Spirituality
Daughter is dying and wants assisted suicide — what’s mom to do?
Violating the sacredness of human life is not an option, but Father Ken Doyle explains to a mother the options for pain relief and emotional support that her daughter has in the face of a terminal diagnosis.
Because of Pentecost, we speak in one tongue, in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit poured out by God at Pentecost, which we celebrate this Sunday, calls everyone in the church today to conversion of heart, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior.
Readings of the holy Mass – Pentecost Sunday
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.
God doesn’t barter, rewarding the good, punishing the bad, pope says
"If you do well you get a reward; if you do poorly you get punished. This is not the logic of Jesus," whose ability to love and forgive is unconditional and infinite, the pope said.
What does the ‘internal forum’ have to do with divorced Catholics?
Father Ken Doyle explains to a reader what Pope Francis means by the private conversations of a priest with remarried Catholics on their full participation in church life, especially with reception of Communion.
In an age of excess, are God’s gifts enough?
As Passover approaches, Gina Christian discovers an obscure Hebrew word in a supermarket that echoes the Exodus, and gratitude for not only the sufficient, but the glorious too.
Even 10 years later, a funeral Mass could still be celebrated
A family's in-fighting precluded a beloved father's public funeral Mass years ago, but a special memorial Mass could be celebrated even now, writes Father Ken Doyle in answer to a reader's question.
Pope: Docility, not resistance, to the Holy Spirit builds the church
Resistance to the signs of the Holy Spirit at work is the mark of those with closed hearts who seek to justify their actions with a so-called faithfulness to the law, Pope Francis said.
What a mess — and God can work with that
Jesus in the Gospels was quite comfortable with the messiness of life, writes Gina Christian. As members of the church, we’re not called to run from life’s messes but rather to meet them head on.
Wearing a veil in church: It’s more about the heart than the head
Father Ken Doyle explains the history of women wearing a veil and explains it's fine to do so out of reverence, but not vainly to draw attention to one's piety. He also advises on destination weddings.