God is not “the Great Architect,” and he doesn’t deal in blueprints and building committees, but did you know God told us how to build a church? It’s in the Bible. If we believe the sacred Scriptures are the inspired word of
It doesn’t require much imagination or study to recognize that Pope Francis’ definition of modern society as a “throwaway culture” is spot on. We live in a world where everything is seen as disposable, replaceable or temporary, and overflowing landfills aren’t the
At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives his followers the threefold task of the Church throughout the ages: 1) “make disciples of all nations”; 2) “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
I used to make the sign of the cross casually as a nice gesture for beginning and ending my prayers. But about a decade ago, probably nudged by the Holy Spirit, I took it more seriously. I began to sign myself more
Chicago history buffs will tell you that their city was founded in 1790 by a successful trapper and fur trader named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Less well known is du Sable’s background — he was black and Catholic. Traditionally, most African
Question: I am married to a nonpracticing Episcopalian and while we agree on most matters of faith, we disagree over purgatory. Your columns have been helpful to him. Can you clarify where Episcopalians stand on purgatory? — Name withheld, Baltimore, Md. Answer:
The trouble had been brewing a long time, and in mid-July, it finally boiled over. Units of the army in Spanish Morocco rose up in rebellion. The Spanish Civil War had begun. Seventy-five years later, the bloody struggle that followed from 1936
A few years ago I started to pray using the Examen of St. Ignatius Loyola. Everything changed for me. Prayer took on a new, refreshing character. I became an evangelist for the Examen. I buttonholed friends, wrote blog posts and a book,
The Catholic presence stretches around the globe, and its numbers are increasing worldwide, according to statistics from the 2011 Annuario Pontificio (“pontifical yearbook”). Approximately 1.18 billion belong to the big Church, the Body of Christ. In many cases they are also living
Father Benedict J. Groeschel has spent most of his priestly life guiding others who want to orient their lives more and more toward God. Through his books, retreats and speaking engagements, he has worked to open the spiritual life to a world