In his weekly general audience, Pope Francis reveals what he said on his apostolic journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, praying that “the seeds of God’s Kingdom of love, justice and peace may germinate.”
Spirituality
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
Are you alive, dormant or dead?
A homily for the fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, by Terrance Klein
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton and the modern antiwar movement
A year after his death, a look back on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh—and his influence on many American writers on nonviolence, mindfulness and contemplative spirituality.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Relationships are essential for health and happiness. What about a friendship with God?
The Harvard Study of Adult Development has found that deep relationships are a key to long term emotional well-being. As I read their findings, I found myself wondering how many people would include a relationship with God as one of the deep personal relationships of their lives.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Jordan Peterson and Jesuit Bernard Lonergan have different takes on a culture in decline. The church should listen to both.
Jordan Peterson has gained celebrity by offering strategies for coping with modernity. But his fellow Canadian, the Jesuit Bernard Lonergan, offered strategies that were more holistic in nature and incorporated the whole community.
Posted inFaith, Speeches
Pope Francis on the 3 attitudes of Mary: She ‘speaks little, listens a lot and cherishes in her heart’
“The Virgin Mary is a great teacher of discernment,” Pope Francis said in his Wednesday general audience on Jan. 4, 2023.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Consistency and order might seem like boring qualities. But they were the reasons I loved Pope Benedict.
Pope Benedict XVI’s life and writings for the church show that one can be a staunch defender of order in the church’s teaching while still respecting God’s infinite love and mercy.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
The Holy Spirit descends on a high school wrestling meet in South Dakota
If you would have asked me ahead of time, my hunch—fair or not—would have been that a gymnasium filled with wrestlers’ parents and fans, particularly in the western reaches of rural South Dakota, would not have a lot of empathy and patience for needy little creatures threatening to disrupt their earnest games.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Winter storms, travel nightmares and Covid-19: Lessons on letting go from a chaotic Christmas
What happens when the first “normal” Christmas since 2019 turns into a sitcom-level celebration in which everything that can go wrong does go wrong?
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
A brief history of the Catholic Church’s teaching on mercy and sin
A close look at the Catholic moral tradition around sin, mercy and confession shows that it developed from its inception pathways to holiness that were collective, merciful, hospitable, inclusive, exemplary and grace-filled.