Catholic Digest

Keeping the faith at college

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I remember walking across the campus that Sunday morning, asking God to forgive me for what I was about to do. I had been wrestling with my conscience and praying for courage ever since leaving Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas chapel. But, alas, it woul...

St. Gregory the Great

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Gregory the Great

Feast Day: September 3

When the Tiber River burst its banks in 589, the raging flood...

St. Hildegard

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Hildegard

Feast Day: September 17

A fragile girl who received the habit when she was only fifteen, no one would ha...

St. Jerome

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Jerome

Feast Day: September 30

After trekking to Antioch in 374, Jerome found himself alone, dying, and facing the...

Making the Sign of the Cross

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Among the most universal and public of all Catholic prayers is the Sign of the Cross. Walk into a Catholic church anywhere in the world, and you will see all who enter signing themselves; sit down for a meal in a Catholic home, and the prayer befo...

I feel trapped by my obligations!

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I once heard a priest explain in a homily that the First Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), means that we should not let ourselves become “possessed by our possessions.” Tha...

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Feast Day: August 15

The formal declaration of the dogma of the Assumption, thou...

Read the Bible? Me?

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

How many words does it take to change your life? For most of us, it depends on which words we may be waiting for. “Marry me!” “I forgive you.” “You have talent, kid.” “The test ...

St. James

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. James

Feast Day: July 25

At first glance, the two images look nothing alike. One, a man on horseback, ...

St. Anne

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Anne

Feast Day: July 26

Louis Guimont was healed the moment he placed three stones on the foundation of what would become the site of the shrine ...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Feast Day: July 26

Even at the age of twelve, it was clear that St. Simon Stock was unique. I...

You’re more spiritual than you think

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Incompletion
“Is that all there is?” sang Peggy Lee in the 1960s. “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for,” sang Bono in the 1980s. Your wish f...

Uncover the mysteries of the Holy Grail

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

What is the Holy Grail?
The Holy Grail has come to mean anything desirable and difficult to obtain. The term has even been applied to hockey’s Stanley Cup. Traditionally, of course, the Holy Grail...

St. Boniface

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Boniface
Feast Day: June 5

Armed with a papal letter and the form...

St. Thomas More

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Thomas More
Feast Day: June 22

An exceptional lawyer who e...

Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque
Feast Day: June 6

We don’t have malls in Nazareth where we buy our clothes.

In fact, we make our clothes ourselves! Here’s how it works.

Julian of Norwich

Tue, 04 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Julian of Norwich
Feast Day: May 13

Julian found herself standing on death’s door in May 1373, when she was only 30 years old. It was a time of...

Saint Philip Neri

Tue, 04 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Saint Philip Neri
Feast Day: May 26

Known for his wisdom, spontaneity, and extraordinary sense of humor, Philip Neri is a perfect fit for being the patron s...

St. Joan of Arc

Tue, 04 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Joan of Arc
Feast Day: May 30

Fearlessly charging into battle beneath a white and gold banner emblazoned with holy icons, Joan of Arc holds ...

St. James the Lesser

Mon, 03 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. James the Lesser
Feast Day May 3

James the Lesser, meaning younger, is traditionally celebrated as being the author of a letter in the New Testament. Hi...

How to help Catholics come home

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

You see inactive Catholics everywhere: the woman at the playground who looks wistful when you talk about the parish school; the co-worker who jokes when he observes you not eating meat on a Lenten Friday; the neighbor who waves as you drive away t...

Is it wrong to leave Mass after Communion?

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I am saddened when I see a large number of people leaving our parish church immediately after receiving Holy Communion. I always believed we were to stay until we received the final blessing. Am I wrong?

&...

Say a little prayer for me

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Years ago I listened to a friend speak earnestly about her prayer practices. She talked about the time of day at which she normally prays and the place in her home set aside for this purpose. She told me about the manner of prayer she prefers, how...

St. Francis of Paola

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Francis of Paola

Feast Day: April 2

Humble farmers in southern Italy during the 1400s, Giacomo and Vienna prayed f...

St. Vincent Ferrer

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Vincent Ferrer
April 5

As a child, Vincent showed signs of great academic ability and devotion to the Lord. He joined the Dominicans in 1367, and only a few years later began teach...

St. Catherine of Siena

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Catherine of Siena
April 29

Though at the time He said nothing to her, six-year-old Catherine would never forget the encounter she had of Our Lord in 1353. She beheld a vision of H...

Why is Easter 50 days long?

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

“Michael,” I shouted, “your time’s up! Come out of there!” My frustration was building as I stood in front of the inflated carnival castle filled with small children jumping and bouncing to their h...

Lord, make me whole again!

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Sometimes we mistakenly think that our faith is primarily about understanding the truths of our faith, or professing a particular creed of beliefs, or learning the Holy Scriptures. Our faith, at its core, is about our relationship with God, and wi...

St. Matilda

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Matilda

Feast Day: March 14

Her beauty rivaled only by her piety, Matilda was the daughter of a Westphalian Count ...

Saint Patrick

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Saint Patrick

Feast Day: March 17

Irish raiders kidnapped Patrick from his family&r...

Saint Cuthbert

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Cuthbert

Feast Day: March 20

It’s a common sight in almost every time and place—a group of boy...

The Church on Facebook

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

"Oreon told me she’s praying for you,” my husband, Gary, said in between bites. He and I were having dinner one night when I was in the throes of a particularly stressful time at work. “Why is Oreon praying for m...

St. John Bosco

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. John Bosco

Feast day: January 31

The youngest son of a poor farmer, Bosco was born in1815, a time of great social ...

St. Brigid of Kildare

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Brigid of Kildare

Feast Day: February 1

St. Brigid was thought to have been only six years old when St. Patrick pa...

St. Polycarp

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Polycarp

Feast Day: February 23

During a pagan festival in 155, a bloodthirsty crowd, having just killed a young m...

Saint Paul Miki and Companions

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Saint Paul Miki and Companions

The Martyrs of Japan

When St. Francis Xavier arrived in Japan with the intention of con...

The rapping priest, the Power Ranger, and the pope

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

From the start, the stage was set for love. Literally. In front of a packed crowd attending “Catholic Thrive,” a conference for young adults and singles of all ages...

Prayer on the run

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Go ahead. Admit it. You feel just a little guilty when it comes to prayer — you wish you prayed more or better. Some days, you may even wish you had prayed at all. These are ...

The story behind a Communion host

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

When Mother Mary Anselma Felber assigned Sister Mary Agnes to bake the first altar bread for her fledgling Benedictine community, she began a 100-plus year tradition that would one day...

St. Miltiades

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Miltiades

Feaast Day: January 10

Get closer to God in four simple steps

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

How do we allow the Scripture, in all its awesome power, to draw us closer to God? One important spiritual discipline that can help us is called lectio divina, which is Latin for “sacred reading.” It’s one of the olde...

St. Antony of Egypt

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

St. Antony of Egypt

Feast day: January 17

Regarded as the first monk, Antony was born in 251 to wealthy Christian pare...

Celebrating the Day of the Dead

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The trappings may seem ghoulish — skulls made of sugar, toy coffins, bread with the shapes of bones baked on top, dancing skeletons, midnight vigils in graveyards — but the Day of the Dead in Mexico is instead a joyous celebrat...

Lenten recipes your whole family will enjoy!

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Cook and share these recipes with your loves ones this Lent. The meatless dishes are from Catholic Relief Services's Operation Rice Bowl. For 33 years, this program has helped US Catholics become more aware of global poverty, while encouragin...

Cooking up compassion

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Cathy Voxland, an avid home cook from Newnan, Georgia, knows how to whip up a chicken and mushroom casserole for a church luncheon or put on a spread of “gooey desserts.” But during Lent, Voxland presides weekly over a kitchen ...