Spirituality
What a mess — and God can work with that
Jesus in the Gospels was quite comfortable with the messiness of life, writes Gina Christian. As members of the church, we’re not called to run from life’s messes but rather to meet them head on.
Wearing a veil in church: It’s more about the heart than the head
Father Ken Doyle explains the history of women wearing a veil and explains it's fine to do so out of reverence, but not vainly to draw attention to one's piety. He also advises on destination weddings.
Think of St. Thomas in the lineup at the Phillies’ opener
The doubting Apostle, an important model of Christian faith, never even swung at Jesus' first pitch to him. But after acknowledging the Lord, Thomas would go on to knock a homer out of the park, writes Gina Christian.
Pray with Pope Francis in April
Watch two videos of the pope’s April prayer intentions, for small farmers and for Christians in Africa, and see our prayer resources.
Annunciation is feast of saying ‘yes’ to God, pope says
The feast of the Annunciation, he said, is a perfect occasion to think about one's life and whether or not "we always say 'yes' or often hide, with our heads down, like Adam and Eve," not exactly saying "no," but pretending not to know what God is asking.
Comings of the Holy Spirit: First to the disciples, then to all
A reader wonders, if the Holy Spirit came to the disciples on the evening of the first Easter, is that different from Pentecost? Father Ken Doyle clears up the matter in his weekly Q&A column.
The big picture of the feast
Many people may think of Easter as simply about the resurrection of Christ from the tomb (which is certainly central!) but the readings assigned to this great feast depict a much broader view.
We share in Christ’s dying and rising, all year long
See three reflections focusing on how we must embrace the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and how the Eucharist sustains us on our journey.
Let Jesus call your name
The story of the encounter of Mary of Magdala with the risen Christ in the garden on Easter morning, as recorded in the Gospel of John, is evocative and powerful. Why is it so personally compelling?
Our days of thanksgiving: Easter Sunday and every Sunday
"We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy," the pope said in "Misericordiae Vultus." Mercy "is a wellspring of joy, serenity and peace," he said. "Our salvation depends on it."