The topic of the health trials that my family had experienced in the previous five years came up in a recent conversation with a friend, a West Coast Catholic editor. He said something to the effect that, “You must think God really has it in for you.”
Archive for Category: "Faith"
How should I select godparents for my child?
When it comes time to baptize a child, it is also time to select the godparents. This is a major decision. It is a spiritual matter, and the choice should be based upon spiritual criteria.
Daily Scriptures — Sunday, January 22, – Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday, Jan. 22
Third Sunday in ordinary time
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20
What’s in a name? Plenty if you’re a Christian
With a pregnancy, the birth of a child and the celebration of the sacrament of baptism, a name must be chosen for the child. A name is a word that identifies an individual, a personal designation. This is a not a decision that should be taken lightly. The selection of the name is the duty of the parents.
Eucharist enables us to offer our lives more fully to the Father
The following is the Vatican text of Pope Benedict’s XVI’s remarks in English at his weekly general audience Jan. 11.
A whale of a story
We are called to live, today, in light of gaining eternal life, tomorrow
Daily Scriptures — Sunday, January – Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Catholic Spirit’s longtime contributor, Terri Mifek, has retired from writing reflections for this Daily Scriptures column. The newspaper will continue to print the daily Scriptures, albeit, without her thoughtful reflections.
From the Pope
The following is the Vatican text of Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks at his weekly general audience Dec. 28.
Let us be the stars that point others to Jesus
This great feast of Epiphany is a commemoration of Christ’s manifestation to the gentiles in the person of the Magi, as well as his baptism and first miracle at Cana.
Incarnation calls Christians to live differently in light
Not all that long ago, during my time in college, I was taking a course on Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics,” one of the most important works of all of Western civilization.
Mary restores order in history with her resounding ‘yes’
Immediately after Mary says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word,” history is restored to the right order.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
On Dec. 9, 1531, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an indigenous Catholic convert, was walking to the city of Tlaltelolco in central Mexico to attend Mass. As he approached a hill called Tepeyac, a rainbow appeared amid shimmery white clouds and he heard a woman calling his name.
St. Nick: Patron of Christmas gift-giving
Dec. 6 is the feast day of St. Nicholas (c. 280 – 345 A.D.), one of the most popular saints for Advent and Christmas. St. Nicholas, or St. Nick as he is often called, is the inspiration behind Santa Claus and a big reason we exchange gifts at Christmastime.
John the Baptist uses all his actions and words to point us to Jesus
Clothed in his rustic garb, he stands on a pedestal that bears the Latin inscription of his famous words Ecce Agnus Dei, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
Have you been asking God the wrong question?
A few weekends ago, I was enjoying a quiet evening at the seminary, when suddenly I received a flood of text messages from family and friends sharing with me their excitement of “bagging” a deer on opening day of the deer hunting season.
Christ, our king, models humble service rather than haughty reign
The church celebrates the feast of Christ the King Nov. 20, and invites us into a mystery that is paradoxical.
God demands that our priorities never usurp his rightful place
“I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” This prophecy of Isaiah is as crucial to proclaim now as it was during the reign of King Cyrus 2,500 years ago.
Stewardship: Responding to the call of discipleship
As members of the church, we are called to be disciples, followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. This has astonishing implications as Jesus does not call us as nameless people in a faceless crowd — rather he calls each one of us individually by name.
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