Spirituality
Pope says keep faith fresh, don’t become ‘lukewarm Christians’
Remembering that first encounter and that initial feeling of loving and being loved is as important in one's faith life as it is marriage, Pope Francis said during his early morning Mass.
In this life and the next: Questions on purgatory and papal speechwriting
Father Ken Doyle reviews the biblical basis for praying for souls in purgatory, and speculates on whether the pope has help in writing speeches.
Knowing, doing God’s will isn’t easy, but it’s essential, pope says
People today have so many options about how they will spend their time, their lives and their money that discovering and doing God's will really is as difficult as most people claim, Pope Francis said.
Confession is time to encounter God, it’s not a dry cleaners, pope says
While people must be honest and specific about their sins when they go to confession, they will miss the sacrament's key grace if they are "completely mechanical" about listing their sins, Pope Francis said.
A call to bury the 40-minute eulogy
If a long-winded eulogy overshadows the funeral liturgy itself, it's out of step with the message of the Mass -- the resurrection won by Christ, writes Father Ken Doyle.
Maturing in faith means not just asking God for favors, pope says
The journey of faith always begins a little selfishly, seeking from God healing or help with a problem, but Christian maturity is allowing oneself to be purified and to arrive at the point of recognizing Jesus as savior, Pope Francis said.
Finding the God of mercy through prayer
Effie Caldarola knew God loved her -- theoretically. A retreat on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius 20 years ago helped her to really believe God loved her. She is still working on it.
If husband is ‘born again,’ does he need to fix the house?
Father Ken Doyle answers a reader's question about the "rapture." He also clears up confusion regarding holy days of obligation falling on a Monday.
If your heart isn’t open to God, yoga won’t help, pope says
Courses in yoga, Zen meditation, even extensive studies in church teaching and spirituality can never free people enough to open their hearts to God and his love, Pope Francis said in a morning homily Jan 9.
Cheers in church? It’s not always wrong
The issue of applause during Mass reveals the Catholic Church's diversity, writes Father Ken Doyle, who also addresses annulments of non-Catholic marriages.