of a new pascal cycle. Remember how I told you last…
Sts. Cyril and Methodius evangelized Eastern Europe
While we might associate Feb. 14 with St. Valentine, in the Roman calendar it is also the feast day of two of the most important men in the history of Eastern Europe. Sts. Cyril (826–869) and Methodius (815–885), recognized by St. John…
January: St. Malachi – Scare ’em straight
St. Malachi (Mal-a-kai) is a member of the minor prophets club of the Old Testament. Placed alongside Obadiah and Habakkuk, his name seems quite normal. Before I get started, this Malachi is not to be confused with the 12th century Irish…
Healing begins with forgiveness
Having a melancholic temperament makes forgiving others quite a feat. As a child, I was sensitive to jesting, even if it was done in a lighthearted and impersonal matter. Because of my insecurities and bottled up shame, I internalized…
God can’t give you what he doesn’t have
I served for a year as a volunteer chaplain in a hospital in Colorado. As I went from room to room to offer conversation, prayer, and the Blessed Sacrament, I met people from all kinds of backgrounds, from a Hollywood set designer and a…
St. Joseph, and love in steel-toe boots
One shivery November night in northern Indiana we went to my brother’s house for a family celebration. My brother worked construction and was still on the job when my sisters, parents, and I arrived. While my brother worked late we and his…
10 simple spiritual resolutions for the new year
Losing weight, eating healthier, exercising more regularly, getting more sleep, or quitting a bad habit probably top your New Year’s resolution list for 2019. Have you thought about making a spiritual resolution for 2019? It’s great to…
