Spirituality
Looking back on the Year of Mercy
The Year of Mercy, which concludes Sunday. Nov. 20, is not a "one and done" event. It was set aside as a period of intense training intended to shape how we would live the rest of our lives. See our package of resources.
Making mercy a way of life
After the holy year ends, keep it alive in two ways, suggests catechist Daniel Mulhall: continue to reflect on God's merciful love; and instead of judging people for their faults, recognize them as people in need of mercy.
A Holy Year for contemplating the face of mercy
Because mercy must be put into action, mercy can be seen and touched. "Wherever someone is reaching out, asking for a helping hand in order to get up, this is where our presence … must be," Pope Francis has said.
Pope Francis’ missionaries of mercy reflect on experience
When Pope Francis commissioned his missionaries of mercy -- 1,000 priests sent out especially to hear sacramental confessions -- he reminded them, "Let us not forget: Before us is not a sin, but a contrite sinner."
Persevere through all life’s setbacks, Jesus encourages
Msgr. Joseph Prior reflects on the readings for this Sunday’s liturgy and on the challenges of life, both ancient and new. Through it all, the Lord calls for courage and promises eternal life.
Readings of the holy Mass – Thirty-third 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.
God’s kingdom gives hope, not flashy entertainment, pope says
While many are tempted by "new things, revelations and messages," God has already spoken, the pope said Nov. 10 in his homily during his morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Prayers for the dead not meant to ‘change God’s mind’
Father Ken Doyle replies to a question about why Christians pray for people who have died. Death and its sequel, including judgment, will always be a mystery to us, but he explains how our prayers can aid the dead.
Women helped nurture young church under persecution
Women in the early church did not generally leave behind doctrinal writings. But their lives had such a powerful impact that their stories were written, recited and sung from their day down to ours.
Early Mothers of the Church
The men called "Fathers of the Church" guarded the faith taught by the apostles. But the early Mothers of the Church proved influential in the first centuries of the church's development. See our package of stories on this topic.