Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Spirituality
Spirituality
The Aesthetics of Defeat Tempting an Army of Victors
Many young men have spent thousands of hours inhabiting gaming worlds where purpose is immediate, enemies are obvious, and victory is visible. The online battles they fight cost them nothing but time. The real-life battles men fight are far less cinematic most of the time. They consist of changing d...
Spirituality
Rebuilding the First Society and the Necessity of the Feminine Genius
[We must] rebuild the first society. The family is the first city; strong marriages and prayerful homes form tomorrow’s citizens before any vote is cast. – Dr. Scott Hahn The Napa Institute recently held its 16th Annual Summer Conference in California. Once again, it was an extraordinary gathering f...
Spirituality
Why Handwriting Matters in an AI World
Last year, shortly after my father died, I opened up his copy of the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila that he had given to me years ago. I chuckled as I looked at the blue pen underlining various passages in the text. Unlike my father, I dislike writing in books in pen or using highlighters. I u...
Spirituality
Upon This Rock: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
In a conversation with Peter and the apostles, Jesus declares His intention to build His Church on a human being. Whatever was He thinking? Gospel (Read Mt. 16:13-20) This Sunday’s Gospel is so familiar to Catholics that the potential for missing the punch it packs is inordinately high. If ever we...
Spirituality
Run into the Arms of Mary, Our Queen Mother
And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. (Acts 2:2) After the ascension of Our Lord, the Eleven Apostles, along with some others, gather for ten days, cozied up in a room together “for fear of the Jews” (Jn. 20:19). T...
Spirituality
There Will Be Blood Sacrifice
I wonder what a person who was completely ignorant of Christianity would make of Christian words and worship when first exposed to it. Let’s face it, although Christian language is increasingly warm and fuzzy, there remains some genuinely strange and quite frankly bizarre and disturbing elements to...
Spirituality
Can Catholics Support Xenotransplantation?
Animal Organs, Human Dignity, and the Limits of Technique In March 2024, Richard “Rick” Slayman, a 62-year-old man suffering from end-stage kidney disease, became the first living patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney at Massachusetts General Hospital. He died nearly two months later,...
Spirituality
Staring Down the Devil Every Day
Q&A WITH MYSTIC ALICJA LENCZEWSKA, PART 4 Following the summer break—at least in the Northern Hemisphere, where July and August naturally bring a pause—we return to Alicja Lenczewska. Since the previous installment in the series, A Visitor from Heaven, Apparitions in Northern Italy, was devoted to t...
Spirituality
Lessons from St. Teresa of Avila on Gossip
Gossip. It is everywhere in our culture. From 24/7 news to social media to our own conversations, we are inundated with temptations to gossip. It is in our fallen human nature, especially of women, to talk about other people. There are entire friend groups formed around gossip. We often engage in go...
Spirituality
Jesus and the Canaanite Woman: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday, as Jesus travels away from Jerusalem toward the region of the Gentiles, He meets a Canaanite woman who desperately needs His help. Why did He give her the cold shoulder? Gospel (Read Mt. 15:21-28) To best understand this Gospel episode, we need to know that it follows a description of...
Spirituality
Making Assumptions About the Assumption
Every year the Church obliges Catholics to attend Mass on August 15th, in the middle of summer, to honor the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The belief pertaining to Mary’s Assumption, while celebrated for centuries (many saints have homilies on the Assumption), was elevated to the status of...
Spirituality
The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Dimensions of Christ’s Passion
When we look upon a crucifix, we see a sterilized version of Our Lord’s physical condition at the moment of His death. Generally, what is depicted are His five wounds and a crown of thorns. This depiction is devoid of His Precious Blood strewn over His Body, along with His torn and mutilated Flesh....