A Samurai’s Noble Death
Saint Paul Miki (1564-1597)
Paul Miki saw sparkling Nagasaki harbor coming into view. The 600-mile journey from the Japanese capital of Kyoto through the cold and snow was nearly over. Continue »
The Mystery of Conversion.
Our Choice and God’s Grace.
Special things happen when people gather to celebrate the Sabbath. On one particular day around the year a.d. 50, a group of women gathered by the river outside their city of Philippi to observe the Sabbath. Continue »
Paul of Tarsus
A Life of St. Paul
The story and legacy of St. Paul loom so large, both in the New Testament and in the history of the church, that we can sometimes lose sight of the man in the midst of the story. Even Paul’s most famous moment—his sudden conversion to Christianity—is wrapped in mystery. Writing about it himself, Paul simply says: Continue »
A Magnet for Christ
Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
If there had been a bestseller book list in 1609, Introduction to the Devout Life would have been at the top. Perhaps it was unusual even in the seventeenth century for a spiritual book to become so popular, but there was a reason that this one—written by the well-loved Bishop of Geneva, Francis de Sales—hit a chord with so many. Continue »
Two Tables, One Banquet
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Scripture, and the Eucharist
One day around 1780, an Episcopalian stepmother opened her King James Bible and introduced her stepdaughter to Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . .” Though the two were not close and the woman was preoccupied with many cares, the moment was extraordinarily significant. Continue »
Guardian of His Flock
Saint Thomas Becket (1118 - 1170)
After six years in exile in France, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was back in England and headed once more for his cathedral. His flock rejoiced at his homecoming, lining the road before him with their cloaks and crying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Continue »
St. Stephen, First Martyr
December 26 &mdash Feast Day
When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:19-20) Continue »
Pregnancy and Birth
An excerpt from Mary and the Christian Life
The gospels tell us nothing about Mary's pregnancy except for its very beginning and its end. But without straying into pious fantasy or fiction, and since nothing indicates that hers was in any way not a normal pregnancy, it's not inappropriate to meditate on the not-so-simple truth of the Word made Flesh growing among us. Continue »
St. Andrew the Apostle
November 30, Feast of St. Andrew
Andrew's heart burned with love for Jesus, to the point that he was honored to share in the same death on the cross. Do you desire to love Jesus more intensely? Continue »
The Undercover Priest
Blessed Miguel Augustín Pro (1891-1927)
In February 1927, with one stroke of the pen, Mexican President General Plutarco Elias Calles turned every priest in his country into an outlaw. He ordered them to leave their posts, wherever they were, and to report immediately to Mexico City. When they refused to obey, they faced arrest, imprisonment, and even death. Most went into hiding. Continue »