As the season of Lent gets underway, many Catholics understandably look for a concrete plan for their prayer life to complement their disciplines of fasting and almsgiving. Some will work their way through one of the great spiritual classics, such as St. Augustine’s Confessions or St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. Others may adopt a more literary approach by prayerfully reading through Dante’s Purgatorio. And still others will observe a Catholic Lenten Bible study and accompany Christ in the desert by meditating daily on God’s Word. To those in the latter camp, I would like to pro ..read more

Throughout Lent, we’ve shared excerpts from Lenten Grace, an inspiring journey through the season’s Gospel readings. Please enjoy today’s Easter Vigil reading. Also, you can get this entire six-volume series of daily Gospel reflections at 20% off.  Get it now. Already own Lenten Grace? Open today’s reading in Verbum. Lectio Mark 16:1–7 Meditatio “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.” The sun was just inching its way over the horizon when the women sought to anoint you, Lord. Their love for you pushed aside any apprehension the ..read more

What then, some one will say, is a Christian never allowed to desire a prominent position in society? The Christian is not forbidden to wish for anything that is good. He may desire to occupy even a high and distinguished office, if he feels himself capable of taking it: but how is he to desire it? As if he thought himself especially destined to the functions of such or such a high calling? That would be a degree of self-esteem and of pride quite unpardonable. Or as if he thought the aim of his existence utterly missed, in the event of his wishes not being realised; and so fret and worry him ..read more

A SPIRIT of discouragement seems to be contrary, not only to worldly pursuits, but also to the Christian life. How so? Because the Christian life requires constant spiritual activity, vigilance, manly courage, and strength; but what activity, what vigilance, what strength is there in him who is without energy? Therefore the kingdom of God, in which the true Christian is to be found, is, according to the holy Apostle, “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;” but what peace, what joy, has ever the man who is wanting in energy? Therefore those who think that the life of a Christia ..read more

Passion of Jesus; sculpture of Crucifixion of Jesus observing Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus (known as Pieta). National Gallery of Slovenia. 14th and 15th century. “[Jesus Christ], who though he was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men, and found in guise as a man; he humbled himself, being made obedient even so far as to death, and that the death of the cross: wherefore, also, God exalted him exceedingly, and gave him the name which is above every name; that in the name of ..read more

Throughout Lent, we’re sharing excerpts from Lenten Grace, an inspiring journey through the season’s Gospel readings. Check back on Holy Thursday for a new reading. Also, you can get this entire six-volume series of daily Gospel reflections at 20% off.  Get it now. Already own Lenten Grace? Open today’s reading in Verbum. Lectio Luke 22:14–23:56 Meditatio “This is my body.… This cup is the new covenant in my blood.…” An interesting contemplative exercise would be to jot down in two separate columns the words said by Jesus and those said by everyone else in this Gospel passage. The disc ..read more

As the Easter festival approaches, we keep the greatest and most binding fast. The observation of it is imposed on all the faithful without exception. No one is so holy that he ought not to be holier, or so devout that he might not be more devout. Who in the uncertainty of this life is either exempt from temptation or free from fault? Who would not wish for more virtue or less vice? Adversity harms us, and prosperity spoils us. It is dangerous not to have what we want, and to have everything we want. There is a trap in the abundance of riches, and a trap in the straits of poverty; the one mak ..read more

Throughout Lent, we’re sharing excerpts from Lenten Grace, an inspiring journey through the season’s Gospel readings. Check back tomorrow for the Easter Vigil reading. Also, you can get this entire six-volume series of daily Gospel reflections at 20% off.  Get it now. Already own Lenten Grace? Open today’s reading in Verbum. Lectio John 18:1–19:42 Meditatio “I thirst.…” So much has been written about the Passion in the last 2,000 years. What more can be said? Even more, how can words describe everything that the words “Good Friday” encompass and all that Jesus suffered for us? Perhaps ..read more

Throughout Lent, we’re sharing excerpts from Lenten Grace, an inspiring journey through the season’s Gospel readings. Check back tomorrow for Good Friday’s reading. Also, you can get this entire six-volume series of daily Gospel reflections at 20% off.  Get it now. Already own Lenten Grace? Open today’s reading in Verbum. Lectio John 13:1–5 Meditatio “[Jesus] began to wash his disciples’ feet.” For three years these twelve followers of Jesus had listened to him preach, watched him heal and raise the dead, felt his power as he forgave sins. But now Jesus was doing something unexpected ..read more

Throughout Lent, we’re sharing excerpts from Lenten Grace, an inspiring journey through the season’s Gospel readings. Check back every Sunday through Easter for a new reading. Also, you can get this entire six-volume series of daily Gospel reflections at a 20% off.  Get it now. Already own Lenten Grace? Open today’s reading in Verbum. Lectio John 3:14–21 Meditatio “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …” The liturgy proclaims that God sent his Son to redeem us. How hard it is to wrap our minds around this fact! The Creator of the universe loves human beings so much that his ..read more