Spiritual Communion
Receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. There are, however, times when we are unable to receive the Blessed Sacrament, but…
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Confession for Grown-Ups
If you are like most of us “Cradle Catholics” what you know about Confession, is what you were taught prior to making your First Holy Communion. The problem with our…
40 Days
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40 days—the duration of Lent—is one of the most symbolically significant periods of time in the Bible. Lent, the special season that precedes Easter, is an English word and…
My Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union…
Advent Reflections 2022
Advent marks the beginning of the church’s liturgical year. It is a season of joyful expectation, hope and preparation for the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. We all know…
Feasting and Fasting
For many Catholics, fasting is usually thought of primarily (almost exclusively) during the liturgical season of Lent, the 40-day penitential period leading up to Easter. During this time, the faithful…
A Reflection on Fasting
In the early Church and, to a lesser extent still today, there were two fasts. There was the “total fast” that preceded all major feasts or sacramental events. The ancient…
Enchiridion of Indulgences
“Enchiridion” means “handbook,” and the Enchiridion of Indulgences is the Church’s official handbook on what acts and prayers carry indulgences and what indulgences actually are. In 1967 Pope Paul VI…
Purgatory
This moving documentary on the afterlife, delves deeply into the evidence of science and mysticism (including the experiences of St. Padre Pio and St. Faustina). The powerful film examines the…
Eucharistic Adoration
According to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand…
The Sign of the Cross
The sign of the cross, often the first thing a Catholic does upon waking, and the last thing done before bed, is not simply a way to begin praying, it is…
First Saturdays – A Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Most images of the Immaculate Heart show one or more swords piercing the Heart of Mary. Simeon told the Blessed Mother that “a sword will pierce through your own soul”…
Connection Between Divine Mercy and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
First of all, we must realize the obvious – Jesus has only one Heart! And devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy are really inseparable. The Sacred Heart…
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary signifies, first of all, the great purity and love of the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary for God. This purity is manifested in her…
Regina Coeli Prayer
The Easter prayer Regina Coeli (“Queen of Heaven” in Latin) is a wonderful tribute to our Lord’s resurrection and to the Blessed Virgin Mary (pictured in her Coronation above).…
The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part…
The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The…
The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part…
The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The…
The Angelus
The Angelus is a centuries-old Catholic devotion that recalls the annunciation of Christ’s birth by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. The history of the Angelus is a…