Spirituality

It’s perfect that St. Joseph’s Day comes just seven days before Passion Sunday this year. This Sunday we will hear how Jesus died in obedience to his Father, in heaven. This Monday we learn that it wasn’t just his heavenly Father he was…

St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays which has grown so big in scope that it is difficult to dwell entirely on the man whom the feast celebrates. Between people clinging onto their 1/16th Irish heritage, fanciful stories of missing…

by Jeannie Ewing In the aftermath of significant and devastating loss, what matters most to those who are grieving is the gift of one’s time — to listen, to care, and to just be present. It’s not so much that something specific must be said…

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…

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers and Feast of the Holy Fathers (Dec.16, 23 this year) If you ever wondered whether the holy men and women of the Old Testament are considered saints by the Church, December has your answer. It contains the…

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (feast day Oct. 16) was born in the Diocese of Autun (France) on July 22, 1647, the fifth of seven children. Even as a child she had a deep love for the Lord and always wanted to please him. She was also deeply…

St. Cyprian the Sorcerer (died 304) Feast day: Oct. 2  Just in time for Halloween, this month’s saint was a real charmer. Literally. Don’t get him mixed up with the other, famous, respectable Cyprian who was once bishop of Carthage and is…

St. Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a scholar who focused primarily on studies of Church history and the Church Fathers. In response to the Protestant Reformation, much of his efforts went toward organizing Church doctrine for clarity…

Our Lord has asked each one of us to participate in the holy mission of bringing the Gospel to others and to live it ourselves. “ said to them, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out…

Most feast days of the saints celebrate the day the saint died, went to heaven, and stayed put. Lazarus Saturday celebrates the opposite. It is the day Our Lord summoned his friend back to this life, despite four days and several spools of…