Spirituality
It’s settled: Death penalty not permitted, is contrary to Gospel
With the latest clarification, the church makes clear that no matter how horrendous the crime perpetrated, civil society has no right to decide that a prisoner's life is over, explains Father Ken Doyle.
More than example, the Eucharist is Jesus himself
Through faith, we can taste and see the goodness of the Lord, made present in the bread and wine, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. Nourished by the living bread, we give thanks to God for his love.
Readings of the Holy Mass – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Washing hands at Mass signifies inner purity, not outer dirt
Father Kenneth Doyle confirms a reader's hunch that the celebrant's handwashing during Mass is more than skin deep. In response to another reader, he clarifies what Jesus means by "poor in spirit."
In the car wash of the spiritual life: neutral, and no brakes
Gina Christian wants to stay in charge but she must let go and trust -- an apt metaphor for the life of Mary, the Mother of God, on the eve of the feast of her Assumption into heaven.
Through faith, we recognize Jesus as the Bread of Life
In this week's Gospel, we are called to enter more deeply into the mystery of God's love, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. Trusting his word, we encounter Christ in the Eucharist.
Readings of the Holy Mass – Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Readings of the Holy Mass – Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
When we let God surprise us, our faith in him deepens
The Lord encounters us in unexpected ways, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. In the startling gift of the Eucharist, Jesus feeds our deepest hunger and leads us to the Father.
Is there a patron saint for the souls in purgatory?
Father Kenneth Doyle responds to a reader who asks if the departed have their own special intercessor. In answer to another question, he advises a reader being sexually harassed by a fellow parishioner.