Posted by Web Staff on 6/12/21
Think of a symphony orchestra. It's made up of a hundred different musicians and dozens of instruments. The conductor is the visible focus of everyone's attention, both the musicians and the audience. And yet, is the conductor the real source of the music? No, the composer is. In front ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 5/27/21
We don't think much about this, but it is the truth behind everything we believe. If Christ had not ascended into heaven, we would not be able to pray to Him at any time and in any place. We would not be able to have Him close by in ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 5/27/21
In Peter Jackson's 2001 movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, we get a glimpse of an unusual love story. Aragorn, the heir to the throne of the great Kingdom of Gondor, is anxious and fearful about his responsibility to defend Middle Earth against the evil menace of Sauron. In ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 5/27/21
Relevant Radio is a Catholic radio network with stations across the United States. Every weekday afternoon they have a two-hour program during which listeners can email or call in and have their questions about the spiritual life answered by a priest who is an experienced spiritual director. Several years ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 5/02/21
Jesus Christ was sent to the Jewish people, to be their Messiah in accordance with God's ancient promises to his Chosen People. Yet, God was not satisfied to save only one people; He wants His blessing to reach all nations, every corner of the earth. This is why Jesus ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 5/02/21
Christ's resurrection enables us to grow in this triple peace because in the middle of this stormy, turbulent world, it gives us a firm anchor: our hope for life everlasting. We renew this hope every Sunday, when we pray the Creed. This has been exemplified through the centuries by ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 4/20/21
Moral right and wrong are not up for grabs; they are the laws that God has written into our human nature. Lying, stealing, murdering, cheating - sins like these damage our lives and societies, just as putting sand in a car's engine will damage the car. Human nature was ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 4/11/21
St. Ignatius Loyola's famous little book, The Spiritual Exercises, contains several contemplations on the Resurrection. One of these deals with what St. Ignatius thought would have been Jesus' very first appearance after rising from the dead - an appearance to his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. This appearance isn't ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 4/06/21
An anecdote from Roman history sheds an interesting light on Christ's Palm Sunday victory parade. In 27 BC, Octavian, a great general of the late Roman Republic, was paraded around Rome in a chariot, while the Romans cheered his name. He was being honored by the Senate for avenging ... Read More »
Posted by Web Staff on 4/06/21
When Jesus suffered on the cross, He revealed His love for the Father and for us. When He allows crosses in our lives, it's because He wants to give us a chance to show and grow our love - because only a mature, tested love gives real meaning and ... Read More »