For a number of holy men and women in history, the love of God made visible on Good Friday was more than just one element of their spiritual life; it became the source of a spirituality that permeated their progress in holiness. One of the most well-known of these was Francis of Assisi. More »

St. Thomas Aquinas was known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist. When you attend Mass this week, pray this prayer written by him to help you prepare to receive Communion: More »

That word, “I am thirsty,” is of all the last words that Jesus spoke on the cross the most personal and the most intimate. More »

The modern tendency to enshrine the human intellect—to the exclusion of the spiritual—was well underway in mid-nineteenth century Europe. More »

Some years ago, I saw a beautiful movie that made a deep impression on me. It is a Protestant film called "The Miracle of Taxilla". More »

Mother Teresa often saw God in the “poorest of the poor.” Twice in my life, I was one of these most needy ones. Once it was as a beggar, sitting with an empty coffee cup on the steps of churches, looking for coins from Sunday morning Mass-goers. More »

Interpreters suggest we read this story of the Samaritan woman at the well in two parts: John 4: 7-15, about the woman’s practical errand and her private encounter with Jesus; and verses 16-30, about the implications of this encounter for the mission of the gospel and for John’s readers, including ourselves. More »

Ever since the third century, when efforts were made to meld the four Gospels into one, the church has insisted on maintaining the separate integrity of each account of the good news. More »