Holy Saturday // Recollection, Silence, and Hope
Growing up, I treated Holy Saturday as an early start to Easter. It may not have been the actual celebration of Easter, but I breathed a sigh of relief for...
The Thin Place of Good Friday
Today marks the darkest day of the Church year. It is the sobering remembrance of the Word Incarnate, crucified. Liturgically, it is the only day of the entire year that...
On the Feast of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
By the time I was preparing for Confirmation, I was mucking stalls after school, attending horse camp in the summer, and "Cowboy Take Me Away" was basically the anthem I...
Celebrating the Epiphany of Our Lord
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of...
The Beauty of the Incarnation
I recently finished Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. The most powerful lesson I learned from this book was the startling reality of the Incarnation. The news that God...
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe // A Childhood Tradition
Every December 12th, without fail, my parents would buy a dozen red roses to give to Our Lady of Guadalupe as a gift from our family. The night before, they...
On the Feast of Saint Juan Diego
In an interesting "which came first" scenario, this week we celebrate two inter-related feast days. Later this week we will celebrate the popular feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe,...
Saint Martin de Porres // Saint of the Broom
San Martin De Porres, also known as "the Saint of the Broom", is no stranger to rejection, abandonment, racism, and prejudice. He was born on December 9th, 1579 in Lima,...
A Treasure Trove of Prayers to Pray on Rosary Beads
The Catholic Faith is a treasure trove. A treasure trove where upon exploration, we discover that it is bottomless. The precious gems and jewels within it—Holy Mass, Sacraments, Sacred Scripture,...
The Guardian Angels
Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. -Catechism...
Be a Spiritual Child of Padre Pio
Padre Pio said that, “Once I take on a soul, I also take on the entire family as my spiritual children.” I know this to be true. My son has...
On Saint Mary Magdalene
The Easter Gospel stories from both Matthew and John lead with Mary Magdalene. This is as important as it is surprising. Certainly her account of encounter of the empty tomb...
