Read & Reflect

‘Tu es Petrus’: The Papacy as Instituted by Christ

Over the course of her two-thousand-year history, there have always been controversies and heresies within the Catholic Church. One of these is defiance and disobedience towards the papacy in the erroneous belief that one’s adherence to God exempts one from loyal obedience to Christ’s chosen Vicar o...

Abuse prevention, liturgy central to Vatican courses for new bishops

The Vatican is hosting its annual formation course for newly appointed bishops from Sept. 2-10, bringing together 147 prelates from five continents to strengthen ecclesial communion and provide practical tools for the exercise of episcopal ministry.The program has been a fixture of the Church calend...

The Devil Never Takes a Day Off: On Speaking Well and How to Judge

Q&A WITH MYSTIC ALICJA LENCZEWSKA, PART 5 Continuing the theme of the fallen angels, I selected two long passages from the first volume of Alicja’s Journal, one from 1986 and the other from 1987. The abundance of words written during the mystical encounters may be surprising. It usually happens when...

When Priests Leave: Finding a Balance Between Mercy and Reverence

I have watched multiple priests leave the priesthood over the years, including the priest who baptized my godson. During the wake of 2018 and COVID, there were quite a few, which left many of us heartbroken. There is a balance that must be found when a priest leaves the priesthood. The Church allows...

Do We Have Ears to Hear Our Own Correction? 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Previously in this Gospel, Jesus has spoken about authority in His Church.  This Sunday, He shows us how it works. Gospel (Read Mt. 18:15-20) This Sunday, Jesus teaches His disciples about life in the Church He intends to build.  Earlier (Mt. 16), He established Peter as its head, giving him the “ke...

Pope Leo XIV to seminarians: ‘As I look at each of you, I see the marvelousness of God’

On Sept. 3, Pope Leo XIV received at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace a group of seminarians from two Italian seminaries, thanking them on behalf of the Church for “the ‘yes’ you have spoken and continue to speak each day.”“It is neither easy nor a given in today’s world, and the Church knows this wel...

Finding Grace in Parental Failures

Some time ago, I ran into an old friend, and as we were catching up with each other’s lives, she said to me, “You’ve always been such a patient mom.” I had no idea what compelled her to make this claim, given that I had not seen her in years. Regardless, instead of boosting my ego, her words prompte...

Answering the Universal Call to Holiness with a Rule of Life

Over the past sixty years the documents of Vatican II, and indeed the council itself, have become emblematic of a sort of Catholic ideological divide. Opponents and proponents site problems and progress that don’t necessarily originate in the Council, which closed on the feast of the Immaculate Conc...

Pope Leo XIV points to St. John Henry Newman as a model for education today

Pope Leo XIV received a delegation from the University of Oxford’s Oriel College at the Vatican on Sept. 4, highlighting St. John Henry Newman’s vision of education as a response to contemporary challenges.Founded in 1326 at the initiative of King Edward II, Oriel is considered Oxford’s oldest royal...

Pope Leo XIV to Arab-region churches: ‘Do not be afraid of your smallness’

Pope Leo XIV offered a clear measure for the mission of the Church in the Middle East, a region marked by conflict, migration, and hardship, telling Latin-rite bishops serving across the Arab world that the Church’s strength should not be judged by numbers.“Do not be afraid of your smallness. The fr...

[Daily Rosary Meditations] Mother Teresa