By any account, 590 was a disastrous year in Rome. Plague had struck, sweeping through the homes of poor and wealthy alike. Even the pope was carried away by the fearsome disease. The spring floods were the worst in memory; the Tiber broke through its retaining walls, causing enormous damage. More »

"Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8) More »

Dear Father, during the month of September, we pray for all teachers that they may convey your love and your truth. Lord, help them educate young people in authentic moral and spiritual values. More »

We live near the ocean. In our part of the world, residents of coastal communities don’t have to worry much about tsunamis. Our concern is erosion. More »

In ancient times, when a king traveled from place to place, messengers ran ahead to announce his coming and encourage the people to prepare to receive the royal visitor. Messengers did not take this role upon themselves, but were appointed to it. So too was John an envoy, a herald chosen by God to announce his reign and the imminent coming of his Son. More »

Many psychologists have observed that no matter how secure and self-confident a person may appear, everyone is anxious and insecure in some way. Regardless of our physical condition, our financial situation, or our social standing, we all long for a sense of meaning and purpose to our lives. More »

When we try to think of ourselves as holy, often our first reaction is to exclaim, “Not me!” That may be because we tend to think of holiness as something reserved for great saints and heroes, and we know we aren’t in that category! However, the truth is that by the fact of our baptism we are all called to holiness. More »

On October 23, 2005, nearly eight thousand Chileans stood cheering in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Benedict XVI canonized their country’s second saint. More »