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Spirituality
Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, pray for us!
The feast of the archangels Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, is Sept. 29. In honor of the feast, here are five teachings about angels. Angels are messengers “Angel” is from the Greek word angelos which means “messenger.” In the Old…
Five steps toward spiritual healing
We all carry both psychological and spiritual wounds that affect our motives, our reactions to other people’s behavior, and the deeper reasons we fear or avoid certain things. When I was in junior high, I dabbled in the occult. My parents…
At the hour of our death
Have you ever been with someone as they passed from this life to the next? As a priest, I have been. I also hear many stories about someone’s last moments before drawing their dying breath. The richness of our Catholic tradition preserves…
August: Will the real Hippolytus please stand up?
Remember the 1990s when Ashley, Ashleigh, and Ashlee all ended up in the same kindergarten? That’s what it was like to research St. Hippolytus. I found two different Hippolytuses who claim the feast day, Aug. 13 and a third thrown in on…
Transfiguration, conversion, and the fruits of the Spirit
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Aug. 6 holds a special place in my heart. One summer day in August, while out in the garden meditating on the transfiguration of Christ, the Holy Spirit gave me an insight into the nature of…
Enemies no more
The Mosel Valley in Germany attracted my wife’s attention as an ideal place to visit. We heard that it was one of the loveliest places in Europe and that the people were friendly. It was the summer of 1986. I was on active duty as a Navy…
July: St. Olha, the Godmother
July’s saint may have a funny name but let me tell you, Olha (890 – 969) was no joke. Just ask the Drevlians. They murdered her husband so she murdered them — 5,000 of them. Mafia style. That was before her conversion to Christianity. Olha,…
June: St. Agrippina di Mineo — Four women for the price of one
Finally, a woman! Have you noticed that most of our saints with funny names are men? It’s not my fault. There just aren’t that many women on the Eastern calendar. In June alone the ratio of females to males is 3:22. It’s really nobody’s…
May altar
“Miss LaTassa, during recess today I’d like you to stay in the classroom and work on our May altar.” It was the spring of 1973, and I was delighted to have been selected by Sr. Gemma to assemble the May altar for grade 4-1. Altar-building…
Be inspired by St. Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
St. Anselm (circa 1033–1109) was a Benedictine monk, archbishop, abbot, philosopher, and theologian. Pope Clement XI named St. Anselm a doctor of the church in 1720. Be inspired by these short reflections from this great saint. St. Anselm,…
