Have you ever wondered how we became known as “Catholics” and “Christians”? Before they were called Christians or Catholics, Jesus’ earliest disciples were known as “People of the Way.” This is likely because Jesus called Himself “the way, the truth, and the light” (John 14:6). Many names were used to describe the followers of Jesus in the early days before the term “Christians” stuck. Acts Chapter 9, the story of St. Paul’s conversion, says, “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked him for letters to the synagogues at ..read more

Being a Christian is pretty radical. “Wait, radical?” you might ask. “We’re called to be radical?” Well, yes! As Christians, we’re called to reject the things of this earth, which is quite radical in today’s world. But being this kind of radical is a challenging task. After all, the world is against us. Thankfully, a spiritual giant—St. Ignatius of Loyola—left us with some guidance and a few powerful tools. One of these tools is the Suscipe Prayer, also known as the Radical Prayer: Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. Whatever I have or hol ..read more

Music in the early Church was a quiet affair, as we can easily understand when we think of the Roman persecutions that lasted 300 years. Catholics could hardly sing and play instruments at full volume during that time! The Eastern Church—in Syria and Greece—wrote and sang hymns early on, but it was not until St. Hilary of Poitiers and St. Ambrose of Milan in the latter half of the 4th century that hymns traveled westward. St. Hilary spent time among the Eastern Churches, and their hymns inspired him to write similar songs in Latin, set to a classic Latin meter. After St. Hilary, St. Ambrose of ..read more

St. Isidore of Seville lived in the turbulent centuries following Rome’s collapse, when barbarians and Vikings threatened to eradicate the last vestiges of civilization and education. His own country of Spain was overrun with Visigoths who adhered to the Arian heresy, declaring that Jesus Christ was only a man and not God. Born in 560 A.D. in Cartagena, he was educated at the cathedral school in Seville, where his older brother Leander—also a saint—taught. He was remarkably intelligent and quick at his studies. When Leander, who was bishop of Seville, passed away in 600, Isidore succeeded his ..read more

The Gospel accounts of the Resurrection and the following 40 days can be difficult to sort out. While they all agree that Our Lord revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene and the eleven Apostles, they vary as to who else saw Him and when the revelations occurred. It gets confusing quickly, so let’s look at each account: Matthew lists the holy women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome—and the eleven Apostles. Mark records that Mary Magdalene, the two disciples at Emmaus, and the Eleven saw Him. Luke lists the holy women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and others w ..read more

Fear is arguably the greatest and most powerful emotion in our lives. There’s a lot we might be disturbed and anxious about—relationships, politics, health, our vocation, our job, even severe weather. We can become fixated on the fear and inner turmoil, unknowingly trying to draw on our strength alone to fix everything. In times like this, what should we do? What can we do? The answer is simple: pray the Litany of Trust. “What?” you think. “What does trust have to do with my anxiety?” Actually, trust is the remedy for fear. We fear because we do not trust in God. The Litany of Trust is a pray ..read more

“…thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” —Psalm 31:5 Today is Good Friday, the day the Lamb of God died for our sins. Amidst the solemnity of this most sacred day, we reflect on the final word He spoke from the Cross: Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. —Luke 23:46 Jesus is quoting the fifth verse of Psalm 31, which continues with the glorious statement: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. Christ speaks in the person of man, whose place He has taken before the judgment seat of Go ..read more

St. Margaret Clitherow is one of the Four Martyrs of England and Wales. Born in 1555, she was raised in the Church of England, but after she married John Clitherow in 1571, she converted to Catholicism. While her husband remained Protestant, he was supportive of his wife’s decision because his brother was a Catholic priest. During the English Reformation, Parliament passed the “Jesuits, etc. Act 1584,” which required all Catholic priests either to swear allegiance to the Queen of England or to leave England within forty days, or else they would be guilty of high treason. Margaret was arrested ..read more

Yesterday Jesus rode into Jerusalem. The crowds hailed Him as the Son of David and exalted Him with palms and shouts of joy. Now Monday of Holy Week dawns. Where is He? What happened after the crowds dispersed? The Gospels shed light on this. On the evening of Palm Sunday, Jesus went to spend the night in Bethany, where He would have stayed with friends (Matthew 21:17). Monday morning, He returned to Jerusalem. According to the Synoptic Gospels, it is on this day that Jesus walked with firm purpose into the Temple and drove out the moneylenders, castigating them for making His Father’s house a ..read more

Last week we meditated upon those brief yet profound words of Christ, “I thirst,” as recounted in the Gospel of John. If we continue reading this same Gospel, we immediately encounter the sixth of His Seven Last Words from the Cross: When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. —John 19:30 One cannot help but feel a sense of relief when reading these words. We are approaching the end of the Passion narrative. Are the sufferings of Our Lord coming to an end at last? “It is finished” can also be translated as “It is consummated ..read more