Jesus

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Sainthood can be easily dismissed as an impossible lifestyle far beyond our reach. After all, most of us do not wear sackcloth, pray 10 hours a day, start…

Upon witnessing the Baptism of my first grandchild, I once again heard the threefold description in our call to holiness. After the Baptism comes the anointing with sacred chrism oil, wherein the priest or deacon prays these words:  As…

My mother had a love for things that were simply beautiful. Our family home had touches of Japanese artwork, and the backyard was laid out more like an Asian garden than a typical New England landscape. Reflecting back, I think my mom had a…

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…

A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. (Psalm 51:12) Ash Wednesday, in all its solemnity and reverence, is one of my favorite religious days. I love the humble act of repentance, the cross formed by ashes…

Advent is the perfect time to learn more about the Gospel stories of Jesus’ conception, birth, and infancy. We call these stories the “infancy narratives.” We are already quite familiar with these stories, but you may find something new or…

John the Baptist may be one of the most important figures to appear before Christ’s actual ministry. In the Gospels, it is John who presages the ministry of Christ. He is in his very essence a fulfillment of the prophecy in the Book of…

Superheroes dominate today’s culture. We need only look at the blockbuster films featuring compelling characters with superpowers to know that Hollywood has found a lucrative formula. The enormous success of Marvel and DC films create an…

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. —…

BY FR. DAVID J. ENDRES How do we know Jesus ever existed? From time to time an article or a book will make its way into the market arguing that Jesus’ existence was a coordinated hoax or a collective hallucination. Since modern society is…