Yet, even now, oracle of the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment. – Joel 2:12-13 Irish Catholics go crazy about their heritage as well as their corned beef and cabbage. For example in 2008, St. Patrick’s Day fell on Monday of Holy Week. Many bishops asked that St. Patrick’s Day parades be moved outside of Holy Week in order to reserve this week to the remembrance of Christ’s Pa ..read more

What we have heard and know; things our ancestors have recounted to us. We do not keep them from our children; we recount them to the next generation, The praiseworthy deeds of the LORD and his strength, the wonders that he performed. — Psalms 78:3-4 The Real Story of Catholic History: Answering Twenty Centuries of Anti-Catholic Myths by Steve Weidenkopf Pages: 352 Publication: 2017 Publisher: Catholic Answers Press List Price: Hardcover, $24.95; Softcover, $19.95 The Church is the apex of truth, but since it is an institution run by humans, it has a history of flaws and failures. Enemie ..read more

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. — John 20:30-31 The Gospel of John presents a singular account of Jesus’ ministry, diverging from the familiar style of the synoptic gospels. The synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke explore a wider scope of stories and teachings. John, on the other hand, conducts a deep dive of certain attributes of Jesus and his ministry, namely— t ..read more

That which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. – 1 Corinthians 15:53 Some saints’ bodies remain incorrupt years after their death. Even more miraculous are instances where brown scapulars remain intact. The history of the scapular is traced back to the thirteenth century when Mary presented St. Simon Stock with the scapular in a vision. She promised that one that wears the scapular piously will avoid hell. For centuries, Catholics have worn the scapular as a sign of devotion to Mary. St. Alphonsus Ligouri, an e ..read more

Stretch forth [your] hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. – Acts 4:30 Over 10,000 people visit Charlene Richard’s grave every year, seeking miracles. One of these visitors were looking for a miracle for their daughter. In 1987, Nicole Price was born in Morgan City, Louisiana. As a baby, she received the diagnosis of stomach cancer. The doctors took out as much of the tumor as they could, but her condition was still dire. As a toddler, little Nicole began talking about “Charlene.” She kept speaking about this “Charlene,” talking about her as ..read more

They were not to be like their ancestors, a rebellious and defiant generation, A generation whose heart was not constant, and whose spirit was not faithful to God. – Psalm 78:8 No one could give orders to this priest. Not even Stonewall Jackson could defeat this American chaplain’s stubborn ways. Born in Ireland, James Sheeran’s family immigrated to Canada. As an adult, he moved to Michigan and married. They had two children. After his wife died, Sheeran became a Redemptorist priest. He was assigned to a monastery in New Orleans. As America stood on the brink of civil war, Sheeran sided with ..read more

The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. – 1 Peter 5:10 The name Charlene Richard means nothing to most Catholics, but to the Catholics of southern Louisiana, she is a hero and an illustration of holiness. More than 10,000 people visit her grave, seeking miracles. Yet, the grave these people visit is not that of some cloistered nun or Franciscan priest, but of a little girl who died at twelve. The second of ten children, Richard was born in 1947 in Richard, Lou ..read more

I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. – Philippians 4:13 Today’s second reading urges us to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. (James 1:22) The reading leaves out a creative metaphor that illustrates the proverb. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in the mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be ble ..read more

For our God is a consuming fire. — Hebrews 12:29 The next time you find your house on fire, you do not even have to call the fire department. Call on this saint to extinguish your fire. Born to noble parents, St. Margaret of Castello was abandoned at age fifteen because of being blind, lame, a hunchback, and a dwarf. She became a Third Order Dominican and relied on the generosity of the townspeople. To thank these kind people who had helped her, she opened a small school, where she taught children the Catholic faith. At one point, Margaret lived with some townspeople. A fire started in the ho ..read more

For we walk by faith, not by sight. — 2 Corinthians 5:7 In today’s gospel, the passage takes place after Jesus delivers the Bread of Life Discourse, claiming he would give his flesh to eat and blood to drink. Some of his followers scoffed at the unusual teaching, leaving him to return to their former way of life. After they left, Jesus posed a question to his twelve disciples. “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:67-68) Note that Peter does not say, “Lord, I understand your teaching perfectly, that la ..read more