Most of us have a hard time understanding what real hunger feels like. When we say that we are hungry, it usually means that we have gone a few hours without food, not that we are in the desperate situation that afflicts so many others. More »

Mary is identified in relation to her native village, Magdala, located near the Sea of Galilee, rather than in relation to a man such as her father, husband, or son, as is the case with many women who appear in the gospels and was the custom of the times. This way of identifying her suggests that she was a single woman following Jesus out of her own conviction. More »

When my wife and I began taking groups of pilgrims overseas about ten years ago, we prepared for each trip by making an exhaustive search of every local site that might be of interest to Catholics. It was fun to discover a shrine, church, monument, or memorial that we could work into each group’s travel itinerary. More »

On our bedroom wall hang the words of the marriage covenant my wife and I made with each other more than thirty years ago: More »

If you’ve ever been tempted to think that you’re not cut out for sanctity, consider the case of Camillus of Lellis. Here is a saint—the patron of hospitals, health care workers, and the sick— whose burning love for God effected a widespread reform of patient care. More »

Can you recall a special moment? Perhaps it was your wedding day or the birth of your first child. More »

Years ago, I came across a wonderful little book called "Prison to Praise" by Merlin Carothers. Carothers was in military prison when a Christian told him to stop complaining about his problems and start praising God precisely for those problems. More »

He looked so small and helpless lying face up in that hospital bed. The crisp, laundered sheets covered his little body and I could barely see his face peering over them. More »