Spirituality
Lent’s promise in bleak times
When we make it to the other side of this bleak midwinter, with its COVID deaths, teen depression, and business failures, we'll be ready to receive the joy of Easter, that eternal spring for which we all wait in hope.
To enter the kingdom of God, we first enter the desert
Msgr. Joseph Prior unpacks the image of a journey to describe our 40 days in Lent. The journey helps us renew our hope, strengthen our faith and bolster our love, in a desert state of mind.
Growing our hearts this Lent through a ‘spiritual game plan’
Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, sacred music and devotion to St. Joseph can provide powerful nourishment for souls seeking a closer walk with Christ, writes poet Lindsay Weishar.
Becoming a missionary disciple through Lent
Shifting our gaze from ourselves to the world in need around us, and from those closest to us to those furthest away, is at the heart of preparing for Easter, and for spreading the Gospel.
Readings of the Holy Mass – First Sunday of Lent
Read, listen to or watch videos of the Mass readings with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Lent turns us inside out to set us straight
Preparing for Easter isn't a march of misery or an exercise in willpower, but a chance to find lasting joy by learning not to pick and choose our crosses, writes Gina Christian.
God wants to open hearts, forgive, heal, pope says
The Gospel story of Jesus healing the leper illustrates "that God is not an abstract doctrine," but the one who is not afraid to come into contact with our wounds," Pope Francis said.
Ashes mark beginning, not end, of new life, says theologian
Suggesting people fast from media during Lent, a noted Italian preacher asked, "what if we were to look people in the eye the way we look at our phones, with the same intensity, how many things would change?"
Readings of the Holy Mass – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read, listen to or watch videos of the Mass readings with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Mercy reveals God’s power to heal body and soul
We might want to experience healing -- especially from the anxiety of COVID -- on our terms, but God invites us to encounter him through his kingdom and remember his saving action, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior.