Lent and The Sacrament of Mercy

Lent and The Sacrament of Mercy

I am ready for Lent this year. Please don’t misunderstand me. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Something within always resists Ash Wednesday’s sober call to repentance and a reorientation of my life. But, after facing the challenges of the pandemic this year, I admit that business as usual has not been…

Why a Year for Priests?

Why a Year for Priests?

Vatican Spokesman Notes Objectives VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org)—The priesthood is a gift for humanity, but it is enduring more than a few difficulties, and the newly inaugurated Year for Priests aims to address that, says a Vatican spokesman. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, spoke of the Year for Priests during the…

Simple, Powerful Reflections from St. John Vianney and St. Therese of Lisieux

Simple, Powerful Reflections from St. John Vianney and St. Therese of Lisieux

As you know, today, Friday June 19, 2009, is the 150th Anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, known by many as the beloved Cure d’Ars and the patron saint of parish priests.  Today is also the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  In light of these converging monumental and historical truths, Pope…

Holy Father Inaugurates Year of the Priest: Just in Time for Father’s Day

Holy Father Inaugurates Year of the Priest: Just in Time for Father’s Day

Here in the United States, we are preparing celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday June 21.  This traditional holiday celebrates the unique contribution to the stability of our society that fathers make in their every day mission of guiding their families. We Catholics understand that the family is the individual building block upon which an ordered…