Spirituality

As we have seen throughout this series, love that is not objective but is based on feelings, oftentimes irrational and lost in passion, is called Eros by the Greeks. This ascending love, per Pope Benedict’s terminology, still contains a spiritual component, one that has led many thinkers, both pagan...

As the Carmelites celebrate St. Elijah shortly after the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, his figure emerges not merely as a biblical memory but as a prophetic presence for our own troubled age. Elijah’s name—El Javeh, “The Lord is God”—is itself a confession of faith, spoken against every form of...

As with all ancient saints, St. Margaret of Antioch’s story is a blend of tradition, truth, legend, and mystery. While she was highly venerated in the Middle Ages and is still regularly invoked for intercession, her visibility in the Church Triumphant has waned over the years. While it is a shame wh...

All the marriage books and articles in the world could fill entire libraries with endless volumes. With happy and healthy marriages becoming increasingly rare, it can be difficult to know where to look to learn how to build a solid marriage. Fortunately, the most popular book on earth happens to be...

Who or what is in control of my choices in life? This is the crucial question that St. Paul invites each of us to answer in his letter to the Romans 8:9, 11-13. He reminds us of our new status in Christ, writing, “Brothers and sisters, you are no longer in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the...

In my previous article, I shared a few of the insights that Archbishop Fulton Sheen taught me as I have grown older. Lessons about finding a new mission after retirement, remembering that we are made for eternity, and discovering the peace that comes from counting blessings instead of birthdays. As...

Throughout my adult life, I have spent a fair amount of time praying and meditating about being—or, more accurately, becoming—a good man, a good husband, and a good father. In recent years, by a great gift of Providence, I have become more devoted to the model of St. Joseph proposed by my Catholic f...

A Visitor from Heaven, Part IV: Apparitions in Northern Italy In Part III, I sketched the troubled life of the Italian visionary Francesca Sgobbi, noting her remarkable humility and briefly tracing her journey through Poland. THE DEVIL’S ASSAULT Amid encounters with personal evil, Francesca repeated...

While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat. (Mt. 13:25) Things like that really happened in Christ’s time. People poisoned wells and sabotaged fields. They sowed weeds in their enemy’s wheat. Ancient Rome’s Decline What else did people do at the time of Christ? T...

This Sunday, Jesus uses parables to teach about the kingdom of heaven.  What do all three of them have in common? Gospel (Read Mt. 13:24-43) In this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus uses parables to teach the large crowd gathered to hear Him at the seashore.  In the first one, He says, “The kingdo...

In the midst of Ordinary Time, immediately following the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Precious Blood of Our Lord is offered as July’s special devotion and adoration focus. Reminding us of the price Jesus paid for our sin, we realize how much He loves us and how valuable each of...

The recent talk of a Catholic revival has stirred real hope, but hope needs discernment if it’s going to serve the Church well. Last Easter, many priests, parish leaders, and Catholic commentators saw encouraging signs in fuller pews, more converts, and a renewed openness to the Faith. The New York...