Spirituality
What ‘Hosanna in the highest’ really means
A catechist explains why the crowd described in St. Matthew's Gospel would shout "hosanna" to Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. In one richly packed word, it proclaims that our prayers for the Messiah have been answered.
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem fulfills Old Testament prophecy
Pope Benedict XVI points out the significance of symbols from the Passion -- such as Jesus riding on a colt -- that may be missed by most Christians today but which help us draw deeper into the mystery.
Discovering real treasure in the crucifixion of Jesus
Mike Nelson knows joy and pain. Since becoming Catholic, the church has been the cause of both emotions for him. The Passion story helps him realize he cannot hold on to grief and anger, but instead to embrace discipleship in Jesus.
Two Gospels of Palm Sunday show joy, sadness and ultimately, triumph
The selections from the Gospels used in the Passion Sunday liturgy describe fickle crowds, the crucifixion of Jesus and its aftermath -- a torn sanctuary veil. Msgr. Joseph Prior unpacks this rich symbol and the meaning of Holy Week.
Riches don’t make you evil, it’s how you manage them
A reader asks Father Ken Doyle if a rich person is going to go to hell. He explains that with riches -- both of individuals and of the Catholic community -- comes the moral duty to help those who are needy.
‘Progress of Peoples’ is as pertinent now as ever
Issues such as nationalism, borders, globalization, isolation, economics and racial strife can gain wisdom from Blessed Paul VI's social encyclical "Populorum Progressio," issued 50 years ago last week. See our series.
Fifty years after ‘Populorum Progressio,’ there’s still work to do
Until human flourishing and dignity become the benchmarks of human enterprise, human ills won't be resolved, writes Norbertine Father Graham Golden. In a divided world 50 years later, the encyclical is more pertinent than ever.
Social ills are caused by ‘weakening of brotherly ties,’ pope wrote in ’67
Some world leaders might today shake their heads at Paul VI's challenge: "Knowing that development means peace these days, what man would not want to work for it with every ounce of his strength? No one, of course."
Pope Paul saw the world ahead, and how to live justly in it
Blessed Paul VI focused on the changes happening at the end of colonialism and the spread of industrialization. His solution to social inequalities and his call for all people to work for justice is needed as much now as in 1967.
In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus prepares us for his own resurrection
In his commentary on the Mass for Fifth Sunday of Lent, Msgr. Joseph Prior shows how Jesus enters fully into our sorrow over death, while foreshadowing his own glorious resurrection by raising Lazarus from the dead.