Spirituality
Incense not a call to the fire department, but to prayer
In his weekly Q&A column, Father Ken Doyle refreshes a Catholic's memory about the use of incense at Mass. He also explains the roles of a parish pastor, and the challenges pastors face.
Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
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.
As Christians, we are united by bonds of love
Believers in Christ are woven together in a relationship that requires constant care -- and even occasional correction, as Msgr. Joseph Prior notes.
First experiences of eucharistic adoration last a lifetime
Elise Italiano discovered adoration in college. But she came to savor the silent time spent with the Lord in prayer, where "the day's happenings are deliberated with him."
Pause for a moment of silence, if you can find it
Our minds are as busy as our streets are noisy, so carving a soundless space might be hard but it’s where God speaks to us speaks to us in a depth unfathomed by language, writes Gina Christian.
Deceased mom lived a life of love; is she in heaven now?
Father Ken Doyle, in his weekly Q&A column, reassures a person wondering about the eternal rest of a parent. While Scripture and the catechism provide guidance, it's best to keep praying for the dead, he writes.
Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
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.
Love provides the courage needed to fulfill our mission as Christ’s disciples
Jesus' love for the Father enabled him to complete his journey to the cross, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior, reflecting on the readings for this Sunday's Mass. This same love gives us the strength to follow in his footsteps by laying down our own lives for others.
When traveling abroad on a holy day, should you find a Mass or not?
So that we don't need to learn another country's rules for attending Mass on a holy day of obligation, the church proposes we follow the rule for the country in which we live permanently, explains Father Ken Doyle.
Readings of the holy Mass – Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
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.