St. Francisco: The Boy Who Died Smiling
by Barb Ernster – The holiness of St. Francisco is hidden in the stories of Fatima. Putting it together, one sees Francisco’s advancement in the spiritual life during his time on earth, primarily in his devotion to the “Hidden Jesus.” Francisco died the morning of April 4, 1919, after a six-month battle with the Spanish […]
Fatima’s Spirit of Sacrifice
Sacrifice as a Duty of Love As Lent continues it can be easy to lose that original spark of devotion and energy awakened in us on Ash Wednesday. Our daily sacrifices and resolutions start out strong, but keeping them becomes increasingly tiresome, a chore rather than a loving gift. It is therefore extremely important that […]
Lent Should Transform Us
Simon becomes Peter; Saul becomes Paul. The Cornerstones of Lent Prayer and sacrifice are the cornerstones of Lent. It is during this time that we re-evaluate our lives and strive for improvement. This should be our task every day of the year, but in this time, we are directed to a more focused effort to […]
Our Human Journey is One of Bumps and Bruises
by David M. Carollo – Holy Week is approaching fast. As we look back on this Lent, most of us will certainly feel that we have not fulfilled the promises made on Ash Wednesday, when we planned a perfect period of abstinence and made a commitment to attaining perfection. Oh well, I guess that we are imperfect […]
Joseph, the Silent Servant King of Israel
The Powerful Influence of Joseph in the Mission of his Son Jesus by Kevin Burke, LSW and Theresa Burke, Ph.D. – This Lenten season, the Church will once again honor Saint Joseph on his feast day, March 20 (moved from March 19 due to falling on a Lenten Sunday). Like the humble adoptive father of […]
Spiritual Advice for Lent from St. Padre Pio
By Donal Anthony Foley – As we begin the Lenten season, we often think of ways to improve our spiritual lives. One way of doing this is to look at the spiritual advice St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina gave to his early followers. There is a long-standing connection between St. Pio and the World Apostolate […]
Lenten Lessons from Saints Francisco and Jacinta
By Donal Anthony Foley – We celebrate the feast day of Saints Francisco and Jacinta on February 20 and then, two days later, Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. And so, it is timely to see how the spirituality of the Little Shepherds can impact our own celebration of the Lenten season. But […]
You Are Not a Burden: The Gift of Receiving
by Michaelyn Hein – I lay prone on the couch, unable to sit up for fear of what I might cause to happen within my body. The doctor had given a clear warning. “I cannot promise you will not lose this baby,” he said. “You need to stay on bed rest for the next few […]
“Mommy, I want to see.” Modeling the Lessons of Lent
by Michaelyn Hein – Four years ago, I was in the process of helping my son prepare for his First Reconciliation. Together, we reviewed the Commandments and worked our way through an examination of conscience. We practiced aloud the Act of Contrition and reviewed the steps of a good confession, from “Bless me Father” to […]
The Imperfect Saints Model Our Lenten Journey to Holiness
by David M. Carollo I have always related to St. Peter. How many times do we hear of him as an angry man who overcomes his faults and moves closer to perfection? A trip to the Holy Land is not complete without a visit to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. It is built […]
