Pursuing holiness with others is something many Catholics crave. We desire opportunities to enrich our spiritual life, read Church documents and spiritual books, study the Bible, witness to God’s grace in our lives, and pray and frequent the Sacraments within a supportive community.  That’s where a lay apostolate can be a Godsend. These religious groups Read More…

A gold ring, engraved with the words “Memento mori’ and inlaid with an enamel skull, was among the treasures discovered recently by amateur archaeologists near Carreghofa Castle in Wales. The ring dates between 1550 and 1650, and was probably owned by a wealthy Welshman, according to the National Museum of Wales, reported Archaeology-World.com. “This is Read More…

Shtisel, the multi-season television series based on the “love, loss and doldrums of daily life” of an ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jewish family living in Jerusalem, is being lauded by scholars and critics alike as more than just good TV.  “Not since Fiddler on the Roof has there been such multiethnic, multireligious fascination about a story centering Read More…

Resting should be easy, right? But it’s not, according to Pope Francis, because we have to know how to differentiate between true repose and false repose. The pope pointed out this necessary distinction in 2018 when he was giving his catechesis series on the 10 Commandments. It’s a lesson we need to hear again today! Read More…

Even though Edith Stein was raised in a Jewish family, she eventually embraced atheism and poured herself into philosophy. St. John Paul II explains in his homily for her canonization how she sought “freedom” and thought her radical choices would give her peace. She wanted to rely exclusively on herself and was concerned to assert Read More…

When the Harry Potter series first appeared in 1997, I became engrossed in that world of fantasy and wonder. I distinctly remember bringing the books with me to Boy Scout summer camp to read in the humid evenings, fending off mosquitos and reading by flashlight. By the time springtime of 2000 rolled around and I Read More…

Well, it’s August, and I find that Christmas is on my mind. Surprising? Well, I’m thinking about Christmas now because I’ve been reflecting on the role of appetite in the spiritual life. Here’s what I mean: A family told me about their eldest daughter’s experience of Christmas as a toddler. She had no idea why Read More…

Hi, I’m Gabbie Rehder! I love reading, laughing, and writing. I also love funny stories and hearing other people laugh. I love the simplicity of daisies and the beauty and smell of roses. I love potatoes! (And not just because I am from Idaho.) Sky blue has always been my favorite color, but I also Read More…

Often when we sin, we sin at night, thinking subconsciously that no one will see us. Yet, doesn’t God always see us, regardless of the time of day? We can forget this fundamental truth and then convince ourselves that even God is ignorant of our wrongdoings. St. Peter Julian Eymard wrote a sermon, printed in Read More…

There is a famous line in the movie Knocked Up in which a dad, played by Paul Rudd, is watching the delight on his small children’s faces as they play with bubbles in a park.  “I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles,” he says. “It’s totally sad. Their smiling faces Read More…

Gymnastics, like any other athletic competition, reveals the beauty of the human body and its marvelous strength and grace. However, Pope Pius XII that gymnastics has that beauty only when the soul is the foundation. Pope Pius XII addressed a variety of athletes and sports leaders on November 8, 1952, and highlighted this fundamental truth. Read More…

Spiritual master and founder of the Society of Jesus St. Ignatius Loyola offered a powerful image to meditate on before prayer. He explains this image in his Spiritual Exercises A step or two before the place where I am to contemplate or meditate, I will stand for the space of an Our Father and, with Read More…