Any bit of contrition
Always lost for words, I never knew what to say to God as I tried to focus my attention on him at Sunday Mass. I admit that I did not always find Mass interesting. I attended every week mostly out...
Tagged: Grace
“Everything Is Grace”
Two years ago, the Pew Research Center conducted a poll and found that barely 1/3 of self-described Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This realization that most of those who identify themselves as Catholics do...
The Book of Revelation: A vision of our ultimate future
A Reflection on the Readings for May 22, 2022 — The Sixth Sunday of Easter The Book of Revelation can seem frightening at first glance. Strange visions, violent encounters, bizarre creatures—the apocalypse! However, when you dig deeper, you will discover...
Sometimes our prayers seem to go unheard
During his Wednesday Audience this week, as a part of his ongoing catechesis on prayer, Pope Francis confronted one of the most difficult questions that face Christians: “if God is Father, why does He not listen to us? He who...
“Everything Is Grace” at Christmas with Pope Francis
We sat in the car, my husband and I, still stunned, trying to eat a quick dinner before we drove to the hospital. I was avoiding looking at the medical building we had left earlier, the one with the unfamiliar...
Wednesdays with Pope Francis: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
In this catechesis series, Pope Francis teaches us about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is the second course in the “Wednesdays with Pope Francis” series. The first course was on the sacraments. This free resource includes no original...
“On the occasion of the current world epidemic”
On March 20, the Holy See Press Office announced that the Apostolic Penitentiary had established a series of plenary indulgences during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These indulgences include: Plenary indulgences for COVID-19 patients who watch Mass online during the ongoing...
Love, even when it’s difficult
On the day he found out he had an aggressive form of leukemia, my father received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in 53 years. Many faith traditions place an emphasis on atoning for wrong done. In the...
On Today’s Blessed Marian Feast
Earlier today, my mother, Patricia Lewis, passed away at home after a long illness. She was surrounded by family and friends when she drew her last breath. Just before her final moments, my brother and I sang the first two...
The Church of Discomfort
Those who grew up without access to the internet, cell phones, or a host of screens on demand are familiar with the experience of boredom in a way that many young people today are not. Long ago we would whine...
“My power is made perfect in weakness”
When the Church takes up someone’s cause for sainthood, one of the things they look for is heroic virtue. Drawing from Pope Benedict XIV and St. Thomas Aquinas, the Catholic Encyclopedia defines “heroic virtue” as “…a habit of good conduct...
Dreams and Grace
Reading through Christus vivit recently, I found a section labeled “Dreams and visions” (§§192-197), a six-paragraph-long exegesis of Joel 3:1: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young...
Popular Posts