Spirituality
Lent as a pilgrimage on which we are not alone
On Ash Wednesday, the person at the desk next to yours or the clerk in the supermarket line each bear the sign of camaraderie that announces each as a fellow pilgrim taking those first steps on a journey we share.
‘They’ll know we are Christians’: The ritual of ashes
Crossing with ashes dates back to the eighth century to begin Ash Wednesday, a sort of Lent-in-microcosm. Lent's 40 days have a biblical association with discipline as we walk with Jesus through the desert.
The poetry of a ‘world without end’
Father Kenneth Doyle in his weekly Q&A explains the meaning of the stylistic phrase at the end of the "Glory be" prayer. He also advises a woman about how to convalidate, or bless, her marriage in the church.
Father Catoir pens his farewell column
As a young man, John Catoir had drifted away from the church that he found unappealing. After discovering a written prayer, he had a conversion, and became a priest who touched lives through his writing for 50 years.
Lent: A special time to probe deeper into prayer
During Lent, Catholics are challenged to embrace the season's three "pillars" -- prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Our resources help explore the Catholic Church's rich traditions of prayers -- for today's Catholics.
Eight ways (at least) to pray during Lent
How can you deepen your prayer life this Lent? Effie Caldarola counts the ways that may be best for you. Remember that God is in control and is infinitely merciful and gracious toward our failings and our efforts.
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.