Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Spirituality
Spirituality
On Earth As It Is in Heaven: On Praying Together
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Mt. 18:20) Why does Jesus tell His disciples that He needs a minimum of “two or three” people to “agree” on a petition in order for Him to grant it? Does this mean that if I pray alone for a particular need, m...
Spirituality
Why Christ Walked on Water
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Last week I preached about Christ’s hands. The Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I), describes Christ’s hands as holy and venerable. We could say His feet were holy and venera...
Spirituality
The Voice of the Catholic Church
The Venerable Archbishop Sheen, soon to be known as Blessed Fulton Sheen, was a man of many gifts. We should add, however, that his gifts were lavish and reflected a most generous God. He was a clear-headed philosopher, a brilliant essayist, and possessed an illuminating way with words. He was not q...
Spirituality
I Am One of the Men in the Boat: An Ignatian Meditation with Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus walking on water and calling Peter to meet Him outside the boat—recorded in Matthew 14:22-33—is one of the most recognizable and memorable episodes in all the Gospels. It sticks in our minds, certainly, because it is an amazing miracle. It stands out also, I think, because so many of us identi...
Spirituality
Ad Orientem: Rowing the Ship to Salvation
Human beings of every generation have faced a particular direction for worship. This is true of most world religions of documented history. Muslims pray toward Mecca because it is the Qibla—the unified direction of worship commanded by Allah in the Quran. The ancient Jews would pray toward Jerusalem...
Spirituality
How to Strive for Eternal Joy Amidst Anguish
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. I was reflecting recently on the many faces of sadness, grief, and sorrow during the recently concluded 2026 soccer World Cup. We saw grown men...
Spirituality
Finding Everyday Holiness with Saints Francis & Clare of Assisi
For as long as I can remember, I have loved St. Francis and St. Clare. When we were planning a trip to Italy, I convinced my husband to make Assisi one of our stops. It was every bit as beautiful and peaceful as people describe. But the greatest gift that I received from that trip was the realizatio...
Spirituality
“The Shepherd Cannot Run”: The Life and Virtues of Bl. Stanley Rother
This summer marks the forty-fifth anniversary of the martyrdom of Bl. Stanley Rother, the missionary priest from Oklahoma who was gunned down in 1981 by a government-backed death squad in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. Bl. Stanley had served as missionary to the indigenous Tz’utujil for thirteen years...
Spirituality
Everyone Talks, But No One Communes: ‘Let Them All Talk’ and the Christian Meaning of Beatitude
Friendship Without Communion If the first part of this reflection considered the ship as a symbol of time and direction, the second part turns to the deeper human question: why do people who talk so much remain so unable to enter into communion? The characters in Let Them All Talk are brilliant, art...
Spirituality
Money Can’t Buy Love—Because It’s a Gift
Elon Musk, the famed billionaire tech mogul, is widely recognized for possessing some of the most innovative companies in the world. For many, Musk has everything one can ever dream of, with enough wealth to sustain anyone for several lifetimes. However, he made an intimate revelation about himself...
Spirituality
The Apostles in the Storm: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday’s Gospel tells us that Jesus let the apostles struggle for many hours in a violent storm before going to them. Why did He wait so long? Gospel (Read Mt. 14:22-33) After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand (last Sunday’s Gospel), Jesus sent both His disciples and the vast crowd a...
Spirituality
A Transfiguration for Life: “Lord, It Is Good for Us To Be Here!”
Today, August 6th, Christians around the world celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. In this pivotal moment, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. There, before their eyes, He is transfigured—his face shines like the sun, His clothes become dazzling white, and the prophets Mos...