Category: Articles

Illustrations of the Holy Spirit

“When we pray, or are faced with a difficult decision, how can we know if the words or thoughts that enter our mind are from the Holy Spirit, or just our own thoughts? In other words, how can we recognize when it is the Holy Spirit present, speaking to us,...

A Place of Escape and Encounter

Editor Elizabeth Herzing interviews Fr. Greg Wiest, CSsR, a retreat leader at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, AZ on the history of Desert Mothers and Fathers and how the concept of desert spirituality can enhance our spiritual growth.Q Give a brief history of “desert spirituality.” Q Give a brief...

Proposing, Not Imposing, Faith

In our daily work here at Liguori Publications, we often discuss how to best write about our faith. A big part of writing effectively about faith is recognizing how crucial the internal journey is. That spiritual journey within is our theme for this issue. In addition to Liguorian, Liguori also...

The Romance of Lent

The Romance of Lent

Prayer: The Deep Breath of Reflection Pope Francis says we must also cultivate time for prayer, “interior space,” amid our daily lives. And he has in mind something more than saying a few occasional prayers, or devotions such as the rosary. He envisions something in addition to the liturgical life...

Our Sharpest Tool

Children know thirty to forty offensive words by the time they enter school, suggests data from psychology professors Timothy Jay and Kristin Janschewitz, though no one knows if kids are aware of what the words mean. Likewise, children may not fully understand all the words they use in prayer. I’ve...

The Easter Vigil: Liturgical Nectar

The night-blooming cereus flower is famous for its stunning, ethereal, starlike blossom. It blooms at night, once a year. If you’ve never seen one bloom, you’re missing a rare experience. The Easter Vigil is like that. It blooms once a year, on the evening of Holy Saturday. As liturgy goes,...

The Comforts of Home

Steve didn’t want to check on Aunt Liz while his wife was away, but a promise was a promise. This one became more than he bargained for. Remember your promise!” Cathy said as Steve handed his wife her carry-on bag and gave her a quick kiss before she headed to...

Human Dignity

In this first of ten articles on the basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching, let me begin by remarking that principles, once internalized, lead to something. They prompt activity, impel motion, direct choices. A principled person always has a place to stand, knows where he or she is coming from...

November 2015

Family, the Church, and the Real World    Redemptorist Pastoral Publication Liguori Publications $14.99 Understanding Church teaching is essential for an authentic personal relationship with God, but we need more. We need support in the ways we might connect this wisdom to daily living, especially our significant relationships. Deep within, we...

December 2015 On the Shelf

Advent and Christmas Wisdom From Pope Francis John Cleary Liguori Publications $11.99 The commencement of a new liturgical year each Advent always includes an invitation, the Holy Father suggests in this book. The Church invites us to pray “come,” to draw closer to the loving Jesus as we anticipate and...

December 2015 The Lighter Side

Out of the Crayons of Babes Christmas approached, a Sunday school teacher asked the children in her class to draw pictures of the Nativity scene. The children eagerly began to draw pictures of the stable, Mary, and Joseph, Baby Jesus, the shepherds, the wise men, and animals. She noticed that...

December 2015

The September 2015 issue of Liguorian really had me scratching my head. Fr. Bruce Lewandowski’s article “One World, Two Views” seems to provide a simplistic narrative of a Church pitted against itself—a “pre-Vatican II” evil Church vs. a “post-Vatican II” enlightened Church. What exactly was the point of this article and...

The Most Wondrous Gift

Derek Becher Lights of color beautify the church this holy night; Poinsettias ’round the altar with their petals, soft and bright. Everlasting evergreens adorn the sanctuary, Behind the wooden Joseph and the Blessed Mother, Mary. In front of them is resting the divine Nativity; A simple grotto shelters heaven’s Holy...

Madonna in Lavender

The Christmas gathering was their annual attempt to foster family warmth and congeniality that seemed mysteriously elusive. It would be safe to say that when the three Parnsley families gathered for the Christmas season, the result wasn’t likely to generate material for a heartwarming Hallmark Channel special. At least…never mind....

Lionhearted

For the George family, there wasn’t supposed to be hope for their newborn son, who was born with a half-functioning heart that was unable to pump blood throughout his tiny body. Today, at 21 years of age, John Paul George lives a full life, defying all odds. JOHN PAUL: Q. ...

The Redeemer, Mary and You

The Rosary: A Creative Prayer of Love In his apostolic letter On the Most Holy Rosary, Pope John Paul II writes: “With the rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and are led to contemplate…the depths of [Christ’s] love.” Unfortunately, a complaint people have about praying the...