Spirituality
When forced to listen, the words of the Mass reveal a jarring mystery, anew
Michelle Francl-Donnay, working in Rome at the Vatican Observatory, was ready for Mass when a nun confiscated her Italian translation. Deprived of language, Michelle was gratefully supported by the faith of others.
How many times for Communion? Going up once, twice …
One reader asks how often a lay minister (or anyone else) should receive the Eucharist, while another reader wonders why his estranged son, a priest, ignores him. Father Ken Doyle has the answers.
It can be hard to have faith when we’re afraid
Faith and love, the topic of this Sunday’s readings as explained by Msgr. Joseph Prior, move us to seek God’s mercy. He readily bestows it even if we feel unworthy of it.
Readings of the holy Mass – Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Jesus wants people to strive for ideal, but settle disputes, pope says
A "my way or the highway" attitude is not Catholic -- it's heretical, Pope Francis said.
Water to wine: Jesus ushers in new covenant of joy, pope says
The miracle also shows how he transformed the law of Moses -- represented by water destined for ritual purification -- into the joy of the Gospel, which is represented by wine, he said.
Seeing the richness of mercy in an extraordinary time
On an arduous yet unforgettable walking pilgrimage through Rome, Michelle Francl-Donnay feels the uplifting presence of 900 others, each reflecting Christ, the face of God’s mercy.
Money, vanity, pride lead to ‘perdition,’ pope says
Focusing on the Beatitudes as a "GPS" for the Christian life, Pope Francis said in a morning Mass homily that attachment to riches is not about having money but about believing one needs nothing else in life.
Sacrament of penance offers a cure for spiritual blindness
Deacon Bill Masapollo can see there are different types of blindness, but a blindness to the human condition can cause a rift with God. Confession pierces that darkness and shows the way to brilliant joy.
Readings of the holy Mass – Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.