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Each year in Lent we read an account of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a story found in all three of the synoptic Gospels. Each Gospel telling shares the common experience of the three disciples, …
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By Bishop Robert P. Reed
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3/14/24
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His neighbors in 1940s Oklahoma would have found it hard to imagine the boy they knew as Stanley Francis Rother as a future martyr, and the first beatified American parish priest. Young Stan did …
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3/14/24
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Jesus Christ was applauded by throngs in life and jeered by crowds at death. And the crowds were extensive. “Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and …
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3/14/24
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Is it possible to speak like a Christian but live like an atheist? In the demands and distractions of daily life, is it possible to live much of our day with little thought for God? We may start or …
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3/14/24
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During this season of Lent, we practice self-denial, intensify our commitment to prayer and seek spiritual opportunities such as missions or retreats. We confess our sins and engage in works of …
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3/7/24
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The anger or wrath of God is a concept — an idea — that confuses many people. And that’s understandable. After all, St. John explicitly tells us in his first letter that “God …
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3/7/24
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The Catholic Church specifies that those 14 years and older abstain from meat on both Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays in Lent. Those ages 18-59 also observe a fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. …
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3/7/24
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It is certainly rare that a pagan king be praised at all in the Sacred Scriptures and definitely not in the Old Testament. So, the laudatory words written about the Persian King Cyrus in the Second …
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3/7/24
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Two years ago, Russian forces attempted a Hitlerian blitzkrieg in Ukraine. According to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, its goal was to eradicate Ukraine: both the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian …
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3/5/24
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I have received much friendly and sometimes amusing advice from longtime residents of Rhode Island. I frequently hear advice about great restaurants and beautiful parks and beaches. Many have …
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2/29/24
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The Book of Exodus reveals that at Mount Sinai, Moses was given instructions for a portable tent or tabernacle that was to be a sanctuary, a holy place, and the center of Israel’s worship. This …
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2/29/24
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A discussion among practicing Catholics occurred in a social media group, inevitably landing on current divisions between Catholics — those who would describe themselves as …
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By Elizabeth Scalia
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2/29/24
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At the meetings of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops last fall, Angel Studios offered a screening of their upcoming film, “Cabrini.” The film relates the remarkable legacy …
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2/22/24
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Lent is a time of reparation — a season of sorrow for sins committed and expressions of a sincere desire to reform our lives. But what does it mean to be sorry? What are the components of real …
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By Dr. Greg Popcak, OSV News
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2/22/24
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When I first met Yigal Carmon in November 1988, he was counter-terrorism adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a position he held under Shamir’s successor, Yitzhak Rabin, until …
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2/15/24
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Clearly Jesus was not the first Biblical personality to spend 40 days and 40 nights in the Judean desert. In fact, Biblical scholars cite at least 24 times when the number 40 can be cited in the …
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2/15/24
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At the start of 2024, Pope Francis offered strong public criticism of surrogate motherhood. His willingness to speak out on this important topic has helped to pull surrogacy out of the shadows, where …
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2/15/24
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This year, we have been reading from the Gospel of Mark, “a gospel in a hurry.” It moves quickly through the events of Jesus’ ministry, jumping right in at his first proclamation of …
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2/15/24
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The Old Testament associates the presence and work of God with the miraculous healing of the sick, the restoration of blind people, deaf people, and lame people to full health. God who is the creator …
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2/8/24
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When a Catholic presents him or herself to the priest for the sacrament of reconciliation, the penitent usually requests, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.” Now, when the admitted …
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2/8/24
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