Of Strong Heart
Saint Isaac Jogues (1607-1646) Feast Day
The young Jesuit lay prostrate before the Blessed Sacrament in the mission chapel in New France. Continue »
The Witness of a Joy-Filled Sacrifice
What sets St. Ignatius of Antioch apart?
“I plead with you. Do not do me an unseasonable kindness.” Continue »
Beginning to Pray
Teresa Avila Feast Day
Theme: As we begin a heartfelt conversation with God, we become aware of both the freeing power of grace and the crippling effects of sin. Continue »
Let the wind blow!
Living in the Spirit of Vatican II
Pope John XXIII’s main goal in calling the Second Vatican Council was to bring the church up to date by opening its doors to the wind of the Spirit. Continue »
Zeal, Intercessory Prayer, and Conversion
A Reflection on Intercessory Prayer
No saint seems a less likely candidate for patron saint of the missions than Thérèse of Lisieux. Yet she shares that honor with St. Francis Xavier, a widely traveled and more logical choice. Francis, it is said, converted hundreds of thousands and endured harrowing conditions during his travels through the east. Continue »
Homilies from the Heart
The Life of John Chrysostom
Lent of the year 387 was an anxious season for the Christians of Antioch. Continue »
Who Is Mary?
God puts the destiny of all mankind in a young woman’s hands.
—Pope John Paul II, General Audience, September 18, 1996 Continue »
Perseverance
Saint Jane de Chantal (1572–1641)
Contradictions, sickness, scruples, spiritual aridity, and all the inner and outward torments are the chisel with which God carves his statues for paradise. —St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787) Continue »
I’m Content, Lord! I’m Content!
The Contemplative and Active Life of St. Alberto Hurtado
On October 23, 2005, nearly eight thousand Chileans stood cheering in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Benedict XVI canonized their country’s second saint. Continue »