Spirituality
Mind your own business each day to grow in holiness, pope says
Too often Catholics know what is going on in their neighbor's house but pay little or no attention to the normal spiritual struggles going on in their own hearts and souls, Pope Francis said.
True prayer begins with poverty of spirit
The tax collector who humbled himself models how we should approach God, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. By admitting our own shortcomings and needs, we open the door to the Lord's love and discover the riches of his kingdom.
Pray, work – and encounter God in your neighbor
When we're overwhelmed by systemic injustice and suffering, St. Benedict's wisdom of "ora et labora" can weld us into a community of compassion and respect, writes Patrick Walsh.
Create in me a clean and loving heart
While scrubbing down the pews with fellow parishioners, Gina Christian realizes that real housekeeping takes place in the soul. Only when we remove the cobwebs from our own eyes can we see in others the image and likeness of God.
Yes, memorial Mass can be said for non-Catholics
In his weekly Q & A Father Ken Doyle explains that the Eucharist can be offered for anyone -- dead or alive, Catholic or non-Catholic. He also explains how Jesus fulfills the many precepts of Mosaic law.
Can you marry only in the church to keep your government benefits?
Father Doyle advises a widow who wants to wed, but doesn't want to lose her Social Security income in the process. In response to another reader, he clarifies which priests take a vow of poverty.
Prayer is a ‘conversation of love’ with God
By constantly turning to the Lord in our thoughts and through Scripture, we are drawn more deeply into relationship with the Lord, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior. As a result, Christ can shine through every aspect of our lives.
Readings of the Holy Mass: Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with these resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Rediscovering the rosary through the eyes of a child
A teen girl's request to learn the rosary ends up teaching Gina Christian about the true power of this beloved prayer, which draws us closer to Mary and the Son to whom she longs to lead us.
That sickness not end in death, but for the glory of God
John Garvey shares how his sister living with cancer is sending a powerful lesson in faith to her daughters. That testimony to the meaning of grace is unequaled, and the answer to a prayer.