Instead of being diverted by the oddities of this royal wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14), we must focus on what the Lord Jesus, the Son of the Heavenly King, is conveying to us as the most heartfelt message ever. We shall overlook that the calves and...
Reflections- From Our Archives
Do You Know Rose?
It is not uncommon for the expression of love to change as the years pass. A dramatic example is the life of Rose Hawthorne Lathrop. She was born in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1851, but spent her childhood years in...
Becoming Saints
Do you want to become saints? Here is the secret: confession is the lock; confidence in your confessor is the key. This is how you open heaven’s gates. St John Bosco (1815-88) According to The Catechism of the Catholic...
The Saints Teach Us About Mary
“If we had a mother who was a queen, would we not be proud of it? Well, we have a Mother who is Queen of Heaven.” (St. Louis de Montfort) St. John Vianney (1786-1859) wrote many beautiful things about his...
Courageous Discipleship
Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I—known to history as “Elizabeth the Great”—Catholics in England were in grave danger. Even though young Elizabeth had solemnly promised her dying older sister, Queen Mary I, that upon...
Holiness Off the Beaten Path: Helena Kmieć
Helena Kmieć comes from Libiąż, a town west of Kraków. Poles have only a vague sense of where it is. Let us be honest: most Australians and Americans’ knowledge of Europe becomes hazy beyond Italy, Germany, and France...
The Incomparable Thérèse
On rare occasions, faith can be ignited by an extraordinary event and lead to unimaginable places. In the beginning of his book, The Waters of Siloe, Thomas Merton relates this story: It is late at night. Most of the...
Blessed Jerzy Popielousko: Pray for Us
On Tuesday October 19, the Church celebrated the feast of the great Polish priest and martyr, Blessed Jerzy Popielousko. Personally I had the grace of visiting and spending time in the church and apartment he lived in...
God Wants to Welcome Us to Heaven
In 1925, a 65-year-old man collapsed and died outside a Catholic church in Dublin, Ireland. Having on him only a prayer book and a rosary, no one knew who he was until his sister came and identified him. It was...
All Essays
A Modest Proposal
A great deal of writing has been done lately on modesty, especially for women. I have noticed that all the women I see discussing this topic are attractive by 21st century American standards. This has been true for the...
Sometimes Criticism is Part of Our Christian Duty
Jesus talks about the need that sometimes arises for us to correct other people—and this is something many of us find difficult or unpleasant. It can be hard to find the right balance between the extremes of saying...
Believe in Miracles
“Amen I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him.” (Mark 11:23) The Lord’s...
Lay Leadership: The Difference You Can Make
To encourage people to get out and take action. This ideal is important for our Church in mission territory. Throughout my life, I have participated in social causes, from ecological advocacy to participation in...








































