The somber chant of the Miserere (Psalm 51) on Ash Wednesday instills within us the spirit of this season of repentance: More »

Did you know that the Hebrew word “selah” occurs seventy times in thirty-nine of the psalms? While we don’t know for certain what it means, many biblical scholars believe that selah was a musical term used to indicate a pause in a song, whether for emphasis or for reflection. More »

“God’s mercy overcomes every barrier and Jesus’ hand touches the leper. He does not stand at a safe distance and does not act by delegating, but places himself in direct contact with our contagion.” —Pope Francis More »

The title “Mother of God” is the Western church’s equivalent of the ancient Eastern title Theotokos, which means “God-bearer.” In 431, the Council of Ephesus sanctioned the title Theotokos for Mary as a way of declaring and protecting the divinity of Christ. The title declares the most important truth about Mary: She is the Mother of God. More »

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear More »

In 1902, a sociologist named Charles Cooley developed a theory called the “Looking Glass Self.” According to Cooley, the way we think about ourselves is formed in large part by what we think the most important people in our lives think about us. More »

Prayers of thanksgiving make up a big part of all my daily prayer times. I thank the Lord for all the marvels of his creation and love. I praise him for this vast universe of one hundred billion galaxies, for this beautiful planet he made as a dwelling for us, his sons and daughters, and for the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us as Jesus Christ, in whom we have salvation and eternal life. More »

The Church celebrates All Saints Day on November 1. Find inspiration and wisdom about conversing with God in prayer in this selection of quotations from the saints. More »