Spirituality

By Steve Givens Chris Stefanick believes we often fail in our efforts to evangelize for one simple reason: We don’t speak clearly enough about the power of Jesus to transform lives. “To be really effective in evangelization, you have to…

The parishes I serve in southern Door and Kewaunee counties in Wisconsin are surrounded by bodies of water. One is close to the Bay of Green Bay, off which, many of my parishioners live. The other is situated closer to Lake Michigan. In my…

by John J. Boucher Once, while setting up for a workshop about “adult children,” three parents approached me. Maria lamented, “I brought my kids to Mass every week, but only one out of three is now willing to go to church.” Frank added, “My…

John isn’t exactly a funny name to us but when St. John the Baptist was born, his relatives were scratching their heads over it. “Where did that come from? Nobody else in the family has that name.” “Elizabeth dear, shouldn’t the boy be…

If you are like me, it is easy to forget how “God provides” if you are too focused on others’ blessings. We live in a culture that incessantly prompts us to want more and more of what others have – and INSTANTLY! Temptations are thrown in…

Did Jesus really rise from the dead — or was it just a lovely story devised by his disciples to keep his teachings alive?  St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain” (1 Corinthians 15:17). If it…

What we do know about Mary comes to us from the Gospel evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the early centuries of the Church, many traditions arose around Mary and her life. Some have no foundation in Scripture, such as her…

We interrupt this Eastern Rite calendar to bring you St. Joseph. Why? Because St. Joseph (feast day March 19 on the Western calendar, patron of the universal Church) does not have a separate feast day on the Eastern calendar. This may lead…

It is not just Star Wars which works well in trilogies (depending on the trilogy, at least). Dante, not one to leave his readers waiting in purgatory, completes the Divine Comedy with an expedition through heaven. Having seen the damned…

After having the benefit of 2,000 years of Christianity, we sometimes take the teachings of the Gospel for granted. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in…