From the very beginning of time, when God first created the universe, his intention was that we would all come to him to receive the grace, wisdom, and strength we needed. The Book of Genesis uses the image of the two trees in the Garden of Eden to convey this central truth: The tree of life held all the treasures of his divine plan, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil supported the philosophy that we could decide for ourselves what was right or wrong—we didn't need to be fed and sustained by God. More »

As far as we know, Mark’s Gospel contains the earliest written Passion account of Jesus. His gospel gives us the framework of the church’s Holy Week celebration, beginning with the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as the humble and suffering Messiah, and ending with his death on the cross and entombment. More »

Brothers and sisters, let us join with the Holy Father and Christians around the world in praying for these special needs: More »

Jesus’ opponents flashed their credentials: “We are descendants of Abraham” (John 8:33). They must have thought they had it made. They came from the noble ancestry of Abraham and Moses and David. More »

“Men may work from sun to sun,” says the old proverb, “but a woman’s work is never done.” Has there ever been a woman who lived out these words more than the Virgin Mary? More »

It was Lent, and our six-year-old, Ellen, was busily drawing a picture of herself standing next to the cross. She looked up, struck by a sudden idea. “Is it okay if I draw myself with my hand on Jesus?” she wanted to know. More »

Is there a Catholic alive who hasn’t heard or said the words, “This is my cross to bear”? We all have times when we are challenged to face some kind of trial—and to face it in faith and trust in the Lord. More »

All glory to you, Father, for your humble servant, St. Joseph. He was a truly righteous man, in whom there was no hypocrisy. At all times he followed your will, upholding your word by his every action. More »