I was struck by a line from the Psalms: “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14). The great covenants have been revealed through the Patriarchs and Read more…
I’ve heard many times that since Sundays commemorate the Resurrection we pause Lent on Sunday and should celebrate a little Easter. I was even taught when I was young that you could have the thing you gave up for Lent Read more…
Deep Reading #6 In terms of Christmas, Catholics are fighting a losing battle. We don’t need to be reminded how far we’ve fallen from the simple celebration of Christ’s birth: instead, we have commercial companies making a push to sell Read more…
The Letter to the Hebrews tells us “Our God is a consuming fire” (11:29). Fire consumes its fuel while it generates heat and light, with the ability to purify and destroy. On a cold winter night, it brings consolation. If Read more…
Deep Reading #5 In an age flooded with media, the cinema industry wields enormous influence. In a little more than a century, movies have evolved into a highly consumerist market based almost entirely on entertainment. Given this (not really) innocent Read more…
I have two great spiritual loves that, on the surface, may not seem compatible: Byzantine liturgy and Benedictine monasticism. When you look deeply, however, surprising connections emerge between them. Here are some major ones. St. Benedict is revered as a Read more…
Deep Reading #4 The news, the media, and the internet are full of “buzzwords” or “hot topics.” Meant to quickly grab and hold our attention, this can be anything from “racism” to “left-wing” to “traditional Catholic.” Others we might see—especially Read more…
Today is the feast of St. Isidore, a peasant farmer on the outskirts of Madrid. He lived from about 1070 to 1130, and Mardid was liberated from Muslim rule when he was a boy. With his saintly wife, Maria Toribia, Read more…
The purpose of human life is to give glory to God. Everything else should be judged by this standard. The Mass most directly helps us to achieve our purpose in life, drawing us into Christ’s perfect glorification of the Father. Read more…
Is Joe Biden just a cafeteria Catholic like most Catholics in the United States? Is he just following JFK’s political “heresy” of keeping faith private and apart from public responsibilities? Or is there something worse going on? Pope Francis often Read more…