Catholic Living

Our problem is not so much that we are “communicating” too much (though we are); the problem is that we don’t reflect before we do.

We need to take our faith into the public square, and this includes bringing meaningful songs to a people starved for beauty.

Christmas heralds the importance of life, the discarding of sin, and seizing the opportunities to do good things. It challenges the selfish to think of others; it urges the desperate to have hope.

With vaccination passes being implemented for Mass, we face a class system based on one’s vaccination status, which would limit the Mass to those of the privileged class.

All Christians should purge themselves of the ignorance, laziness, and viciousness that they’ve internalized from a COVID-positive culture. They should deny themselves as much as they can and leave their hearts open for Christ. 

The implosion of the Veritatis Splendor community, and the success of another community, offers a stark contrast on what makes a Christian community successful.

If the traditional sacraments are forbidden, how will you respond? Look to the past and trust your Catholic sense.

Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. That is all that it is. It is not our birthdays, it is not about Santa, it is not about gifts for us, it is not about gift giving.

How to respond to the anti-Christian pseudo-reasons, slogans, “memes,” historical fictions, and creatures of the imagination of our day.

Harassment, intimidation, kidnappings, physical assaults, rapes, and murders are common experiences for millions of Christians across the Muslim world.

In response to restrictive and unjust lockdowns and mandates, Catholics in Austria are taking to the streets to pray the Rosary.

Allowing women to be liturgical ministers stokes the flames of a false egalitarianism that agitates for women deacons and priests.

Deciding whether or not to attend the weddings of those not living in accord with the Church’s teaching on sexuality is, for many of us, an agonizing matter. People often ask for my advice. (I find it easier to advise them than to make similar decisions in my own life!) John,* a Catholic father, asked … Read more

A short time ago, in the Maryland countryside, a priest the humble folk say bears a resemblance to Maximilian Kolbe turned on the ignition of his old silver pick-up and eased out of the parking lot of his St. Michael’s parish. He shifted into second gear and passed by a group of swollen-eyed parishioners standing … Read more

The trend of intermittent fasting has been embraced in Christian and secular groups. Some people utilize a 9 a.m.-5 p.m. eating regimen, thereby fasting for 16 consecutive hours. Others, on occasion, fast for a full 24 hours once a week.  Fasting in and of itself offers more than dietary benefits. The Desert Fathers practiced fasting … Read more

Suppose your priest or pastor. . .     preaches homilies or teaches in ways that reject or repudiate Church dogma or doctrine (CCC 2037*); approves, supports, or helps to finance organizations or causes which deny or distort Church teaching;  lives in a manner that gives scandal (CCC 2284) to parishioners; tolerates parish school faculty or staff … Read more

I ducked into the church for a weekday Mass taking place in the late afternoon. I was a visitor to the parish and have, since then, had no opportunity to return. The low ceilings and darkness were suffocating, and the slices of sun that shot through the oblong, rectangular windows did little but draw one’s … Read more

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” There is a great difference between being materially poor and being poor in spirit. All people, both rich and poor, are called to be poor in spirit. For rich and poor alike, the question of how to exercise this virtue concretely is … Read more

By the late 1980’s, Evangelicals and Fundamentalists in this country had cornered the market on the Bible—it was simply assumed by most people that Catholics didn’t really use the Bible. Being a “Bible Christian” meant being a Protestant of some sort. Catholic leaders of the time didn’t help. They were embarrassed to engage in apologetics, … Read more

The Second Book of Maccabees presents us with the incredible story of Eleazar, “one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age and of noble presence.” The Greek conquerors told the Israelites: eat swine or go to the rack. Given the choice between violating the commandments of God or death, Eleazar … Read more