Spirituality

Mercy and forgiveness are essential to life

The parable of the unforgiving servant has real shock value, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. Through this dramatic example, Jesus challenges us to offer others the same mercy God has shown us.

Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-fourth 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.

Pope: Cross is the mystery of Christ’s love, not ‘spiritual masochism’

Christians must beware of separating Christ from his humble descent to death and viewing it as a "mystery of tragedy," the pope said at his first early morning Mass after the summer break.

Mom sings ‘Be thou my vision’ to her son, but what does she see?

An old Irish hymn reminds Laura Kelly Fanucci that the Lord is both the source, and the subject, of our spiritual vision. Even in the ordinary things of a home, we behold God if we keep our eyes open.

Incense not a call to the fire department, but to prayer

In his weekly Q&A column, Father Ken Doyle refreshes a Catholic's memory about the use of incense at Mass. He also explains the roles of a parish pastor, and the challenges pastors face.

Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-third 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.

As Christians, we are united by bonds of love

Believers in Christ are woven together in a relationship that requires constant care -- and even occasional correction, as Msgr. Joseph Prior notes.

First experiences of eucharistic adoration last a lifetime

Elise Italiano discovered adoration in college. But she came to savor the silent time spent with the Lord in prayer, where "the day's happenings are deliberated with him."

Pause for a moment of silence, if you can find it

Our minds are as busy as our streets are noisy, so carving a soundless space might be hard but it’s where God speaks to us speaks to us in a depth unfathomed by language, writes Gina Christian.

Deceased mom lived a life of love; is she in heaven now?

Father Ken Doyle, in his weekly Q&A column, reassures a person wondering about the eternal rest of a parent. While Scripture and the catechism provide guidance, it's best to keep praying for the dead, he writes.