Augustine, reflecting on how the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness for forty days, points out that it is only by means of overcoming trials and temptations that we progress in the spiritual life and grow in holiness....
There is much more to Jesus' healing of the leper in Mark's gospel than first meets the eye. Hidden in the story are lessons on the role of suffering and how to respond to it in our lives and the lives of others....
Saint Rose of Lima on the unfathomable treasure of divine grace which comes to us through afflictions, tribulations, and struggles. Read on her feast day, August 23. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']O[/dropcaps]ur Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: “Let...
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus makes the statement "my yoke is easy, my burden light." For many of us who follow him, this does not seem to square with our experience. This post discusses the reasons for this....
Jesus says to deny self, pick up the cross and follow him. But he also says to love your neighbor as yourself. Is self-love always wrong?...
Cleopas and his unnamed companion were dejected as they made their way along the road to Emmaus. Their encounter with a stranger who rebuilds their faith and gives them hope to recognize him in the breaking of the bread - this illustrates for us...
The call of Abraham and the Transfiguration of Jesus are presented to us on the 2nd Sunday of Lent because they teach us about how to approach hardship and suffering with faith and hope....
If God provides, then why is Murphy's Law a law that seems to apply even to devout Christians? Why to bad things happen to good people? Why so much resistance when we try to do God's will? This article seeks to show how trials...
In his Urbi et orbi blessing amidst the Coronavirus Crisis, Pope Francis shared a meditation on the calming of the storm from the Gospel of Mark. The prayer service over which he presided on the steps of St Peter's Basilica took place on Friday evening,...
Amidst the storm of COVID-19, we need to keep our focus on the Lord, not the waves and wind. It was when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, looking at the problem, that he sank. The same mistake can sink us. In the midst of the...