Spirituality

Seven ‘penitential’ psalms help in our conversion this Lent

Lent calls us to examine our lives, assess our relationship with God and discover where we need to set things right. And the Book of Psalms, with its songs of sin and redemption, is a good start for meditation.

Journey with Jesus on scriptural stations of the cross

This Lent, try meditating on each station with its accompanying verse from the Gospels. Picture yourself in the scene as you accompany Jesus along the Way of the Cross. What does he say? What do you say?

Staying focused on God’s good gifts, not life’s worries

Commenting on the readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Msgr. Joseph Prior explains how Jesus teaches us not to "worry about tomorrow," but to seek God's way. Then everything else will find its proper place.

Readings of the holy Mass – Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.

The key to parish life: Hello and welcome

What do people want in a parish? A friendly and welcoming atmosphere, for starters. Our package of stories on parish life across the U.S. -- including at Sacred Heart Parish in Royersford -- explores the qualities of healthy parishes.

Parishes: Called to welcome ‘as Christ has welcomed you’

The pastoral council at Sacred Heart Parish in Royersford suggested a welcoming ministry, and it's now in full flight at the Montgomery County parish. See how this parish and others are making parishioners and guests feel at home.

Parish pastor calls for hospitality, good preaching and good music

A ministry of hospitality isn't the only thing a parish needs, but it's the first thing one parish started when it was founded, writes its founding pastor. He "road tests" his homilies with small groups before Sunday Masses.

Early Christians gathered in homes, not churches, professor says

Jesus mostly preached to large crowds outdoors, and the apostles used private homes for liturgies. The generation that knew Jesus never saw a church building, which would take two centuries to rise.

Jesus shows how the Father wants us to follow the law, beyond its letter

In the Sermon on the Mount in this Sunday’s Gospel, the call to love goes beyond a righteousness based on retribution, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. God loves and forgives; he calls us to do the same.

Readings of the holy Mass – Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.