St. Matthew envisions Christ upon a mountain four times in his Gospel account. Christ is taken by Satan to the top of a high mountain to be offered all the world’s kingdoms arrayed before them. Christ ascends another mountain for his introductory catechesis on the nature of the Christian life, the celebrated “Sermon on the Mount.” Again Christ and three select apostles climb Mount Tabor, the mountain of the Transfiguration, where Christ is glorified in the presence Moses and Elias. Now finally, Jesus invites the Eleven to meet him on the mountain of his Ascension in Galilee, charging them with a final commissioning to go out and become the Church, continuing the Incarnation down through the ages. more

In full accord with the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis and being joyously observed throughout the world, this Sunday’s Gospel account from St. Luke deliberately promotes the … more

Ten apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in modern times have been officially approved by the Catholic Church. Several appearances are quite famous: Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima. A number are … more

In the depths of the lower library at the former Our Lady of Providence Seminary at Warwick Neck was a book entitled, “The Thirteenth: Greatest of Centuries.” The hefty tome was authored … more

One portion of the Mass that Catholics will not have to thumb through their missalettes to follow this Advent is the Lamb of God. more

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross is more often remembered as Edith Stein, the brilliant philosopher, who was born into an observant German-Jewish family, inclined toward atheism as a young adult, eventually converted to the Roman Catholic Church and then became a Discalced Carmelite nun. Reminiscent of Loyola, reading the life of St. Teresa of Avila was instrumental in her conversion in 1922 after which she gave up university life and taught in a Catholic grammar school for ten years. Still, Edith’s academic credentials are impressive. She worked with the eminent philosophers Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. She translated Aquinas’ “On Truth” into German. She became a lecturer at the Catholic-associated Institute for Scientific Pedagogy in Munster in 1932, resigning in 1933 due to anti-Semitic legislation. At that time, Edith wrote to Pope Pius XI about Nazi abuse. more

Voice of the Faithful on-line newsletter, no doubt hoping to justify its own critical assessment of U.S. Catholicism, recommends its constituents read a recent article from Commonweal magazine regarding the “high stress, poor health, and low morale” of the diocesan clergy, specifically in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. more

All Saints Day worshippers will have an added cause for celebration this year. John Henry Cardinal Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in mid-September in Birmingham, a large English industrial city. more

The Trappistine Sisters in Wrentham, MA. have happily inaugurated a newly enlarged chocolate factory whose delightful products help sustain their monastic life. The new building also boasts an improved gift shop and, more important, an expanded and selective religious book store – La Sallette and Tally’s watch out! more

The splendor of Easter is rightly reflected in the decorative elegance of even the humblest parish church. Budding tulips, blossoming azaleas, blooming hydrangeas and emblematic lilies accompany the … more

The first verse of chapter eleven of the Epistle to the Hebrews, which will be heard this coming Sunday during the second reading at Mass, offers not so much a precise definition of the virtue of … more

It has been a few months since the glorious feast of the Resurrection. The fresh lilies, the lyrical alleluias, and the glow of the Paschal candle have long lost their splendor. Easter has changed from a festive celebration of risen life into a sublime doctrine pondered by the devout. more

Certainly one of the saddest lines in Sacred Scripture is the conclusion to this Sunday’s Gospel: “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Jesus who will labor, preach, sacrifice, suffer and die for the salvation of mankind wonders whether his life work will come to naught. And well might Jesus worry. more

The sage, sane and sober ponderings in these pages sometime ago from Father Joseph Creedon were at the time a refreshing change from many media comments on Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, … more

St. Charles Borromeo, honored with all the heavenly elect on this Solemnity of All Saints, could have taken great advantage of his family’s prominent position in society and in the Church. His … more

It is easy to appreciate why the sun would become an object of reverence, even adoration, in the ancient world. The sun gave light and provided warmth and encouraged growth and determined the passage … more

The four Gospel accounts were not composed by SS. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John sitting around a large table in the Upper Room reviving memories and comparing notes. The Gospel accounts took shape at … more

Just about every culture on the face of the earth accepts some sort of Divinity. Christians happily acknowledge the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the one true God, creator, redeemer and sanctifier. The Jewish community joins the Christian community in embracing the one, eternal God, revealed initially to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Islamic world recognizes this common Semitic heritage when it worships Allah as the supreme and perfect being. more

Saint Augustine, the learned bishop of Hippo in North Africa, insightfully observed that the four restorations to life that Jesus performed during his public ministry form a handy analysis of how God can address sin whether sin be entrenched in the soul or sin be lurching as a temptation for the unwary. more

The honors and formalities afforded the Reverend Billy Graham after his death were a refreshing religious break from the secularism that pervades today’s Western society. Tributes offered in the … more