No doubt about it, the church today faces many obstacles. But imagine for a moment some of the obstacles that faced the first generation of Christians. More »

Sometimes simple obedience is all that stands between us and the awesome power of God. This truth is dramatically evident in the life of St. Juan Diego, the Aztec Indian whose faithfulness changed the course of history. More »

Some years ago, as Advent was approaching, I began to feel that my relationship with God had reached a plateau. Wanting to find deeper meaning in the season, I took one of the Advent calendars provided by our parish which listed each day’s Mass readings. Then I went to a local bookstore to buy the same Bible that my two daughters had used for their religious education classes. More »

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. More »

The saints were not immune from the suffering that comes from loss and grief. No one is; it’s part of the human condition. More »

With November, we enter the season of last things. Those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere are watching the last leaf fall, the last bird fly south for the winter. More »

All around you, wherever you live, there are quiet heroes. I’m sure you could come up with your own personal list: A mother struggling to maximize the potential of a child with autism, a husband tenderly caring for a dependent and querulous wife with Alzheimer’s disease. Or perhaps you know people whose love for Christ moves them to do something out of the ordinary—say, a gifted scientist who leaves a lucrative corporate job to teach in an inner-city school. More »

Every now and again, God’s mercy touches a person in a way that cries out to be shared with others. My mother, Adeline Lapierre, had an experience like this and told about it often. More »