With Pope Francis’ papacy entering its third year, a number of Catholic writers, scholars, and activists have taken the time to reflect on Francis’ first two years. Here are some highlights of their analysis: Pope Francis Has Taught the Church To Thrive Again by Christopher Hale: “Mercy is God’s most beautiful attribute. And Francis understands… Read More The First Two Years of Pope Francis’ Papacy
Today in the Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees present Jesus with an adulterous woman, publicly shaming her and putting her sins on display. It would have been easy for Jesus to denounce the woman’s actions and make a statement about virtuous behavior. Instead, he “bent down and began to write on the ground with his… Read More Lenten Reflection Series: Compassion Over Condemnation
“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” What a powerful way to end Mass. Sometimes a priest might choose, “Go forth glorifying God with your lives,” or “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” but the underlying theme is the same: Go. It’s a commissioning, a reminder of our baptismal call to… Read More Lenten Reflection Series: Go!
In today’s gospel, Nicodemus questions the Pharisees by asking, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” The Pharisees are quick to judge and dismiss Jesus and his teachings simply because he is from Galilee. For St. Louis natives, we have a strong tendency to… Read More Lenten Reflection Series: Refusing to Judge the ‘Other’
Jesus knew His purpose in life would require intense suffering and the ultimate sacrifice – death on the Cross. Despite this, Jesus is steadfast in His teaching of the Gospel and love for His people. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is fearless in stating that He knows God because He is “from God,” and was sent… Read More Lenten Reflection Series: Jesus Is Close To Us As We Fight Injustice
The Catholic Standard, has a story on a recent event sponsored by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, which featured Cardinal Wuerl and three Catholic young adults, including Millennial editor Robert Christian. Mark Zimmermann writes: (Christian) noted that the social media can play a crucial role in the New Evangelization, and… Read More Young Adults Discuss How Their Catholic Faith Shapes Their Life and Work
Actions speak louder than words, they say. But aren’t some words helpful? Today we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph and are given two options for the gospel reading. Even with two readings about Joseph, however, we don’t get a single word out of him. In fact, not a word of his is mentioned in… Read More Lenten Reflection Series: Welcoming Christ into the World with Our Actions
