Catholics often lament that while they perform certain good works regularly, such as attending Mass, making visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and reciting the Rosary, they still fall into sin. What we too often miss in performing these deeds is giving God a real place in our lives and demonstrating that through our love for…

The virtue of meekness is preeminently Christian. If we are true followers of Christ, we should be meek as He was meek. Meekness is the virtue that moderates our feelings of anger, impatience, and revenge. Like all virtues, meekness helps us restrain our passions and keep us from falling prey to sin. Subscribe to receive…

St. Joseph appeared to many as an unremarkable man who lived out his life quietly as a carpenter. And yet he is honored by the Catholic Church as the greatest among saints, second only to the Blessed Virgin Mary, for taking up the sacred duty of caring for the Holy Family. Moreover, St. Joseph is…

We often make resolutions or wish to take on special penances, then quickly forget. In order to help us keep these praiseworthy promises, we must follow the guidance that the Church has long given, namely to live in the presence of God. The Bible speaks repeatedly of the presence of God while also warning what…

Temptations are inevitable. Through a lack of self-discipline, we leave ourselves at greater risk of temptation. However, even the spiritually prepared must be on guard against trials and temptations. This is particularly true during the time of Lent, where we may receive many graces from our Lord, but are also likely to be targeted by…

The Church’s law requires Catholics to receive Holy Communion no less than once a year, between the start of Lent and Trinity Sunday. However, when she says Catholics must receive the sacrament, she means they must receive worthily. One of the elements of worthy reception is to have a good intention, that is, to be…

The world, which places a premium on freedom, pressures Catholics into losing sight of the gravity of sin. We fail to appreciate how great our sins offend God. Sin is an awful thing. It is a rejection of friendship with God. And while God offers His infinite mercy through the sacrament of confession, we must…

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the new Adam, come to undo what the devil has done. While Our Lord has no need of preparation, penance, and fasting, he endures the 40 days in the desert as a model for us all. He wants us to be ready for the onslaughts of the devil and to…

Lent is a great gift from the Church. It is a time to do penance, both for our past sins and to bring our lives back into alignment with God’s will for us. We must ask ourselves, “What do I need to do to be more surely on track to God?” To assist us in…

Dom Hubert van Zeller, the famous Benedictine writer and sculptor, once observed that we find religion boring. At some time or another, may of us have been tempted to find our religion, or some aspect of it, boring. We know the Catholic Faith is necessary, but for most of us, we want as little to…