Spiritual Communion is a devotion for those who are unable, for whatever reason, to receive sacramental holy Communion at a given time or in specific situations. The church offers no prescribed ritual or formula to make an act of spiritual Communion, but
City life is hard. It’s hard on the body, mind and soul. You can become completely inundated with activity, overwhelmed with people, sounds and, well, garbage. That last one is especially noticeable in August. When the Republican convention was held in New
Question: What does the Church believe about extraterrestrials? — Elena Dixon, Arlington, Virginia Answer: The Church has no direct teaching on this matter. As such, Catholics are free to speculate. But by using Catholic and scientific principles, some of the following parameters
We often hear commentators bemoan the partisan polarization that seems to have infected the United States. If only we could treat each other with a degree of decorum, to dialogue as equals, then perhaps we could pursue the common good. This political
You’ve probably had the same frustrating conversation. It frequently comes in the form of a question regarding discussions on abortion. Those of us who try to raise awareness and address the issue are asked why we’re so focused on the issue or
Advocates use ‘unalienable rights’ as described in the Declaration of Independence to justify the horrors of abortion
I think everyone can agree that the recent weeks have been hard. The sinking feeling we all had upon hearing of the mass shootings in California, Texas and Ohio have become all too familiar. “Another one” — that’s what ran through my
I recently finished reading Walker Percy’s second novel, “The Last Gentleman.” I don’t remember having read it before, though the copy that I’ve owned since college some 30 years ago has marks in the margin that I recognize as mine.
Our imagination is powerful: Feed it well, and it can spur us to desire the grace to become saints. Feed it fantasies of death and despair, and we should not be surprised at the result.
In the mystery of transubstantiation, young children may have better faith than adults
There’s a good deal of modern liturgical music that celebrates the arrival of God’s justice. In these hymns, we tend to call out for God’s justice to descend. We sing it happily, joyfully, with pep and vigor, unaware that when this justice