Spirituality
Fasting: Our connection to joy
The ancient wisdom to "control your tongue and your stomach" is good advice for Lent, and Father Rick Malloy says modern fasting -- from Netflix, Amazon, cellphone -- can lead to real joy.
Really praying in Lent
A universal concern among people of faith is, "I wish I could pray better." Father Herb Weber explains how prayer is all about one's relationship with God, and how to deepen that bond.
If giving up meat isn’t a penance, pick a new one
Father Ken Doyle in his weekly Q&A addresses the penitential practices of Lent for vegans and vegetarians. He also advises parents of a daughter who doesn't want a church wedding.
Readings of the Holy Mass – Second Sunday of Lent
Read, listen to or watch videos of the Mass readings with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Lent in wartime: God is not distant from our trials
In the context of the war in Ukraine, Msgr. Joseph Prior explains that God enters into the dark side of the human condition and helps to lead us through it -- a victory of good over evil.
Centuries-old Marian icon offers solace in time of war
Orthodox and Catholic Christians are turning to Mary's image known as the Pokrova for protection and comfort amid the tragedy of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Fasting, especially now, strengthens our bond with the Father
Our Lenten sacrifices might seem small compared to what Jesus faced or to what the Ukrainians are enduring now, but Msgr. Joseph Prior explains the value of overcoming life's small temptations.
Entering a Lent ‘which bids us lovingly’
Like many, Lindsey Weishar finds she skirts the edge of the desert of Lent. But the season invites us to enter that place of fasting, prayer and mercy, and there embrace God fully.
Repentance: The act of rejecting temptation
The First Sunday of Lent shows Jesus rejecting temptation even at his weakest. The Lenten season calls us to repentance and an inner conversion to a new way of life in Christ.
Readings of the Holy Mass – First Sunday of Lent
Read, listen to or watch videos of the Mass readings with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.