How is it possible to grow close to God, even very close? What’s the best way to climb the steep stairway of perfection? St. Thérèse of Lisieux has some wonderful advice for us on these questions in her autobiography, The Story of a Sou … [Read more...]
Prayer as the Fountain of Faith
March 30, 2024 by Carolyn Humphreys, OCDS
Prayer is the latch that opens the window to God’s mysterious beauty and brings fresh air to our soul. Without the breath of prayer, faith suffocates. A daily practice of prayer stabilizes us against winds of deceit. Prayer liberates us f … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – August 2023
July 27, 2023 by Book Reviews
Murmuring Against Moses: The Contentious History and Contested Future of Pentateuchal Studies. By John S. Bergsma and Jeffrey L. Morrow. Reviewed by Fr. Peter Heasley. (skip to review) The Heart of Perfection: How the Saints Taught Me to … [Read more...]
Rethinking Vocational Discernment
June 23, 2023 by S. E. Greydanus
Nearly everyone reading this has probably heard something on the subject of vocational discernment. For those accustomed to Catholic terminology, these words may evoke images of a retreat for young people praying to find their path in life, … [Read more...]
The Importance of the Value of Reputation, Part I
June 23, 2023 by Michael J. Mazza
Note: This article is derived from a part of the author’s JCD thesis, “The Right of a Cleric to Bona Fama” (Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, 2022). It is difficult to put a price on the value of someone’s reputation. Throughout Sc … [Read more...]
Preaching the Saints at Universities – A Case Study
Blessed Antoine-Frederic Ozanam (1813-1853)
April 26, 2023 by Bishop John Barres
In his Apostolic Exhortation The Word of the Lord (2010), Pope Benedict XVI includes a section entitled “The saints and the interpretation of Scripture.” He writes: “The interpretation of Sacred Scripture would remain incomplete were it n … [Read more...]
In Memoriam: Fr. Fred Miller
October 27, 2022 by Rev. Brian X. Needles
Rev. Frederick L. Miller, a beloved priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on September 28, 2022. He was the Spiritual Director of St. Andrew’s Hall College Seminary and Adjunct Professor of Systematic T … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – May 2022
April 28, 2022 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
A Priest’s Spiritual Obligations Question: Could you comment on the strict obligation of the Divine Office for priests (under pain of mortal sin) but no similar obligation for the offering of daily Mass? Answer: The answer to this q … [Read more...]
Christian Joy and Human Sadness
January 27, 2022 by S. E. Greydanus
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). This and other exhortations in Scripture have shaped Christian tradition with the understanding that joy is meant to be part of our life. It’s traditionally counted a … [Read more...]
Drama and the Divine Mercy: The Life of Fr. Sopocko
October 28, 2021 by Dr. Wanda Skowronska, PhD
While many have heard of the Divine Mercy devotion and Saint Faustina, few have heard of Fr. Michał Sopoćko (So-poch-ko, now Blessed), the Polish priest who first transmitted the Divine Mercy message to the world. He commissioned the Divine … [Read more...]
Were Adam and Eve Bad Parents?
An Ancient Lesson for Modern Parenting
September 9, 2021 by Kevin Weiss
Were Adam and Eve bad parents? It may seem like a bizarre question, but the challenge of parenting plagues many Catholics who are striving to raise their kids in the Church. Each fall, parents drop their sons and daughters off at college, … [Read more...]
Recent Works on St. John Henry Cardinal Newman
A Review Essay
June 24, 2020 by Dr. Bud Marr
Cimorelli, Christopher. John Henry Newman’s Theology of History: Historical Consciousness, Theological ‘Imaginaries’, and the Development of Tradition. Leuven: Peeters, 2017. xii + 356 pages. Softcover: $98.00. ISBN: 978-9 … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – January 2020
January 26, 2020 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Infallibility and Canonization Question: Pope Francis recently canonized Pope Paul VI and Oscar Romero. Can you explain to me how canonization relates to the infallibility of the Pope? Answer: This is an important question because the … [Read more...]
Saint Edith Stein
Footsteps to Truth
September 11, 2019 by Peter M. Collins
“Whoever seeks the truth is seeking God.” – Saint Edith Stein, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. While the general story of Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [1891–1942]) might be well known, her kind of concern for truth in all … [Read more...]
Father de Caussade and the Abandonment to Divine Providence
July 26, 2019 by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby
Existentially Bored Currently, we are witnessing a widespread cultural shift away from the Christian faith and an odd movement in many hearts toward various Eastern philosophies and spiritualities. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once … [Read more...]
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