Spirituality
Why would a pope meet with atheist Stephen Hawking?
A reader displeased that the pope met with the renowned physicist may be pleased to know that four popes did so, writes Father Ken Doyle in his weekly Q&A column. Hawking respected the church's dialogue with science.
Words in the silence
The many words of Holy Week’s liturgies come at a time when savage words at work and in media are beating down writer Gina Christian. As we relive Christ’s passion, we witness his silence and come to our own inner quietude.
Going to confession is getting God’s loving embrace, pope says
God's love is as "visceral" as a mother's love for her child, he said, which means it is a bond that cannot be forgotten.
Purity is seen in how one treats oneself, others, papal preacher says
If Catholic morality in the past seemed so obsessed with preventing sexual sin that it ignored sins of injustice, today "we have gone to the opposite extreme," the papal preacher said.
Reflections on Palm Sunday, the start of our Holy Week journey
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem only days before his death on the cross. This package of stories by our partner Catholic News Service provides a reflective road map for our journey, which leads to Easter joy.
Palm Sunday proclaims an eternal message for a modern moment
At the start of Holy Week, Christians reflect on what it means to "come in the name of the Lord" by uniting themselves with Jesus' death and resurrection.
Exhausting and intense, Holy Week leads us from sorrow to joy
From Palm Sunday to the Easter Vigil, the faithful seem to live at church while celebrating Christ's passion. Yet the demanding liturgies renew us as they culminate in the glory of the Resurrection.
Jesus’ most important journey to Jerusalem
In the Gospels, Jesus travels Jerusalem many times, but St. Mark's account describes only his most important visit -- which culminated in his death and resurrection.
Through the Scriptures of Palm Sunday, we enter into the Lord’s passion
The readings of Palm Sunday recount Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and the suffering and death he endured there to save us, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. The ancient words move us to humble thanksgiving for God's unfathomable love.
Readings of the Holy Mass – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.