Spirituality
At the heart of love: Emptying yourself of self-concerns
Freedom through humility, as taught by Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel, allows us to love better, explains Msgr. Joseph Prior. In this way "taking the lowest seat" is the path to greater love.
Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-second 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.
Why God seems violent in the Old Testament, peace loving in the New
Father Ken Doyle explains to a person reading the Bible that people's understanding of God has changed with the times and cultures in which they lived. Drawing a division of God from the Bible is simplistic and inaccurate.
Pope asks Jesuits to educate diocesan clergy in practice of discernment
Too many seminaries teach students a rigid list of rules that make it difficult or impossible for them as priests to respond to the real-life situation of those who come to them seeking guidance, Pope Francis said.
Do the mentally ill feel the graced grasp of God?
Many people know the pain of mental illness, including their caregivers and friends. Gina Christian hopes for the luminous divine presence among these people in shadow, especially through loving human relationships.
Gate to eternal life is narrow, but Jesus invites us through
We might need to leave some things behind and travel carefully through the gate, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior, commenting on this Sunday’s Gospel passage. The gate to a life of love is open to all.
Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-first 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.
Rest on the Sabbath, at least in the spirit of the catechism
A reader wonders whether gardening and doing household chores on Sunday violates the Third Commandment. They generally don't, replies Father Ken Doyle, but he cautions: don't forget about going to Mass.
Don’t get used to evil — confront it with strength
When Gina Christian is tempted to “get back to normal” after news of a terror attack, she recalls the story of Jesus’ cure of a man possessed by a demon -- a story of graceful strength, not pious passivity.
Stay committed to the mission, and the cross, of love
Msgr. Joseph Prior explains the readings for this Sunday’s Mass and how Jesus and Jeremiah show us the demanding yet ultimately rewarding path of love and life.