Spirituality
We are family, following the Good Shepherd
Msgr. Joseph Prior looks at the Fourth Sunday of Easter and the image of Jesus as an extraordinary shepherd. The love poured out in Christ Jesus now makes us sons and daughters of the one Father.
Don’t be ‘couch potatoes,’ get up and evangelize, pope says
Christians must be willing to move where the Spirit leads them and not be benchwarmers on the sidelines of efforts to evangelize, Pope Francis said.
Did Pope Francis really say there is no hell?
Father Ken Doyle addresses an Italian journalist's claim that the pontiff recently denied the existence of hell. He didn't. In response to another reader, Father Doyle tells what it takes to become a confirmation sponsor.
Church needs prophets, not critics, pope says at morning Mass
A prophet must always be person who not only "is able to cry for his people, but also capable of taking risks to speak the truth," the pope said in his homily April 17 at morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
We are formed for friendship with God and with each other
Scripture and saints attest to the holiness of true communion with God and with one another. In this set of articles, we examine what it means to be a friend from a Christian perspective.
Holy friendship is ‘a remnant of paradise’
Scripture and saints attest to the virtuous companionship that deepens our bonds with each other and with God.
Faith is the framework for true friendship
Superficial connections can't replace the genuine bond between those who share the experience of God's love, which sustains relationships through both good and bad times.
Examples of friendship in Scripture
In both the Old and the New Testaments, the bond between companions recalls the tender, sacrificial love of Christ.
‘Schizoid’ world brags it’s free while chained to greed, pope says
Christian freedom is being free from worldly ambition, fashion and passion and being open to God's will, Pope Francis said.
If death is imminent, is a feeding tube required?
Under certain conditions, medically assisted nutrition may not always be a moral imperative, writes Father Kenneth Doyle. In a separate response, he assesses the legacy of the late Mother Angelica.