It has been nearly 20 years since my priestly ordination. My last year of seminary was marked by the horrific acts of violence and terror on 9/11 – the vivid image of the Cross at Ground Zero is unforgettable. I remember reading a newspaper article about lay Catholics walking and …

High on a hill overlooking the city of Cincinnati, many find refuge and the ability to converse with our Lord at the National St. Anthony Shrine and its property. Brother Vince Delorenzo, OFM, its Guardian and groundskeeper, sees firsthand the impact of its surroundings on visitors. “We have 60 acres …

God’s existence can be known using our minds. It is accessible to reason and therefore not necessary to believe in the Bible or the revelation of Jesus to acknowledge God’s existence. As the Catechism states, “By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works” …

Our traditions have a way of bringing us together, uniting people from different regions, backgrounds and ways of life behind a common passion – the love of our shared faith. Each year, we see an example of this as faithful Catholics from our archdiocese and surrounding dioceses gather to “pray …

There have been a few times in my life where God’s presence, abundance and majesty left me thunderstruck. As a child of 10 or so, when my family went to the Gulf Coast, I would drag a chair out to the beach at night and sit under the stars. Even …

With The Scandal of Holiness, Jessica Hooten Wilson has written a new and interesting kind of devotional. We often participate in the grace of holiness through practice, which typically begins with actual works of prayer and mercy in the world. But Wilson knows the whole person involves thought as well …

Have you ever spent time thinking about your wedding ring? The deep meaning behind that circular band is so profound that, on the day we receive it, we are changed forever. We become one with the person from whom we received it, and through our marriage, we become witnesses of …

St. Bernard

Death is a central motif in Christianity. In Catholic moral and spiritual reflection, death has a more dominant place than it does in most other forms of Christian theology. Indeed, some forms of American evangelicalism minimize – or even practically ignore – Christ’s crucifixion, rushing straight to His resurrection. This …

I’m somewhat of a genetic weirdo. I’m a twin. The hair on my head is dark brown, but my beard is red. I’m also left-handed. It’s frustrating to be left-handed in a right-handed world. Scissors never cut right. When you hold a measuring cup in your left hand, you’re stuck …