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Americans live in the land of opportunity. Our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are practically written in blood in the Constitution. We are surrounded by things that exist for the sole purpose of making us happy: food, drink, entertainment, vacations, endless apps on our electronics, and...
Mary of Magdala Blazes the Trail to Easter Mary Magdalene was one of the named women in the group who traveled with Jesus from Galilee. Many modern scholars believe her ministry during Jesus’ life on earth was as significant as Peter’s, albeit in different ways. Jesus said to her, “Mary!”...
Unlike previous Holy Weeks, the landscape for 2020’s prayerful remembrances last April was bleak and barren. Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist without a congregation due to restrictions caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The photos and video from inside virtually empty St. Peter’s Basilica spoke volumes about the global impact...
Often during this holy season, we lose direction and focus. Our spiritual GPS just stops working. We took umpteen road trips with our five boys when they were young. The question most often heard on those journeys was: “Are we there yet?” Close in age—all born within a seven-year span—our...
Being one global family means we are “us”; there is no “them”. 1 Corinthians 13 reveals the key ingredient that our global family needs now more than ever. I don’t know if there has ever been a year that more people have wished was over than 2020. If you’re like...
In the New Testament, only Matthew and Luke tell us about Jesus’ birth and youth. Our Christmas cribs harmonize and intermingle details from those two Gospels, but if you read the accounts without that conditioning, you will find that they diverge on many points, for neither evangelist was simply recording...
The newspaper appears on your doorstep early Saturday morning. A bag of food is passed through a narrow window into your waiting hands. Miraculously, your sidewalk is shoveled and the driveway is cleared after a monster snowstorm. You open the closet door to find a crisp, pressed shirt ready to...
Who is this that comes forth like the dawn, beautiful as the white moon, pure as the blazing sun, fearsome as celestial visions? Song of Songs 6:10 These words surely can be said about the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In her image to St. Juan Diego, she is...
My paternal grandmother was very dear to me. Many things contributed to our bond: I was named after her, she was the closest woman I had to a mother as I grew up, and she introduced me to the Catholic faith. She didn’t drive, and my grandfather—who did drive—passed away...
Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 Q. Sister, how did you discover your vocation? A. In 1959, in order to graduate from...
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—[says] the Lord— plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:11–12 Q. Sister,...
Through the years, countless employees were coached to ask the faithful inquiring at the parish office, “Are you a registered parishioner?” Historically, church membership has been complicated. When ethnic parishes thrived, people were assigned membership by country of origin, culture, and language. Sadly, race was sometimes a factor. Parish membership...
What are your plans for the Easter season and beyond? Of course we celebrate our Savior’s rising from death on Easter Sunday. But in the days after, do we embrace the vocation Jesus Christ offers to us by way of his life, passion, crucifixion, and resurrection? I refer to the...
Typically at this time every year, I am preparing to attend the annual Catholic Media Association Conference. It’s a time to mingle with and learn from colleagues and be inspired by speakers, educational sessions, and the awards program, where I learn if any of the previous year’s Liguorian content has...
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. John 3:16 Q. Sister, how did you discover your vocation? A. When I was a small child, after meeting some of my cousins...
Not all Catholic videos are worth viewing. I was buying a new suit. I wanted to make sure it was black and not navy blue, so I asked another shopper about the color. I’m color blind. I often have to ask someone about colors. Blue, pink, purple, and black can...
As I noted in my January column, this year we will explore in detail the apparitions of our Lady. My hope is that this practice of reflection and prayer with the Blessed Virgin will awaken a deeper understanding of the meaning of these events in you and bring to light...
This month marks a full year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Many, myself included, never would have predicted that this virus would still be a topic of international concern today. Yet here we are, more than halfway through a new school year with parents...
When my girls were younger, I established rules for when they would be paid for successfully finishing a particular chore. I never favored a “no obligations” allowance, so they understood that money they acquired from me in their youth would have to be earned. I classified some chores as their...
I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” For the sake of my brothers and friends I say, “Peace be with you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I pray for your good. Psalm 122:1, 8–9 Name:...
Saint Blaise day arrives February 3, close to the beginning of Lent, when Catholics set aside meat and take up eating fish on Fridays. You may recall he saved a boy from choking on a fish bone, making the day easy to remember. The use of candles for the blessing...
If someone asked me, “What helps you keep your faith from wearing out?” I would sum up my answer in three words: prayers, perseverance, and patience. Of course, our best role models are our Savior Jesus Christ and Mary the Blessed Virgin. Jesus and Mary patiently prayed and persevered throughout...
Epiphany, when we remember the Wise Men who knelt before the Son of God to pay him homage, will always be a personal favorite day on our Church calendar. On one momentous January 5—the eve of Epiphany fifty-nine years ago—my parents, my brother, and I left our Cuban hometown of...
Prescribed by the US Constitution, the oath of office of the president is a key part of the inauguration ceremony. It symbolizes the peaceful transition of power. The National Constitution Center, located in the cradle of US liberty—Philadelphia—offers a list detailing the use of the Bible at presidential inaugural ceremonies....
“You shall be my people and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:28 Liguorian continues its tradition, begun in 2020, of publishing profiles of people who have served in ministry most of their lives. In 2021, the subjects will be women religious. A title will spotlight a favorite Bible passage...
As we limp from the upheaval and uncertainty of 2020 and tip-toe carefully into 2021, do you think we should dub the first full year of COVID-19 as the worst twelve-month span of time in US history? Or is the pandemic going to get worse? In an article published in...