The great Catholic irony is that the Mass—that ripe cadenced insane activity at the heart of the church—is weirdly, bizarrely, the right and fitting place to bring our concerns about the Mass itself.
Faith in Focus
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
I’m afraid to return to Mass in person. And it’s not because of Covid.
I’m afraid, but not of the virus. Frankly, I’m afraid of what I will see, of what I will hear when I get there and step inside the church.
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Want to feel closer to God at Mass? Sit in the front pew.
The practice of sitting in the front pew has helped to focus my own wandering mind.
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What if doubt is actually good for your faith?
If you’re 100 percent sure about faith…is it still faith?
Posted inArts & Culture, Faith in Focus
Looking back on the Oscars slap—from a Jesuit perspective
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in a moment of passionate anger. Here’s what he could have done differently, according to St. Ignatius.
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The Easter Vigil is the longest liturgy of the year. And it’s so, so worth your time.
The Easter Vigil is a Mass that bears only a basic resemblance to typical Catholic weekend worship, but in breaking from that form it brings home the power of the Resurrection anew.
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As a child, I thought praying the Stations of the Cross was boring. My Lenten prayer group proved me wrong.
Praying and savoring the Stations of the Cross with friends can add a new dimension to the season of Lent.
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Feel like you’ve failed this Lent? Maybe that’s the point.
I wish I could say I had some advice on how to do Lent better. But I also wonder if a certain sense of failure during Lent is actually a good thing.
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We don’t need to ask God for signs—they’re already all around us
God is in all things. But in moments of pain and tragedy, we want that extra wink, that hand of comfort.
Posted inArts & Culture, Faith in Focus
Villanova Wildcats: a team inspired by St. Augustine
When I look at the values Villanova exemplified in order to continue their success, two words come to mind: Augustinian and Christian.