We've been Spreading the Good News for more than 100 Years.
Part One of Five We live in curious, troubled times. Rather than enjoying this relatively peaceful and prosperous era in our nation, citizens feel unsettled. We’re at odds with one another, and we distrust political and religious leaders. Looking for stability and reason, we turn to original documents like the...
Now imagine being the giver of this gift and, despite all the help you are willing to give to care for this treasure, the recipient takes the gift and rejects all of your guidance. How would you feel if you saw your gift slowly deteriorate and fall to pieces due...
On our journey deeper into peace this year, we’ve made several stops. We began with an exploration of interfaith peace and ways the Bible embraces the whole world, including people of varying faiths. We ventured into the valley of the shadows of death and terrorism, and saw how the light...
In a world of superheroes, superstars and MVPs, it may seem inconceivable that an ordinary man from rural America could be officially recognized as a saint, let alone be the first U.S. priest to be beatified. But Stanley Francis Rother is precisely that, an ordinary man on the cusp of...
We’ve known all our lives that February 14 is Valentine’s Day, a time when we honor those we love. But arguably more significant and lesser-known celebratory dates about love precede the 14th, when roses and candy fly from shops into loved ones’ arms. February 7-14 marks the annual celebration of...
The power of intercession we experience from Mary’s prayers for us is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that lives in Mary because of the Incarnation. In Luke 1:26-36, we read Mary’s dialogue with the angel Gabriel in which Gabriel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her...
I’ve never been a proponent of procrastination. In fact, the more I detest a chore or activity, the quicker I’m likely to attack it with gusto. I reason that the relief I’ll feel once it’s completed will far outweigh the displeasure of performing the task at hand. If there are...
At prayer, take care that the words don’t become rote and lose their meaning. Consider the text in the Angelus: “Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.” That is something to ponder. Christ promises us peace, refuge, mercy,...
Each new year, we’re bombarded with sentiments of encouragement and hope, called to new aspirations, and filled with vigor to achieve an improved sense of self. Benjamin Franklin may have said it best: “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year...
When I took piano lessons as a boy, the teacher reminded me that music was a language that’s read and spoken by the performers. She said that through the notes they play and how they play them, musicians reveal the underlying meaning of the written text. The same idea exists...
My ninety-mile round-trip commute to work each day enables me to listen to podcasts, those audio narratives that offer a variety of content. I dabble in everything from true crime to humor, welcoming the chance to mull over what’s said, delve deep into my heart and mind, and respond. While...
Faith engages the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and can lead us to feel healing from God. To assist our gazing prayers, I encourage using the Bible as an aid. Several passages show the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. Remember, when we look upon...
“Take time to smell the roses” may sound like a cliché, but it encapsulates my lessons learned recently while visiting my middle daughter in God’s gorgeous acres nes tled in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Mackenzie, having just completed a degree in historic preservation, was fulfilling a summer...
How the Young Emulate God “Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security, and ease. Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage.” —Pope Francis at a prayer vigil at the thirty-first World Youth Day (WYD), Krakow, Poland, July 30, 2016 At this event in St. John Paul II’s home...
The icon is an efficacious sign of a real presence because it is a sacramental. Icons become a great means of holiness because of the ritual of blessing and the veneration of the image. This allows for the experience of the miraculous interventions and favors bestowed upon those who pray...
Now’s a good time to consider the vast disconnect between seasonal celebrations in the Church and the world at large. For example, in the secular world, October centers on Halloween—second only to Christmas as the most commercial time of the year. Decorations and celebrations mingle with all things eerie, including...
“It gave me a good footing. ” Bruce is a twenty-year-old at the University of Scranton. A student majoring in the difficult nursing program, he attends Mass regularly. I asked him why. “My first semester, I had some troubles. Mass, getting there, I felt it gave me a good footing....
There is a common theme within the many letters people send me about their experiences of praying before the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. I’m impressed that all of them comment about how the serenity of the icon captures their attention during their time of prayer. In the...
For me, sixty-eight is the perfect temperature. I joke that I’m going to retire in San Francisco, where the average yearly temperature hovers around fifty-eight (according to usclimatedata.com), with the annual high seldom exceeding seventy and the low rarely dipping below fifty. Sounds perfect, yes? Especially when temperatures in my...
Liguorian maintained its award-winning status at the June 2018 Catholic Press Association conference in Green Bay, WI. Liguorian received three awards for content published in 2017, including first place for Best Seasonal Issue or Section. The magazine’s honors, summarized below, were presented by the CPA, a trade association serving and...
A Guide for Our Families Mary can help us understand the meaning of our experiences and hear the message God wishes to communicate through the life of our families Surrounded by admirers since he was first elected, Pope Francis says he feels like a grandfather when youths lean close to...
Editor Elizabeth Herzing interviews Fr. Paul Bombardier to learn about the history and mission of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, the oldest pilgrim site in North America. q. Please give a brief history of the shrine and its mission. a. It all started in 1658. There was a ship full of Breton fishermen who...
To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age Robert Barron with John L. Allen, Jr. Image Books $27 (hardcover) As a Bishop Barron fangirl, I was excited to dive into this book, which is as much a biography as it is an outline of Barron’s...
There is an obvious power struggle taking place in my household. It’s not between my husband and me, and none of our children are involved. It’s between our dogs. Envision a six-year-old, eleven-pound, white, long-haired Chihuahua/Papillion mix with giant brown eyes. He’s Chester, affectionately referred to as Chestnut by the...