One Sabbath Day, Jesus entered the synagogue. Knowing that there was a man there with a deformity, Jesus’ opponents were keeping a careful eye on him, to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. Jesus was being watched. The first commandment of biblical religion is not ‘watch,’ but ‘listen,’ or ‘hear’: “Hear,…
In a few days time we celebrate the anniversary of the Knock apparition that took place on the evening of August 21, 1879. That is nearly 150 years ago. On the west facing wall of the same parish chapel in Knock on which the apparition appeared, one can see a plaque dating from the early…
Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34); “Faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13); “God is love” (1 John 4:8). No matter how far the Church wanders from the primacy of love, it is always the prophets and the saints who bring us back. One…
Q: The nondenominational church near my house offers praise and worship nights with music. I’ve been interested in attending, not because I want to convert, but because I like that style of music and any opportunity to join in prayer with others. Would it be wrong for a Catholic to attend this event? Am I…
There’s a difference between being in bloom and being fruitful. Take a flower for example. It begins as a wee bud, hardly noticeable, and eventually in full bloom grows into a beautiful flower. In full bloom it’s very noticeable. This is its optimal moment of beauty, of being admired, of glory. But this isn’t its…
After almost every Mass, I notice something disturbingly common. As parishioners leave the church, many reach instinctively for their phones. Conversations are interrupted by beeping notifications. Some pause to check messages before greeting friends. It might seem like an insignificant routine. Yet it makes me wonder: if a digital device fills every spare moment, what…
Honestly, you can’t help but think: This was not on Peter’s bingo card. There he was, the appointed leader of the apostles, trying to show his devotion and loyalty to Jesus, his willingness to defend him and protect him. And what did he get in return? Jesus turned around and called him “Satan.” What? That…
“But who do you say that I am?” Matt 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matt 16:14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the…
Mass readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28 Every year, on August 17, countless Irish pilgrims turn their hearts towards Knock. Many of them cannot think of the shrine without quietly recalling the familiar hymn: “There were people of all ages, gathered round the gable wall, poor and humble men and women, little…
In Heaven our union with God will be constant and have no disruption, writes Johnny Higgins The ultimate destination for a follower of God is as mysterious as it is captivating. Each day with our human limitations we attempt to carry our own cross in prayer and deeds to prove ourselves worthy of entering…
Fr John McCarthy
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Fr Dominik Domagala