Actor Gary Sinise Pays Tribute to Son Who Died: ‘A Man Who Loved His Catholic Faith’

Actor%20Gary%20Sinise%20Pays%20Tribute%20to%20Son%20Who%20Died%3A%20%u2018A%20Man%20Who%20Loved%20His%20Catholic%20Faith%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMURPHY: It’s been a warm day, maybe even a little humid, and the tall clouds in the distance remind you of cauliflower. You hear a sharp crack, like the sound of a batter hitting a home run, or a low rumble reminiscent of a truck driving down the highway. A distant thunderstorm, alive with lightning, is making itself known.

Where does lightning strike? New maps reveal unprecedented detail of 36.8 million strikes in the United States...

Where does lightning strike? New maps reveal unprecedented detail of 36.8 million strikes - Study Finds: It’s been a warm day, maybe even a little humid, and the tall clouds in the distance remind you of cauliflower. You hear a sharp crack, like the sound of a batter hitting a home run, or a low rumble reminiscent of a truck driving down the highway. A distant thunderstorm, alive with lightning, is making itself known.

10 Words to Transform Our Home Life

Ten Words to Transform Our Home Life - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: This is perhaps at once the most terrifying and practical of all the principles I have found in Thomas Aquinas. It explains so much of human unhappiness, especially today, while also pointing to a remedy, starting right in our homes. The principle is 10 words, plus a line from scripture to back it up.

When are crosses veiled during Lent? Do we venerate a cross or crucifix on Good Friday? And other FAQs to help parishes do the rites right

Rite%20Questions%20%u2013%20Holy%20Week%20Edition%20-%20Adoremus: Why cover statues beginning on the 5th Sunday of Lent? Historically (and at present in the pre-conciliar liturgy), the 5th Sunday of Lent was called “Passion Sunday.” Its gospel reading from John (8:46-59) ends with Jesus telling some of the Jews, “‘I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area”...

How 19th-century black painter Robert Duncanson risked his life to chronicle the Underground Railroad

19th-Century Black Painter Chronicles The Underground RailroadGRESS: Why would a free black man go to the South during the time of slavery? And not just to visit, but to paint numerous landscapes, risking life and limb? This was a question art dealers Michael and Julie Meyer asked themselves when they started collecting the paintings of 19th-century landscape artist, Robert S. Duncanson...

‘Gendered’ nonsense is dangerous nonsense

'Gendered' nonsense is dangerous nonsenseWEIGEL: Dean Acheson, U.S. secretary of state from 1949 until 1953, is buried in Washington’s Oak Hill Cemetery. When I read recently that Acheson’s 20th successor, Antony Blinken, had sent a cable subtitled “Gender Identity Best Practices” to American diplomats around the world, warning against “harmful, exclusionary messages” conveyed by the use of terms like...

We need to be Confessing Christians. And we need a Confessing Church...

Toward a Confessing Church - The Catholic ThingMAIER: This Spring marks the 90th anniversary of the Barmen Declaration. If that triggers blank stares, it’s understandable. We Americans tend to be bad at history, especially when it involves events beyond our borders. So here’s the background: In May 1934, the German (Protestant) Pastors’ Emergency League held a synod in the city of Barmen...

Renewing the moral life while renouncing the tyranny of the banal

Renewing%20the%20moral%20life%20while%20renouncing%20the%20tyranny%20of%20the%20banal%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportOLSON: David Deane is Associate Professor of Theology at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Deane recently corresponded with me about his book and some of the serious challenges faced by Catholics in explaining and living the Catholic Faith in a culture so deeply rooted in secular liberalism.

“Demos II,” reportedly an anonymous cardinal, lays out 7 characteristics he’d like to see in the next pope

A profile of the next Pope, writes Cardinal - Daily Compass: In March 2022, an anonymous text appeared – signed “Demos” and titled the “The Vatican Today” – that raised a number of serious questions and criticisms regarding the pontificate of Pope Francis. Conditions in the Church since that text appeared have not materially changed, much less improved...

A landmark Finnish study is changing how we approach transgender kids

A Finnish study is changing how we approach transgender kids: The movement backing gender-transition treatment for children is built on the claim that pediatric medical interventions are not only “medically necessary” – but truly “life saving.” However, no researchers have ever tried to figure out whether this claim is true.

Wokism Is the New Face of an Old Heresy, and It Can Be Defeated Again

Wokism is the New Face of An Old Heresy, And It Can Be Defeated AgainFESER: In the early thirteenth century, a fanatical religious movement known to history as Catharism or Albigensianism spread throughout southern France. Its fashionableness led self-interested local nobility to favor it. But so bizarre and subversive of social order were its doctrines that political and ecclesiastical authorities beyond the region judged its suppression to be urgent...

Catholic Chapel Where Two Men Simulated ‘Marriage’ Liturgy Now Subject to Permanent Deconsecration, Bishop Says

Catholic chapel where two men celebrated 'marriage' now subject to deconsecration | Catholic News Agency: The private Catholic chapel where two Spanish men celebrated their civil “marriage” last weekend is subject to “canonical effects” and deconsecration, according to the Archdiocese of Madrid and a Catholic priest with jurisdiction in the area.

Should the next papal conclave vote less?

Should the next conclave vote less?CONDON: Conclaves, the sequestered meetings of the college of cardinals which elect the pope, have maintained an aura of secrecy and ritual throughout the centuries. But despite the appearance of timeless continuity, successive popes have made a point of tinkering with the proper law of papal elections, keeping the process up to date and, hopefully, fit for purpose as the Church moves through history.

Before she landed the part of St. Mary Magdalene in ‘The Chosen,’ Elizabeth Tabish nearly quit the acting business

Why 'The Chosen' Star Elizabeth Tabish Nearly Quit the Business: When actress Elizabeth Tabish learned she got the role of Mary Magdalene in “The Chosen,” she says, the series “was not the show we know it is today.” Initially, the show was going to be released on an app and was only set to release the first four episodes of Season One. “It felt more like a pilot,” Tabish says, adding that as an actress she knew many shows never went past their pilots, so she was trying to keep her “hopes in check.”

Mafia in Italy suspected of poisoning priest’s chalice before Mass

Mafia%20in%20Italy%20suspected%20of%20poisoning%20priest%u2019s%20chalice%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMANCINI: During evening Mass on Feb. 24, Father Felice Palamara, a parish priest in Cessaniti, a village in the Vibo Valentia province of Italy, was once again apparently targeted by the ’Ndrangheta, a criminal organization in Italy that operates mainly in Calabria, the so-called “toe” of Italy.

Pope Francis Visits Hospital for Diagnostic Tests After Wednesday Audience

Pope Francis visits hospital for diagnostic tests after Wednesday audience | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis went to the hospital on Rome’s Tiber Island on Wednesday morning after meeting with the public at his general audience. The Vatican confirmed on Feb. 28 that the pope underwent “diagnostic tests” at the Gemelli Isola Tiberina Hospital before returning to his Vatican residence shortly after noon.

Can anyone make a citizen’s arrest? The history and legalities of catching criminals yourself

Can%20anyone%20make%20a%20citizen%u2019s%20arrest%3F%20The%20history%20and%20legalities%20of%20catching%20criminals%20yourself: What does Spider-Man do when he sees someone commit a crime and there are no police officers around to help? He swings in, wraps the wrongdoer in his web and leaves them hanging from a telephone pole until the cops take over. But is he allowed to do that? Are you? Until about 200 years ago, uniformed police officers...

Lamentations, some links, and ‘sink pizza’

Lamentations%2C%20some%20links%2C%20and%20%u2018sink%20pizza%u2019JDFLYNN: On the liturgical calendar, today is the feast of St. Gregory of Narek, an Armenian who lived more than 1,000 years ago, and was named a doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015. Never heard of Gregory of Narek? In the West, you’re not alone. He’s not a guy on our radar, really. But in Armenia, Gregory is a hugely important figure, who is still considered his people’s greatest poet, and their great mystic...

Restoration Work Begins on Bernini’s Famous 400-Year-Old Baldacchino in St. Peter’s Basilica

PHOTOS%3A%20Restoration%20of%20Bernini%u2019s%20baldacchino%20begins%20in%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Basilica%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: Restoration work has begun on the baldacchino over the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Workers will scale the scaffolding surrounding the 92-feet-high canopy each day to meticulously clean the dust and grime that has darkened the baldacchino over the centuries.

The power of a woman’s voice: Alejandro Monteverde reflects on Mother Cabrini

The%20power%20of%20a%20woman%u2019s%20voice%3A%20Alejandro%20Monteverde%20reflects%20on%20Mother%20Cabrini%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportSCHIFFER: Alejandro Monteverde, the award-winning director of Sound of Freedom and Bella, had never heard of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini when he was offered the script for a biographical film about her ministry in the slums of New York. “My friend had a devotion to her,” he says, “but my first reaction, before I read the script, was ‘Well, I’ll read it, but I don’t think this is a movie I want to make.’ I like to make films that are entertaining!”

‘I Felt an Electric Current’ — The Incredible Conversion of ‘Barabbas’ in ‘The Passion of Christ’

"I Felt an Electric Current": The Incredible Conversion of 'Barabbas' in "The Passion of Christ"JAROMEZUK: It's been 20 years since the release of "The Passion of the Christ" and it remains one of the most well-known Christian classics of all time. But did you know the impressive conversion testimony of Barabbas actor Pedro Sarubbi? That’s right, he experienced something amazing during the film’s production, which led him closer to Christ.

What is ‘Catholic Enough?’ The simple answer might surprise you...

What is 'Catholic Enough?' The simple answer might surprise youSCALIA: A discussion among practicing Catholics occurred in a social media group, inevitably landing on current divisions between Catholics — those who would describe themselves as “orthodox” vs the “more progressive;” those who pronounce themselves “proudly cafeteria” versus those who identify as “proudly traditionalist.”

More Than a Dozen Killed in Attack on Catholics at Mass in Burkina Faso

More than a dozen killed in attack on Catholics at Mass in Burkina Faso | Catholic News Agency: At least 15 Catholics were killed in an attack during Mass on Sunday in the Burkina Faso village of Essakane in the country’s Oudalan province in the northeastern region, a jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dori.

How could Abraham do what he did?

His Manifest Devotion | Parishable ItemsFELTES: How could Abraham do what he did? He fully trusted in God, and through this trust he and us were greatly blessed. God had promised descendants to Abraham through his son, Isaac, declaring, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” Because of the miraculous birth his son and other experiences with God, Abraham believed the Lord could and would keep all his promises.

The barbs of the deadly sin of envy pierce deeply

The Deadly Sin of Envy - SpiritualDirection.comTRULL: Once, long ago in my twenties, I was immersed in a book about the last conversations St Therese of Lisieux had with her sisters Pauline and Marie as she lay slowly and painfully dying of tuberculosis. One of the conversations Pauline was careful to write down was on the evening St. Therese quietly observed in her uncomplicated way...

The strange reasons medieval people slept in cupboards

The strange reasons medieval people slept in cupboards: At a museum in Wick, in the far north of Scotland, is what looks like a particularly large pine wardrobe. With a pair of full-length double doors at the front, and suitcases stacked above it, it wouldn't look out of place in a modern bedroom. It's even assembled like regular flat-pack furniture – with each piece slotting together, so it can be easily moved and rebuilt. But this cupboard is not for storing shirts or jackets...

This Sunday, Jesus Points All of Lent (Along With All of Time) Toward the Resurrection

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Points%20All%20of%20Lent%20%28Along%20With%20All%20of%20Time%29%20Toward%20the%20Resurrection%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The Church presents us with the spectacular story of the Transfiguration on the Second Sunday of Lent Year B for the same reason Jesus presented the transfiguration to the first apostles 2,000 years ago. It is immensely clarifying of the point of Lent and, in fact, our entire earthly existence, from the beginning to the end of time...

Introduction to a Giant, St. John Henry Newman

Introduction to a Giant ~ The Imaginative ConservativeDEAVEL: Of the making of anthologies there is no end. Some are collections of great essays from the past, some collections of papers from conferences or perhaps solicited pieces in honor of a living or recently deceased scholar and centered around a general theme, while some are meant to be capacious treatments of the different aspects of a particular question or the thought of a particular writer. A Guide to John Henry Newman: His Life and Thought is in the last category...

In case you missed it: America effectively grew by the size of about two Californias in December

In case you missed it: America just effectively got much bigger - Big Think: Did you get a little bit bigger over the holiday season? Well, so did America. You may not have noticed in the pre-Christmas rush, but on December 19, 2023, the U.S. added an area of about 1 million km2 (roughly 386,000 square miles). That’s about the size of one Egypt or slightly more than two Californias.

No, your phone is not listening to you. It just seems that way...

Your Phone Is Not Listening to You: Have you ever talked about a product, and then suddenly got an ad for it on your phone? We’ve all been there, and then skeptically looked over our shoulders for the advertiser lurking in the shadow. But there’s no one there, so we all simply conclude that our phone must be listening to our conversations. You wouldn’t be crazy for thinking that, but it is flat-out wrong. Your phone is not listening to you.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus for 2nd Sunday of Lent: ‘Never Divert Your Eyes From the Light of Jesus’

Pope at Angelus: Let's open ourselves to the light of Jesus! - Vatican News: "Let's open ourselves to the light of Jesus, and let's never be diverted from His light!" This was the invitation Pope Francis gave the faithful today at noon during his weekly Angelus address. In his remarks this Second Sunday of Lent, the Pope recalled the day's Gospel reading according to St. Mark, which tells of the Transfiguration.

On Ukraine war’s 2nd anniversary, is ‘Fiducia’ a new obstacle to Vatican’s peace push on Ukraine?

On%20war%u2019s%20anniversary%2C%20is%20%u2018Fiducia%u2019%20a%20new%20obstacle%20to%20Vatican%u2019s%20peace%20push%20on%20Ukraine%3F%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: As the world marked the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine yesterday, the failure to date of all diplomatic efforts, including those of the Vatican, to bring the war to an end were painfully clear. The most obvious reason for those failures, of course, is the fact that neither Russia nor Ukraine have yet shown any real interest in making the sort of concessions that would be necessary for a negotiated settlement.

Alabama and IVF: God Loves Us When We’re Embryos, and Wants Our Trust When We’re Adults

God%20Loves%20Us%20When%20We%u2019re%20Embryos%2C%20and%20Wants%20Us%20to%20Trust%20Him%20When%20We%u2019re%20Adults%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: Last week, Alabama’s Supreme Court handed down a decision involving damages for negligence at a fertility clinic in the state. Lax security standards allowed an unauthorized person access to the area where frozen embryos were stored. That person picked up a storage pack, cryopreserved at subzero temperatures...

Amid St. Patrick’s Cathedral funeral controversy, will Cardinal Dolan watch the pitch?

Amid funeral controversy, will Dolan watch the pitch?JDFLYNN: When he sat down for his satellite radio show this week, Cardinal Timothy Dolan likely knew exactly what he’d be asked about. As he talked about Lenten fish fries and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker, he probably knew what was coming next. But when he was eventually asked about a controversial funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dolan seemed to hope he could skip the topic.

This popular haircut was inspired by paintings of St. Joan of Arc

Joan%20of%20Arc%20inspired%20the%20bob%20haircut.%20%u2014%20History%20Facts: A 15th-century teenage war heroine may be an unlikely fashion muse, yet the French martyr Joan of Arc inspired the bob haircut that was trendy throughout the 20th century. Joan first decided to crop her hair and don men’s clothing to hide from danger during a journey to see Charles VII, the dauphin of France, believing she had received divine guidance that would help save France during the Hundred Years’ War against England...

A Bleak Year for Christian Unity Concludes

A Bleak Year for Christian Unity Concludes| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: The Apostles Peter and Paul have two feasts each. Their principal one is shared on June 29, and then each has his own, too. The Conversion of Paul is marked on Jan. 25 and the Chair of St. Peter on Feb. 22. The first of those feasts concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. All three feasts celebrate the apostolic foundations of Christian unity...

On G.K. Chesterton’s thrilling (and accurate) account of man

On%20Chesterton%u2019s%20thrilling%20%28and%20accurate%29%20account%20of%20man%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: I am re-reading some of the work of G. K. Chesterton this Lent, for the simple reason that Chesterton always reawakens me to the freshness of what it really means to be human, to seek God, and to find Christ. His style never fails to delight me: His frequent use of paradox; his gently argumentative but always generous tone; his atypical and unexpected examples, comparisons and contrasts; and his unfailing humor. I appreciate all this immensely, even though I know the verbal ride...

Most Catholics Have Stopped Worrying About Saving Souls

On Religion: Most Catholics Have Stopped Worrying About Saving SoulsMATTINGLY: As a rule, evangelists from Texas don’t go shopping for bourbon before a speech. But that’s what Marcel LeJeune and some friends did when the Catholic Missionary Disciples leader spoke at a Franciscan University conference last summer in Steubenville, Ohio. Things turned serious while chatting with a saleswoman when he asked how she was doing, and she bluntly replied...

Pope Francis Cancels Saturday Audiences Due to a ‘Mild Flu-Like Condition,’ Vatican Says

Vatican: Pope Francis has a mild flu, cancels audiences | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis canceled his public appearances on Saturday due to a mild flu, the Vatican has said. The Holy See Press Office released a short statement announcing the cancellation on Saturday morning without further details. “Due to a mild flu-like condition, as a precautionary measure, the pope has canceled the audiences scheduled for today,” the Feb. 24 statement said.

Cardinal Dolan on St. Patrick’s Funeral: ‘We Don’t Do FBI Checks on People Who Want to Be Buried’

Cardinal%20Dolan%20on%20St.%20Patrick%u2019s%20funeral%3A%20%u2018We%20don%u2019t%20do%20FBI%20checks%20on%20people%20who%20want%20to%20be%20buried%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMATTMCDONALD: Priests at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City were surprised by the “irreverence and disrespect” that occurred during a funeral for a transgender activist last week, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in his first public comments on it. “We didn’t know the background. We don’t do FBI checks on people who want to be buried,” Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said during his podcast Tuesday.

Report: Cardinal Calls for ‘Permanent’ Dialogue with Freemasons

Report%3A%20Cardinal%20Calls%20for%20%u2018Permanent%u2019%20Dialogue%20with%20Freemasons%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: A cardinal taking part in a “historic” closed-door meeting on Friday between the heads of Italy’s Freemasonic lodges and senior Catholic Church leaders has called for a “permanent” dialogue to be opened with the secretive organization, despite masonry being long condemned by the Church.

Taking the grace of God in vain? Lent can help...

Taking the grace of God in vain? Lent can help. | Catholic CultureMIRUS: St. Paul makes a heartfelt plea to the Corinthians in his second letter: “We entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor 6:1). Per usual, I have generally thought of this admonition as applying to “other people”, especially those who have heard the Gospel but not accepted it, or those Catholics who know what the Church teaches, but refuse to change their own ideas and behavior based on that teaching. But in reality, Paul’s entreaty is directed at all of us—indeed, at all of us all of the time.

4 easy steps to turn your perfunctory penitence into compelling Confessions

From Perfunctory Penitence to Compelling Confession In Four Easy Steps - Community in MissionPOPE: For many people the Sacrament of Confession is experienced in a rather perfunctory way. Upon preparing to go to confession many are content to look at some matters pertaining to external behavior: “I got angry with my children. I had lustful thoughts. I was distracted in prayer, or I didn’t pray as much as I should. I gossiped. And so forth. While the confession of these sorts of things is good and proper it also remains true that...

Pro-Life Advocates Fight Against Euthanasia Expansions Across Canada, Australia

Pro-life advocates fight against euthanasia expansions across Canada, Australia | Catholic News AgencyPAYNE: Pro-life advocates around the world are working to counteract continued efforts by euthanasia activists to pass and expand laws allowing doctors to help kill their patients. Euthanasia made global headlines this month when former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife, Eugenie, chose to have themselves euthanized, both at the age of 93...

Seasons of self-denial may now be en vogue, but the aim of Lent is more profound than self-actualization...

Lent as Counterculture - JD Flynn - The DispatchJDFLYNN: When I sat down in the dentist chair this Wednesday, I didn’t expect I’d end up in a conversation about religion. I’d hoped to get a crown cemented in and then move on, with the dentist perhaps offering me some kind of steep discount for being such a nice guy. But this week was Ash Wednesday, one of Catholicism’s most recognizable and enduring holidays...

What Is ‘The Gospel?’

What%20Is%20%u201CThe%20Gospel%u201D%3F%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: God loves us despite our sins. Sin divides people from God and one another. So to forgive our sins, to heal our divisions, and to make us saints, God the Father sends his Eternal Son. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Mary, suffers, dies, and rises again to achieve our reconciliation. Through baptism into Christ and his Church we can be saved from sin and death, similar to the story of Noah...

Alabama Supreme Court Rules That Frozen Embryos Are Children Under State Law

Alabama Supreme Court rules that frozen embryos are children under state law | Catholic News Agency: The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen human embryos constitute children under state statute, a decision that could have wide-reaching effects on in vitro fertilization and other medical concerns there.

Why Feminists Should Celebrate the Middle Ages (and the Catholic Church)

Why Feminists Should Celebrate the Middle Ages (and the Catholic Church)| National Catholic Register: It is hard not to shake one’s head when hearing feminist activists describe misogynistic speech and other attacks on women’s dignity as “medieval” — especially for those who have taken the trouble to read the great medievalists such as Régine Pernoud (1909-1998). Indeed, it is this 20th-century French historian and archivist whose prolific work has done the most to dispel the particularly tenacious myths...

About that funeral … What happened at the controversial liturgy last week at St. Patrick’s in NYC?

About%20that%20funeral%20%u2026%20What%20happened%20at%20a%20controversial%20NYC%20liturgy%20last%20week%3F: The Archdiocese of New York made headlines Friday, after a funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for transgender activist Cecilia Gentili, who identified as a transgender woman and an activist. The funeral, first reported on by the New York Times, packed the cathedral with more than 1,000 mourners, many of them LGBT activists or presenting themselves as transgender.

What would St. Thomas Aquinas make of AI?

What would Thomas Aquinas make of AI? | Catholic News AgencyWIMMER: What would Thomas Aquinas think of artificial intelligence (AI), and what does a large language model think of Thomas Aquinas? According to one German theologian, the Catholic saint and doctor of the Church can contribute to contemporary discussions about AI’s risks and its role in society. In an interview with CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner...

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: Lent Is a Time to ‘Encounter Wild Beasts and Angels’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20Lent%20is%20a%20time%20to%20%u2018encounter%20wild%20beasts%20and%20angels%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencySANTUCCI: On the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis focused his Angelus address on the temptation of Jesus in the desert to highlight that it is an invitation for us to enter the proverbial desert to come “in contact with the truth.” Observing that during the 40 days in the desert Christ was in the company of both “wild beasts and angels,” the pope reflected that when we enter this symbolic “inner wildness,” we too “encounter wild beasts and angels.”

Jesus shows us how to do battle, spending 40 days in the desert as the model for our fight...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Leads%20the%20Way%20Into%20the%20Desert%20to%20Fight%20Our%20Twisted%20Self-Love%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: We have to go to great lengths to tear ourselves away from our own twisted loves in order to stand in the presence of God. That is the message the Church presents us with in the readings for the First Sunday of Lent, Year B. That is exactly what we promise to do in Baptism: We reject Satan, his pomps and works, and all his empty promises. We promise to stand up to the malignant narcissist who has been gaslighting us our whole lives long.

Centuries before Our Lady of Guadalupe, Divine Providence began preparing the people of Mexico

Our Lady of Guadalupe and preparing the Americas for Christ | Catholic CultureMIRUS: There has been a great deal of study of the Providential preparation for the Christian message in the Holy Land and in Europe, but not so much in other regions. Obviously, of course, the entire Old Testament is a kind of historical, cultural and spiritual chronicle of God’s preparation for the coming of the Messiah to His chosen people. Despite Christ’s widespread rejection by the Jews...

Sister Cecilia María of the Holy Face, Argentine nun remembered for her remarkable smile, considered for beatification

Argentine nun remembered for her smile considered for sainthood | Catholic News AgencyVILLAR: The archbishop of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz in Argentina, Sergio Fenoy, signed the edict that begins the process prior to the opening of the cause of canonization of Sister Cecilia María of the Holy Face, a Carmelite nun from the province of Neuquén who died from cancer in 2016 at the age of 43.

Irreverent Funeral Service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Trans Activist Sparks Outcry

Irreverent funeral service at St. Patrick's Cathedral for trans activist sparks outcry | Catholic News Agency: A raucous funeral liturgy for a high-profile trans-activist and sex-worker advocate was held Thursday in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, sparking an outcry on social media that the iconic church was misused to advance an ideological agenda at odds with Catholic teaching.

Prayer time, indecent money, and crisis communications

Prayer time, indecent money, and crisis communicationsCONDON: It’s always a little awkward, I find, trying to strike the right tone of penitential enthusiasm heading into the spiritual desert. I’m acutely aware I’m not impressing God in the slightest with my modest seasonal disciplines, nor could I, no matter what prayers and penances I were to adopt. I try very hard to recall that these 40 days are something God is giving me, not the other way around.

Here is my Lenten resolution: Trim what is expendable, focus on the Eucharist, and count myself among “the living”

In the land of the living | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Re-reading Jesus of Nazareth, I find myself stopping frequently to meditate on Pope Benedict’s many incisive observations. But recently I was stopped in my tracks by what seemed an almost parenthetical remark: his observation that “the early Christians called themselves simply ‘the living.’” To say that we are “the living” might suggest that other people are dead...

According to Indian Christian traditions, St. Thomas the Apostle established Seven churches in Kerala

History of Christianity in India: Seven Churches established by St. Thomas in Kerala India: Christianity, with approximately 28 Million Indian followers constitute 2.3 percent of India’s population. It is traditionally believed that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who supposedly landed in Muziris, Kerala in AD 52 and traveled along the coast to Goa spreading the word of Christ.

12 Books for Your Spiritual Reading This Lent

Lenten literary companionsWEIGEL: The traditional Lenten practices of intensified prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are spiritual disciplines to be followed along the six-week pilgrimage from Ash Wednesday to the Easter Triduum. As I suggested in Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches, that journey can be lived as a kind of annual catechumenate-for-the-already-baptized, in which we join the catechumens...

Biden administration works to deny financial aid to pro-life pregnancy centers

Biden%20administration%20works%20to%20deny%20financial%20aid%20to%20pro-life%20pregnancy%20centers%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: In October 2023, the Biden administration, through the Department of Health and Human Services, under the direction of Xavier Becerra, continued its unrelenting attack on pro-life family centers. After a failed attempt to deny financial aid to pro-life centers in Oklahoma, the administration now seeks new limits in a proposed regulation...

Francis X. Maier talked to 103 faithful Catholics, including 30 bishops, for his new book. Their ‘True Confessions’ will renew your hope...

Book%20presents%20the%20voices%2C%20perspectives%20of%20faithful%20Catholics%20in%20U.S.%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: Francis X. Maier is a senior fellow in Catholic studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C., a contributor to CWR, and the author of the new book True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church, published by Ignatius Press. He recently corresponded with CWR, reflecting on his many conversations with bishops, priests, religious, and lay people...

Lent is an opportunity to develop a conscious awareness of Jesus...

Lent is an opportunity to develop a conscious awareness of Jesus. | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Are you sure you are prepared to make those sacrifices during Lent? Giving up your favorite television show, swearing at others, eating chocolate, or perhaps starting an exercise routine. Is this something you want to start during Lent? You will either quit after three days or stop altogether after Lent is over and then what is the point? Perhaps you might try to be considerate of those around you instead of yourself...

5 things to consider when temptation seems overwhelming

What%20to%20do%20when%20temptation%20seems%20overwhelming%3F%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: Lent is almost here. The Church asks us to make this season one of particular effort to learn holiness’s two aspects: living fully the new life in Christ that began in our baptism and putting away those things preventing us from experiencing that new life. We fast from good things to remember that all good things come from God...

Archbishop of Milan to Take Part in ‘Historic’ Closed-Door Event With Italy’s Freemasons on Friday

Archbishop%20of%20Milan%20to%20Take%20Part%20in%20%u2018Historic%u2019%20Closed-Door%20Seminar%20With%20Italy%u2019s%20Freemasons%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: The Archbishop of Milan surprised many Catholics with the news that he plans to take part in a seminar in the northern Italian city with the grand masters of Italy’s three Freemasonic lodges, despite the Church’s longstanding censure of Freemasonry. Archbishop Mario Delpini, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, president emeritus of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts...

Hindu nationalists threaten Catholic school over Ash Wednesday observance

Hindu nationalists threaten Catholic school over Ash Wednesday observance - Catholic Herald: A Catholic school in western India has requested police protection after members of a Hindu nationalist group known for staging aggressive “reconversion” ceremonies announced the intention to “by hook or crook” conduct a Hindu ritual known as Saraswati Puja at the school on Ash Wednesday.

30 Christians Have Died in the Gaza Strip Since Outbreak of Israel-Hamas War, Says Aid to the Church in Need

Nearly 3 dozen Christians have died in Gaza Strip amid Israel-Hamas war, aid group says | Catholic News Agency: Nearly three dozen Christians have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war last October, a Christian aid group in the region said this week.

Cardinal Ravasi’s shout-out to a rapper illustrates the Pope’s growing Jewish problem

Cardinal%u2019s%20shout-out%20to%20a%20rapper%20illustrates%20Pope%u2019s%20growing%20Jewish%20problem%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: If, as the saying goes, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, the converse is also true: Sometimes it’s worse to be unlucky than mischievous. At least when you know you’re playing with fire, it’s no big surprise if you get burned. When you don’t even know a flame is lit, the pain can be all the more intense.

The Correct Thing for Catholics: 21 Things to Do (and 18 Things to Avoid) During Lent

The Correct Thing for Catholics: 21 Things to Do (and 18 Things to Avoid) During Lent| National Catholic RegisterWELBORN: I am always hunting through the past for interesting corners of Catholic life and practice. A few years ago, I found a book, published in 1891, called The Correct Thing for Catholics. It’s available online. The tone is arch, but of course that was the tone of public discourse at the time — watch The Gilded Age, and you’ve got it.

On a recent visit to Canterbury Cathedral, the site of St. Thomas Becket’s martyrdom, I was shocked at the sight I beheld

Canterbury%20Cathedral%u2019s%20%u2018Rave%20in%20the%20Nave%u2019%20Draws%20the%20Ire%20of%20Believers%20and%20Nonbelievers%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: One cannot help but be overawed when entering Canterbury Cathedral, whose origins date back to St. Augustine of Canterbury, the Benedictine monk sent by Pope St. Gregory the Great to evangelize the English in 597. Perhaps most famous for being the hallowed site of St. Thomas Becket’s martyrdom...

Valentine's Day (Observed), and a Look at the Best Lenten Fish Sandwiches

Valentine's Day (observed)JDFLYNN: I don’t know about all of you, but where I live, today is both Fat Tuesday and, de facto, Valentine’s Day (Observed), since Ash Wednesday would seem an inappropriate time for that commemoration of romantic love which we attach to St. Valentine’s martyrdom. Valentine’s Day (Observed) means my kids this morning are enjoying chocolates and candy hearts...

Pope Francis ‘Very Much in Favor’ of Women’s Diaconate, Says Italian Theologian

Pope%20Francis%20%u2018Very%20Much%20in%20Favor%u2019%20of%20Women%u2019s%20Diaconate%2C%20Says%20Italian%20Theologian%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Pope Francis is “very much in favor” of a female diaconate and is looking to extend to all the baptized “some rights” that until recently belonged only to bishops, priests and religious, an Italian theologian has said. In a series of statements, Salesian Sister Linda Pocher said the issue of a female diaconate was brought up...

The New Creation: A Reflection on the First Sunday of Lent

The%20New%20Creation%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20First%20Sunday%20of%20Lent%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: Lent bids us to return to the innocence our baptism. As Noah and his family were saved through the waters of the deluge, we were saved through the waters of Baptism, Peter reminds us in today’s Epistle. And God’s covenant with Noah in today’s First Reading marked the start of a new world. But it also prefigured a new and greater covenant between God and His creation

Mother Cabrini and Other Women Who Make the World Better

Mother Cabrini: A Rare Religious Life | National ReviewLOPEZ: It’s near impossible to walk the streets of Manhattan — or any major American city — without running into a woman on the sidewalk who’s begging for money. She may have a sign saying she is a mother, explaining how many children she has. She may have a child or two right there with her. Livonia, from Eastern Europe, was the latest I ran into...

Argentina’s first female saint works new ‘political miracle’ with Pope Francis and Javier Milei

Argentina%u2019s%20first%20female%20saint%20works%20new%20miracle%20with%20Pope%2C%20populist%20president%20%7C%20Crux: Argentina’s first female saint arguably worked yet another miracle at her own canonization Mass Sunday, bringing Pope Francis and rightwing populist Argentine President Javier Milei, known for his derogatory remarks about the pontiff, together for a warm embrace. A former television pundit, Milei was elected president of Argentina...

Spiritually and doctrinally, I’m an African

Spiritually%2C%20Doctrinally%2C%20I%u2019m%20An%20African%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingJEFFKIRBY: On January 29, the Holy Father gave an interview with the Italian newspaper, La Stampa. Many of us cringe when we hear about another papal interview, since we’ve learned it’s rarely good news. And Pope Francis’ recent interview lived up to expectations. We were told in Fiducia supplicans...

Cancel-Culture Science: Medical Journal Withdraws Studies That Document Abortion-Pill Harm

Cancel-Culture Science: Medical Journal Withdraws Studies That Document Abortion-Pill Harm| National Catholic Register: On Feb. 5, in a shocking display of intellectual cowardice, a supposedly impartial medical journal announced that it was withdrawing three studies it had earlier published documenting the medical injuries that occur among women who take the abortion pill...

Fiducia Supplicans supposedly aimed to clarify contested issues and heal rifts in the Catholic communion. It failed in both regards...

Fiducia Supplicans and Doctrinal Clarity | Hans Feichtinger | First ThingsFEICHTINGER: ot that long ago, Vatican documents that miss the mark would have angered me. Now, I see them more as tragic events. Such is the case with Fiducia Supplicans, a Declaration recently issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith. The document’s supposed aim was to clarify contested issues and heal rifts in the Catholic communion...

Patrick O'Hearn: Our Lady of Sorrows ’is able to see our pain’

Patrick O'Hearn: Our Lady of Sorrows | Respect Life Radio: Imagine if you were privileged enough to sit beside Our Lady and hear from her very lips the story of Jesus’ birth and suffering. In these short, moving reflections, told from the perspective of the Blessed Mother to a child, readers young and old will experience a depth of love for God and closeness to Mary’s tender heart such as they have never felt before...

Rites of Miraculous Cleansing

Rites of Miraculous Cleansing | Parishable ItemsFELTES: If you had been a leper back then, would you have come to Jesus? Lent begins this week, so decide what you will you do. Go, show yourself to the priest in Confession and faithfully offer the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Remember and honor the scarlet yarn, the wood, and hyssop of the Innocent One who took your place and through whom you can be cleansed and freed.

50 Years Ago, the Future Benedict XVI Warned Us About the Dangers of AI

50 Years Ago, the Future Benedict XVI Warned Us About the Dangers of AI| National Catholic RegisterDAY: In the spring of 1973, Father Joseph Ratzinger delivered Lenten sermons at St. Emmeram Church in Regensburg. These were later collected and published in the Ignatius Press volume, The God of Jesus Christ: Meditations on the Triune God. Before quoting the relevant passages from the sermon, titled “God Has Names,” it seems to me the core of the ethical issue with AI is a metaphysical one...

No, this isn’t a culture war, because the enemies of life and love have no culture. This is spiritual warfare...

No%2C%20this%20isn%u2019t%20a%20culture%20war%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: “The biggest mistake we make is in believing that we are in a so-called ‘culture war,’ writes the Irish scholar Mark Dooley, at the opening of an essay for The European Conservative. Do you think you disagree? Maybe you should wait to read his next two sentences:

This forgotten Italian tragedy captures the pernicious politics of memory

Forgotten Italian tragedy captures the pernicious politics of memory | CruxALLEN: Yesterday was a day of commemoration here in Italy, recalling a cluster of events from the era of the Second World War and its immediate aftermath. In principle, there’s nothing remarkable about that – Italy has seen so much history over more than 3,000 years that you probably could find something to observe every day of the year, and without breaking a sweat.

From Neon to Holy Glow: Vegas Shines With Catholic Spirit

From Neon to Holy Glow: Vegas Shines With Catholic Spirit| National Catholic RegisterMATTMCDONALD: Catholics in Las Vegas know what comes to mind when you think of their city: casinos, neon lights, cocktail waitresses, the vice squad, Elvis impersonators, what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas. And, of course, this weekend, the Super Bowl. But away from the glitz of the Strip and the media glow of the Big Game on Feb. 11 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers lies a Las Vegas you may never have heard of...

On the nakedness and temerity of Job—and ourselves

On%20the%20nakedness%20and%20temerity%20of%20Job%u2014and%20ourselves%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: One of the most striking passages in all of Scripture is Job’s prayer just after he has learned of the destruction not only of his sources of wealth (his beasts of burden and his servants) but also of his ten sons and daughters. Immediately upon hearing all of this bad news, he knelt down and prayed...

Stop Making the Leper’s Costly Mistake

This%20Sunday%2C%20Stop%20Making%20the%20Leper%u2019s%20Costly%20Mistake%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus wants us to be careful what we say and follow his plan, not ours, in how we tell the world about him. When we refuse, we thwart his work. That’s what happens in the Gospel for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, and that’s what happens in our lives. While Jesus Christ can certainly handle the setback, he really did mean it...

On the Nature of King Cake: A Socratic Dialogue

On%20the%20Nature%20of%20King%20Cake%3A%20A%20Socratic%20Dialogue%20%u2014%20Joie%20de%20Vivre: Tell us once more, Socrates, whether it was through investigations of your own or some undertaken in company that you divined at last the nature of king cake. And were you, Adeimantus, and Glaucon with you, not present at the festival of the gods when I described these discoveries once before? Or have you forgotten these matters already?

The Trans Movement Conquers Irish Dancing

The%20Trans%20Movement%20Conquers%20Irish%20Dancing%20%u2501%20The%20European%20Conservative: Is there any phrase that sums up liquid modernity’s destruction of tradition better than “transgender Irish dancing?” Somehow, I doubt it—yet here we are. A recent headline in the Irish Independent announced the latest heritage-flattening victory for trans activists: “Transgender Irish dancers allowed to compete in categories matching their gender identity.” To translate that from gender ideology into non-Orwellian English...

Meet Santonio Hill, a Catholic man who gave up a Division I scholarship to discern seminary and start a women’s shelter

From Worshipping Football to Worshipping God - Santonio Hill - The Coming Home Network: Santonio Hill grew up Catholic, but football was the most important thing in his world. When he got a scholarship to play at a Division I school, he thought he was set for life — until a priest asked him a question that caused him to reconsider everything. Santonio shares how he still loves the game of football...

How to Apply Habit Stacking to Your Spiritual Life

How to Apply Habit Stacking to Your Spiritual Life - SpiritualDirection.comMEGANPHILIP: A few days after I arrived at the formation house to begin my new life as a “consecrated woman in training” I was given a small piece of laminated paper. On it was written the “Te Deum” prayer. This ancient hymn of praise dates back to the 4th century or earlier and was allegedly sung...

‘She Was a Wayfarer of the Spirit’: Pope Francis Canonizes ‘Mama Antula,’ the First Female Saint From Argentina

Pope%20Francis%20canonises%20%u2018Mama%20Antula%u2019%2C%20the%20first%20Argentinian%20saint%20-%20Vatican%20News: ‘Mama Antula’ is the first Argentinian saint. She was canonized by Pope Francis – himself Argentinian – on Sunday morning, in a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. María Antonia de San José de Paz y Figueroa, known in her own country, and by millions of faithful around the world, as “Mama Antula”, lived in Argentina in the 18th century. At that time, the Jesuit order had been expelled from Argentina. María Antonia made it her mission to spread Ignatian - that is, Jesuit - spirituality throughout the country.

The other 49ers, the whole story, and the big show

The other 49ers, the whole story, and the big showCONDON: When the 49ers take the field on Sunday, there will be plenty of Catholics among the fans cheering them on for the Super Bowl. But almost 200 years ago, there was a group of priests working as chaplains to the original gold rush 49ers then flooding into California, and theirs is a story far more interesting than what happens on any given Sunday.

Catholic ‘Hallow’ App to Air Commercial Featuring Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie During Super Bowl LVIII

Catholic prayer app Hallow to air commercial during Super Bowl LVIII | Catholic News Agency: The Catholic prayer app Hallow announced that its first-ever Super Bowl commercial will air during the big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11.

40 Unique Penances for Lent

40 Unique Penances for Lent - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TX: Many Catholics traditionally do something like give up a favorite food, watch less TV, etc. for Lent. These are good ideas, but below are some more unique ones that we have crowd-sourced from others. While we are not required to “give something up” for Lent, Catholics are required to increase prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Japan Is the Land of the Once and Ever-Rising Son

Land%20of%20the%20Once%20and%20Ever-Rising%20Son%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: Many people know of the successful 16th-century establishment of the Church in Japan by Catholic missionaries, including St. Francis Xavier, and its repression by imperial authorities and eventual complete suppression of the Church by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1620. Shusako Endo’s 1966 novel Silence depicted the brutality of the repression of Catholics in memorable scenes.

I earnestly desire that you may have a deep knowledge of God’s will

I%20earnestly%20desire%20that%20you%20may%20have%20a%20deep%20knowledge%20of%20God%u2019s%20will%20%7C%20Knowing%20Is%20DoingTORRE: Within the drama of man’s relationship with God before and after the fall, one constant has always remained, that God desires you and I to be with Him in heaven. There is a direct and pressing need that Our Father exhibits to bring us back home to him from our wayward life. A good father would want to rescue or resuscitate his child away from the perverted calamities of life...

Made Clean: A Reflection on the Upcoming 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Made%20Clean%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Sixth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: In the Old Testament, leprosy is depicted as punishment for disobedience of God’s commands. Considered “unclean”—unfit to worship or live with the Israelites, lepers are considered “stillborn,” the living dead (see Numbers 12:12). Indeed, the requirements imposed on lepers in today’s First Reading, rent garments, shaven head, covered beard, are signs of death, penance, and mourning. So there’s more to the story in today’s Gospel than a miraculous healing.

How Grandma’s Gumbo is a key to understanding the New Testament canon

Grandma's Gumbo and the New Testament Canon - The Coming Home Network: No doubt, as Catholics, we’ve had conversations with our Protestant sisters and brothers about how the New Testament Canon of Scripture came to be. We can run the risk of falling prey to a strawman argument when, as Catholics, we think of our Protestant friends as merely asserting that the Bible “just dropped out of the sky.” While no one literally believes that, we think it is a light-hearted (even if hyperbolic) description of how our Protestant friends think the New Testament Canon materialized.

On Wendell Berry and First Saturday Membership

On%20Wendell%20Berry%20and%20First%20Saturday%20Membership%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20Home: Books upon books have been written on the subject of rekindling culture and community. Not only have books been written on these topics, but they have been purchased and read in great numbers. The truth is that ours is a fast-paced, individualistic society. There are many factors driving this outcome, nevertheless a natural result of this is the breakdown of so much...

Using Science to Prove the Existence of God

New Advent: Using Science to Prove the Existence of GodSTEFANICK: Fr. Robert Spitzer is an insanely smart priest, author, and president of the Magis Center. We talk today all about how science and religion are not only compatible, but also how both are essential in the order of the Universe created by God. We also talk about refuting common objections to the existence of God, the time he debated Stephen Hawking, and whether or not he believes aliens exist...

The return to 'Satanic panic': Canada's grief for mass murders never committed

The return to 'Satanic panic': Canada's grief for mass murders never committed - Catholic Herald: On May 27, 2021, Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced that ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology had located the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School located in British Columbia, Canada. The news was readily accepted and publicly grieved by every society figurehead and institution.

The Secret Meaning Behind the Numbers on Your Egg Carton

The Secret Meaning Behind the Numbers on Your Egg Carton: Chances are you almost always have eggs in your fridge. Whether baked, scrambled or poached, they’re one of the most versatile items on the grocery list. You might think the best way to pick a carton is by checking the grade, size and expiration date—but there’s a secret behind how long eggs can sit out, how to store eggs and a more efficient way to tell how fresh your eggs are.

Blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples is not like blessing a ‘businessman,’ and here’s why...

Hypocrisy%20and%20same-sex%20blessings%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: Today I saw the headline, “Pope denounces ‘hypocrisy’ of those who criticise LGBT blessings.” I found that disconcerting, because I have been critical of LGBT blessings. It grieves me to be regarded as a hypocrite by the Holy Father. Why does Pope Francis call such criticism hypocrisy? He explains: Nobody gets scandalised if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps exploits people...

Yes, Biden Is An ‘On Eagle’s Wings’ American Catholic

On%20Religion%3A%20Yes%2C%20Biden%20Is%20An%20%u2018On%20Eagle%u2019s%20Wings%u2019%20American%20CatholicMATTINGLY: With its lilting pop melody and sweet God talk, “On Eagle's Wings” is the hymn that conservative Catholics love to hate and Catholic progressives often wave like a red flag. President Joe Biden loves it. Few would deny that "On Eagle's Wings" has become an American Catholic standard, especially during funerals. Biden quoted the hymn in his 2020 victory-night address, and it was performed during the 2015 funeral Mass for his son Beau.

How to Elevate the Gospel Acclamation in Your Parish

How to Elevate the Gospel Acclamation in Your Parish | Source & SummitBARTLETT: I recently attended a family wedding at the parish that I grew up in—a parish under the patronage of St. Patrick in a small, historically Irish and German midwestern town. It was an endearing reminder for me of how slowly things can change when it comes to liturgical practice—a double-edged sword that both serves to help preserve tradition but also makes efforts of renewal at times a serious practical challenge.

How all the chatter about Tracy Chapman, Luke Combs and ‘Fast Car’ exposes the need for family love

How 'Fast Car' chatter exposes the need for family loveLOPEZ: “You got a fast car. I got a job that pays all our bills. You stay out drinking late at the bar. See more of your friends than you do of your kids.” You may recognize the lyrics to the popular 1988 song by Tracy Chapman, “Fast Car.” It’s back in rotation and Luke Combs, who is currently successfully covering it, got to sing it with Chapman at the Grammys in recent days...

Tohu Wa-Bohu on the Tiber

Tohu wa-bohu on the TiberWEIGEL: The 21st century world is full of chaos and confusion, much of it lethal. The world does not need more chaos and confusion from the Catholic Church; if the world wants Tohu wa-bohu with a religious veneer, there is a rich menu of options from which to choose. Whether it wants it or not, what the world needs from the Catholic Church is...

You are a contemplative being at heart, but you’ve probably buried that identity. Here are 2 steps to help you discover it...

2 Steps to Discovering Our Contemplative Identity - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: I think the heart of our problem with contemplation is that we have not yet understood what it is. Or perhaps more to the point, we are inexperienced in really doing it. Yet there is no need to be discouraged. It comes as no surprise that what we are called to do, each according to his state in life, is an arduous good that will require much study, cultivation, and prayer...

A simple example of how apologetics works, and how to spread the flame of the Gospel without setting your hair on fire

A simple example of how apologetics works | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Years ago I used to write a good deal about the art and science of apologetics, or the defense of the Faith. St. Peter told us that we ought always to be ready to “give a reason” (or “make a defense”) to anyone who calls us to account for the hope that is in us. He wrote that we were to do so with gentleness and reverence. Moreover, we must keep our consciences clear, so that when we are abused, those who revile our good behavior in Christ may be put to shame...

Astronauts say outer space smells like gunpowder, ozone or burnt steak. So what does space smell like, and what are the cosmic sources of these scents?

What does space smell like? | Space: The exotic chemistry of planetary and interstellar space produces a bouquet of unusual aromas — if only there were air in space in which to smell them.

Attack on Benedictine Abbot by Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, Captured on Video, Brings Intolerance of Christians Back Into Focus

Attack on priest in Jerusalem brings intolerance of Christians back into focus | Catholic News Agency: Violence against Christians in Jerusalem continues to make the news following an incident on Feb. 3 when Father Nikodemus Schnabel, the abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition, was attacked by two young Jewish nationalists.

You’ll Need to Head Underground to See These 7 Incredible Landmarks

You%27ll%20Need%20to%20Head%20Underground%20to%20See%20These%207%20Incredible%20Landmarks%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: Intrepid travelers have a tendency to gravitate toward heights. Mountaintops, skyscrapers, Ferris wheels — the higher the better. But traveling in the opposite direction, below the ground, can provide a whole new level of excitement. The following tunnels, mines, and even entire subterranean cities are hidden within the depths of the Earth, waiting to be explored. Read below (pun intended) for seven of the world’s most incredible underground landmarks.

10 Things You Didn't Realize Your iPhone Can Do for You

10 Things You Didn't Realize Your iPhone Can Do for You: Your iPhone is an incredibly powerful and capable device. So much so, it can probably take some of your daily tasks off of your plate for you. Here are some of the most useful things your iPhone can help you accomplish.

Last Saturday was ‘Reset Saturday’ at the Vatican

Reset Saturday at the Vatican| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: On the feast of St. Blaise, the Vatican cleared its collective throat and made attempts to put things right on three separate fronts, all on the same day. Call it “Reset Saturday.” First up was Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), who has had the most bruising month in the recent history of Curial prefects. After his declaration Fiducia Supplicans provoked an unprecedented rejection...

Pope Francis Says People Who Criticize Fiducia Supplicans Are Guilty of ‘Hypocrisy’

Pope denounces 'hypocrisy' of those who criticise LGBT blessings | Nasdaq: Pope Francis said he sees "hypocrisy" in criticism of his decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, possibly his most strongly worded defence of the move. LGBT blessings were authorised last month by a Vatican document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), but that has met with significant resistance in the Catholic Church, particularly from African bishops.

‘Trust Has Been Broken’: After Trans Policy Fallout, Controversy Still Simmers at St. Mary’s College

%u2018Trust%20Has%20Been%20Broken%u2019%3A%20After%20Trans%20Policy%20Fallout%2C%20Controversy%20Still%20Simmers%20at%20St.%20Mary%u2019s%20College%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, is accustomed to its famous next-door neighbor grabbing all the headlines, but in November the all-women’s Catholic college found itself uncomfortably in the spotlight after its plan to admit male students identifying as females became public. The resulting outcry ultimately prompted the school’s leadership...

Freedom of Religion Is ‘Deteriorating’ in Hong Kong, New Report Says

Freedom%20of%20religion%20is%20%u2018deteriorating%u2019%20in%20Hong%20Kong%2C%20new%20report%20says%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBUKURAS: Freedom of religion is “deteriorating” in Hong Kong, and the United States — along with other democracies — should use its influence to promote religious liberty in the region, a new report on communist Chinese persecution in the city said. The Chinese government is now tightening its grip on the region of over 7 million residents, said the Jan. 30 report, called...

Panama’s Cardinal Lacunza apologizes for his disappearance: ‘It was a stupid prank’

Panama%u2019s%20Cardinal%20Lacunza%20apologizes%20for%20his%20disappearance%3A%20%u2018It%20was%20a%20stupid%20prank%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Cardinal José Luis Lacunza, the bishop of the Diocese of David in Panama, apologized Feb. 4 at the end of the Sunday Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in David after having been missing for two days but found safe and sound earlier in the week.

Seattle Archdiocese Announces Plan to Merge Parishes

Seattle Archdiocese announces plan to merge parishes | Catholic News Agency: The Archdiocese of Seattle has announced its official list of 170 parishes and worship sites it will be combining into 60 “parish families” as part of its major diocesan renewal plan. Archdiocesan Vicar General Father Gary Lazzeroni said last year that the archdiocese was facing an “urgent need for change in how we are approaching parish life.” The archdiocese will have only...

St. Paul Miki, Holy Week Poster Controversy in Spain, LA’s Gardens of Healing, Airplane Bourgeoisie, and More

Paul Miki, the news, and warmed nutsJDFLYNN: Twenty years after Christianity came to Japan, Paul Miki was born in Tounucumada, Japan, the son of a military general. In Paul’s youth, more than 200,000 people converted to Christianity across Japan, churches were built, schools flourished. Paul’s family was among those converts. He attended those schools, learned the faith, and joined the Jesuits. He wanted to be a priest.

How boredom helps us know God, and ourselves

How boredom helps us know God, and ourselves: St. Augustine famously said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee,” but what exactly is the “restlessness” from which we’re being rescued? I think Augustine was thinking of people like himself, who moved from philosophy to philosophy and their associated ways of living, never finding any of them satisfying. But we can feel restless, we can be restless, in all sorts of ways.

Decent people tip, and well. Bad people don’t...

David%20Mills%3A%20Decent%20people%20tip%2C%20and%20well.%20Bad%20people%20don%u2019t.%20%7C%20Pittsburgh%20Post-GazetteMILLS: The story pops up now and again on social media as a subject for the ten-minute-hate, and a justifiable one too. Someone stiffs a waiter or a bartender and tries to excuse themselves for doing it. Someone signs the credit card receipt at the restaurant and puts a zero in the space for a tip, writing in “I give my money to charity” or “I save my money for Jesus.” Or they give a supposedly principled reason, like “I don’t believe in tipping” or “Your boss should pay you better”...

Everyone you meet today is either suffering, has just come out of some suffering, or is preparing to enter into suffering...

(4) The Centrality of Suffering - by Jenny UUEBBING: Something the past year of knockout punch after knockout punch of grief has opened my eyes to is the absolute main character energy of suffering. I'm 41 years old now, and in the midst of year two of the most grueling calendar expanses of life so far, and what I'm recognizing as I come up for little gulps of air and little lulls of "normalcy"...

3 Life Lessons From the Bold Voice of Ursula the Sea Witch in ‘Little Mermaid’

Three life lessons from Ursula the Sea Witch's bold voiceSCALIA: “Life’s full of tough choices, innit?” The question oozes out of Ursula the Sea Witch like a plume of playfully poisonous vapor as she interrupts a brilliantly executed cabaret of a con meant to work on Ariel, the emotionally torn “Little Mermaid” of the 1989 Disney cartoon. “Come on, you poor, unfortunate soul,” she booms in a joyfully passionate shout of wicked persuasion...

Every time we call out for Divine Wisdom we are calling out for Jesus...

Eternal Wisdom Unveiled - Rosary ArmyWILLITS: To be a witness to Jesus Christ in the modern world can be rife with difficulty. I’m not entirely certain I can succinctly tell you why I love Jesus, and my inability to point to a specific time or way in which Jesus was fully present in my life often tempts me to silence...

7 Secrets of Airplane Cabins Most Passengers Don’t Know

7%20Secrets%20of%20Airplane%20Cabins%20Most%20Passengers%20Don%u2019t%20Know%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: From crowded airports to packed planes and strict security rules, flying can be a stressful experience. With the complex nature of air travel, there are dozens of regulations and protocols that must be followed on any given flight, and most parts of the process are designed for a very specific purpose. It might help you breathe a little easier on your next flight knowing...

Bishop of Lourdes, France, Hopes to Make Decision on Rupnik Mosaics by Spring

Exclusive: Lourdes bishop hopes to make decision on Rupnik mosaics by spring | Catholic News Agency: The bishop of Lourdes says that he has received a “pile of letters” from Catholics all over the world as he considers whether to remove the shrine’s mosaics by alleged abuser Father Marko Rupnik. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes told CNA that he hopes to make a decision by this spring. The bishop formed a special commission last year to determine the future of the Rupnik mosaics.

NYTimes columnist Pamela Paul: ‘As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do...’

Opinion | As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do. - The New York Times: Grace Powell was 12 or 13 when she discovered she could be a boy. Growing up in a relatively conservative community in Grand Rapids, Mich., Powell, like many teenagers, didn’t feel comfortable in her own skin. She was unpopular and frequently bullied. Puberty made everything worse. She suffered from depression and was in and out of therapy.

Why Wendy’s Is the Only Fast-Food Chain Selling Baked Potatoes

Why Wendy's Is the Only Chain Selling Baked Potatoes | Reader's Digest: Wendy's baked potatoes are a huge part of the chain's business. So why haven't any other fast-food restaurants started selling them?

The spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas is very different from spirit of the internet. Aquinas had no need of cheap shots or straw men...

Seeing%20Both%20Sides%3A%20St.%20Thomas%20Aquinas%20%u2014The%20Imaginative%20ConservativeSOBRAN: Before I discovered Shakespeare, the writer I most admired was St. Thomas Aquinas. Dazzling as Shakespeare is, I think I was right the first time. Apples and oranges, of course; but in this case I think the apple diet would have been better for me. Many, not all of them Catholics, regard Aquinas as the most profound thinker of whom we have record. I’m not qualified to judge that; I’d be like Mr. Magoo judging a beauty contest...

The Get Religion website’s record is outstanding. It will be sorely missed...

Archbishop%20Charles%20J.%20Chaput%3A%20The%20religion%20beat%20is%20where%20%27our%20defining%20freedoms%20meet%27%20%u2014%20GetReligionCHAPUT: A free press is part of the American identity. It’s also one of our essential institutions. A responsible press and a faith shaped by the God of charity and justice share two things in common: a concern for human dignity, and an interest in truth. This is why — to be specific — journalism coverage of religion is so important. Believers and non-believers might define that word “truth” differently...

Farewell, after 20 years: Why we did what we did

Farewell%2C%20after%2020%20years%3A%20Why%20we%20did%20what%20we%20did%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: If you know anything about world religions, then you know that Easter is a big deal in Christianity. In Eastern Orthodox churches, the Big Idea is stated this way, over and over, in rites for Pascha (Easter): “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life” (see this flash mob celebration in Lebanon).” I don’t bring this up as a matter of evangelism...

Canada halts assisted suicide program for mentally ill due to lack of doctors

Canada halts assisted suicide program for mentally ill due to lack of doctors: Canada has delayed the extension of its assisted suicide program to people suffering solely from mental illness, health officials announced Monday. Canada offers medically assisted death to terminally and chronically ill people, but the plan to extend the program to people with mental illnesses has divided Canadians, the New York Times reported.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘God Is Not a Detached Master ... He Is a Father Filled With Love’

Pope at Angelus: Set forth transmitting faith in our loving God - Vatican News: During his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis urges the faithful to embrace their "first spiritual task" of "abandoning the God we think we know," and "converting every day" to the "loving, compassionate God that Jesus presents to us in the Gospel."

The Catholic Church’s bishop-elect problem

The%20Catholic%20Church%u2019s%20bishop-elect%20problemCOPPEN: When the Vatican announces the appointment of a new diocesan bishop, it’s typically an occasion for rejoicing among local Catholics. They may have had to wait months, even years, for a new shepherd, and are likely to feel a sense of relief that the vacancy is finally filled. Preparations begin immediately for the episcopal ordination (if the appointee is not yet a bishop), or installation Mass...

‘Axios!’ — Watch the Beautiful Moment When a Man Becomes an Eastern Catholic Bishop

%u2018Axios%21%u2019%20%u2014%20Watch%20the%20Beautiful%20Moment%20When%20a%20Man%20Becomes%20an%20Eastern%20Catholic%20Bishop%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterKLESKO: The three duties (munera) of a bishop are to teach, sanctify and govern. To teach, a bishop needs “intellectual humility,” so he teaches recognizing his own weakness. To sanctify, a bishop needs to remind his people of the unseen realm and always strive to bring people into an encounter with the holy. To govern, a bishop needs to be in tune with the Holy Spirit, who gives strength and wisdom to govern God’s holy people.

Super Bowl LVIII Preview: Inside Sin City’s Christian Quarterback Dual

xLISI: The Feb. 11 Super Bowl showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers may be contested at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — known as Sin City — but it will feature two very pious quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes, who will attempt to win a second straight Super Bowl, faces off against Brock Purdy...

A recent viral video claimed that “human rights are just a story that we’ve invented.” Here’s why that’s so wrong...

Are Human Rights Just Fictional Stories? - Word on FireKACZOR: Materialism is a false philosophy. It is a reality that 2 2=4. It is a reality that 7 5=12. These realities have no length in inches, no weight in pounds, and no bodily dimensions. These realities existed before humans existed and would remain realities even if all humans died, so these mathematical truths are not human stories. If there are realities that are not material realities, then materialism is false. There are realities, like 2 2=4 and 7 5=12, that are not material realities. So, materialism is false.

Jesus wants to reach the whole world, and he wants you to help

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Wants%20To%20Heal%20Your%20Family%2C%20Then%20Move%20On%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The Gospel readings at Mass continue, without skipping a verse, through the first hours of Jesus’s public ministry as told in the first chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel on the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B. By watching what Jesus does, we see not only his priorities back then, but his priorities today — because the Second Person of the Trinity is someone whose priorities don’t change...

What Jesus did for Simon’s mother-in-law, He has done for all humanity

Raised%20to%20Serve%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Fifth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: In today’s First Reading, Job describes the futility of life before Christ. His lament reminds us of the curse of toil and death placed upon Adam following his original sin. Men and women are like slaves seeking shade, unable to find rest. Their lives are like the wind that comes and goes. But, as we sing in today’s Psalm...

‘Gestis Verbisque’: Vatican Doctrine Office Releases Note on Discerning the Validity of the Sacraments

%u2018Gestis%20Verbisque%u2019%3A%20Vatican%20Doctrine%20Office%20Releases%20Note%20on%20Discerning%20the%20Validity%20of%20the%20Sacraments%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMARES: The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a note on Saturday on discerning the validity of the sacraments. The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández is titled “Gestis Verbisque,” or “Deeds and Words.” Cardinal Fernández wrote in his introduction to the text that the note on the sacraments was written...

Two Americans share their stories about living the religious life in the Holy Land

Living the religious life in the Holy Land: Two Americans share their stories | Catholic News AgencyBANDINI: On the day when the Church celebrates the World Day for Consecrated Life, CNA met with two Americans who followed God into religious life and now live out their vocations in the Holy Land. Father Peter Vasko, a Franciscan friar of the Custody of the Holy Land, and Sister Naomi Zimmermann, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, a congregation born in the United States 50 years ago...

5 Ways To Be A Better Catholic Evangelist

5 Ways To Be A Better Catholic Evangelist - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: A Southern Baptist pastor, who is a friend of mine, said something about the Catholic Church that floored me, and it wasn't what you probably think it was. He told me a story of when he was in seminary in the 80s and one of his seminary professors was teaching a class on evangelism. They did an exhaustive historical study on the spread of the Gospel...

100 Pop Songs Every Catholic Should Hear — Starting With No. 1, ‘What Other People Say’ by Demi Lovato

(4) 100 Pop Songs Every Catholic Should Hear #1 "What Other People Say" by Demi LovatoTIMCLARK: There may be a more brutal song about the cost of sin, but if there is, I’m not sure it would be bearable. I’ve written in these pages many, many times about the importance, and indeed mystery of one’s own name. “God calls each one by name,” the catechism tells us. “Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person.” This song answers the question of what happens when we become iconoclasts of our own name.

Why we must pray for the Church, and one way to do it

Why we must pray for the Church, and one way to do it | Catholic CultureMIRUS: As we read Sacred Scripture, whether the Old Testament or the New, we are continually made aware of the importance of Jerusalem. Under the Old Covenant, this city is the great sign of the presence of God, the very center of His holiness here on earth, and the only place where He can be fully and perfectly worshipped. Jerusalem is also the great eschatological symbol...

Candlemas(s), the hard way, and common crime

Candlemas(s), the hard way, and common crimeCONDON: Happy Friday friends, And a very happy feast of the Presentation of the Lord to you all. I’m not one to engage in uninformed speculation about the hidden life of Christ in the Holy Family, but I do love this feast, and the image of Mary and Joseph presenting their miraculous and divine child in the Temple. I have to assume that, being mere mortals, even saintly ones...

These 11 Tips Will Make You a Better Cook

How to Be a Better Cook - The New York Times: There are plenty of practical reasons for learning how to cook: saving money, controlling what you eat, knowing precisely what’s in your food. I’m in it for the impractical. I love making a 27-ingredient mole negro when a craving strikes, hosting half a dozen friends on the fly on a weeknight, transforming peanut butter into a four-course meal in under an hour just for kicks.

What Do They Actually Spray on Planes to De-Ice Them?

How Does Airplane De-Icing Work? - AFAR: If you are boarding a plane in much of the United States during winter, chances are the aircraft will need to have a specially trained crew spray it with de-icing fluid before takeoff to remove ice and snow (or prevent more from sticking).

Panama Cardinal Who Bucked Noriega Surfaces After Unexplained Disappearance

Panama cardinal who bucked Noriega surfaces after unexplained disappearance | Crux: Panamanian Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán was found sometime in the afternoon on Feb. 1 after he had been reported missing on Jan. 30, according to a news release from Panama’s bishops’ conference. “The Communication Office of the Panamanian Episcopal Conference informs that Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán, bishop of the Diocese of David, has been found, according to a report from authorities,” the conference announced around 4:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 1.

Secularist Blinders and the Middle East

Secularist blinders and the Middle EastWEIGEL: When I first met Yigal Carmon in November 1988, he was counter-terrorism adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a position he held under Shamir’s successor, Yitzhak Rabin, until 1993. If memory serves, our meeting took place in a room in the basement of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv...

Being Precise About Catholic Church Teaching on Hell

Being Precise About Catholic Church Teaching on Hell| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: Pope Francis recently sparked a discussion when he told an Italian television program, “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is.” I was not surprised he would have this view. It is common in some ecclesiastical circles and was proposed by theologian and priest Hans Urs von Balthasar in his book Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?

‘The Congo Flows into the Tiber’: The Catholic Church in Africa’s Influence Is Growing — But Is the Vatican Ready for It?

Same-Sex%20Blessings%20Controversy%3A%20Catholic%20Church%20in%20Africa%u2019s%20Influence%20is%20Growing%20but%20is%20Vatican%20Leadership%20Ready%20for%20It%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: The African bishops’ forceful, united reaction to the possibility of blessing same-sex couples outlined in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s Dec. 18 declaration, Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), got immediate and dramatic results: The dicastery quickly issued a rare clarification, after which a top African prelate sat with DDF prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández...

Regina Derieva’s life (and work) was filled with pain — but pain was not the the last word, for God was her friend.

Swimming Against the Stream ~ The Imaginative ConservativeDEAVEL: December 11, 2023, marked the tenth anniversary of the death at age 64 of the poet, essayist, and translator Regina (pronounced with a hard “g”) Derieva. February 7, 2024, marks the 75th anniversary of her birth. Her faithful widower, the iconographer, liturgical artist, and guardian of her work, Alexander Deriev tells me that a Swedish publisher will be bringing out a large collection of her poetry...