Pope Francis’ “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and to the World) Address Easter Sunday – April 5, 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is risen! Love has triumphed over hatred, life has conquered death, light has dispelled the darkness! Out of love for us, Jesus Christ stripped himself of his divine […]
Here is the English translation of Pope Francis’ homily from tonight’s Easter vigil in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Happy Easter, everyone! Christ is risen! Alleluia! Tonight is a night of vigil. The Lord is not sleeping; the Watchman is watching over his people (cf. Ps 121:4), to bring them out of slavery and to open before […]
Note: this is the homily of Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM, Cap., Preacher of the Papal Household, which was just delivered at the Good Friday Serivice for the Passion of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. We have just heard the account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. There is one point in particular in that account […]
I’m very happy to announce today that all the talks from the recent Faith Explained Conference are now available for you to purchase and download in digital format by clicking here: https://gumroad.com/l/aESf This resource features a presentation by the great Cardinal Thomas Collins. Speaking as only he can, he enlightens minds and sets hearts on […]
At 9:30 Roman time this morning in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis presided at the Mass of Chrism, which takes places in all the Cathedrals of the world this week. During the Eucharistic celebration, the priests renewed the promises they made at the moment of their ordination. Holy Oils were then blessed: the oil of the sick, […]
Karl Keating, founder of Catholic Answers, unearths a 100-year-old apologetic gem in a recent blog post: “Some Thoughts on Catholic Apologetics” was published in London in 1915. The author was E. I. Watkin. Born in 1888, he converted (from Anglicanism to Catholicism) in 1908 and died in 1981. He was a long-time friend of historian Christopher […]
This Sunday’s Gospel (for the Fourth Sunday of Lent) is one of the most famous passages, if not the most famous passage, in the entire Bible. The passage in question, of course, is from Chapter Three of John’s Gospel. This section contains the single most memorable verse in Scripture for most people in the culture […]
In the previous post, we talked about the Holy Father’s Message for Lent this year – specifically, the section aimed at local Catholic parishes. There was an intriguing phrase Pope Francis used in the letter, and it’s becoming one of the themes of his pontificate: namely, what he calls the “globalization of indifference”. This is […]
Pope Francis’ Lenten Message for 2015 offers much to reflect on and put into practice. In the next few posts, we’ll look at some of the key themes the Holy Father wants the faithful to focus on this Lent. The following is the section of his message specifically directed to parishes. The Pontiff calls local parishes […]
Q. What exactly is spiritual reading? A. Spiritual reading is something every Christian should do on a daily basis. This is really something different than Scripture reading, which also ought to be done daily. Just as we make sure our bodies receive daily nutrition through food, we must feed our souls through various means. Reading is […]