This Thursday we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, commemorating that day when Jesus was taken up to heaven, to the glory of his Father 40 days after he rose from the dead and 10 days before the Feast of the Pentecost. What is so significant or important about this feast?

Once, I was asked, “If Jesus loves us and lives forever, why did he leave?” It’s an excellent question. If we consider the Ascension simply in terms of Jesus leaving us, then we might wonder why He did it. (Read more…)

“For perfected souls every place is to them an oratory, every moment a time for prayer. Their conversation has ascended from earth to heaven—that is to say they have cut themselves off from every form of earthly affection and sensual self-love and have risen alone into the very height of Heaven.”

—St. Catherine of Siena

On Sunday, April 29, 2018, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena.
Born in 1347, Saint Catherine was the youngest of 25 children. (Read more…)

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, it is also “Vocations Sunday.” On this day we are especially asked first of all to pray that the Church may be provided with the leaders needed to do its work of spreading the Gospel.

We know that at the present time there is a critical shortage of such leaders, at least in the traditional sense—priests and religious.

But, while we may earnestly pray that our Church be supplied with the leaders it needs, there can be a tendency among us to pray that OTHERS may answer that call. (Read more…)