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
Part I: The Liturgy of the Word Introductory rites The Mass begins with a procession of, at minimum, the priest into the sanctuary. The priest and anyone who accompanies him represents the congregation, and their journey symbolizes the Christian journey through life
Question: Do you think that since the Second Vatican Council there has developed confusion between the roles of laity and clergy in the Church? Some commentators seem to think so. Now we have lay ministers of all sorts. What do you make
The national rankings of the country’s top high school athletic teams possess a distinct Catholicity. Mater Dei. De La Salle. St. Anthony. St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Pius X. These aren’t the names of parish churches. Catholic high schools are heavily represented on
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
The word “theology” has something of a bad rap in our postmodern world. For many a soul, it conjures up images of dusty books, dry speculation and generously proportioned friars debating the number of angels who can dance upon the head of
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
“I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.” How often have you heard someone say something similar? Or perhaps even said it yourself. In our secular culture, being “religious” is often seen as being narrow-minded, judgmental and a bit of a nutcase. It
So what, exactly, do Protestants believe? Today, Protestantism encompasses literally thousands of different groups or “denominations.” But they all trace their roots back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. At that time, some Christians came to understand their faith differently.