Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
Recently, while offering what I thought was pragmatic parenting about a video game to one of my young nieces (I still believe that “it takes a village….”), another parent overheard me. The mother looked at her child and said, “Did you hear that?” Referring to my talk with my niece,...
Growing up, when I would talk with Grandma and have a temporary lapse of memory while saying something, she’d always respond to my “I forgot what I was going to say” with, “Well…it must have been a lie!” In my youth, I remember desperately trying to defend my integrity by...
In the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help we encounter a particular understanding of Mary in the mystery of Christ and the Church. The iconography we read and pray opens the door to an avenue of miraculous experiences. In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the restoration of the...
Visitors to the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, will invariably stop in their tracks when they enter the gallery. Many stand affixed to their original point of entrance, eventually inching closer to the painting that has captured them. In the time they have, they try to scrutinize every minute...
Happy New Year! 2018 marks Liguorian’s 105th year in circulation—that’s more than 1,200 issues exclaiming the good news! It’s also quite a feat in the publishing world, especially considering the influx of digital media, and as a direct parallel, the decline in print products. I’m “old school.” I prefer print...
The writings we’ve shared in this column have opened the door to explore the in-depth meaning of the elements that comprise the composition of the icon imagery of the Mother of God. This message illustrates a clear path to walk toward Jesus, hand in hand with Mary, our guide. Ultimately,...
Our faith calls us to warmly accept those we encounter in our lives from different faiths. While this is our reality in Catholicism, current U.S.policy and public sentiment show alarming increases in anti-Muslim activity, and many hate crimes in America target Jews. More than ever before, we need to stand...
Christmas traditions vary depending on what part of the world you’re in. Some are endearing. Christians in China call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh, meaning “Holy Birth Festival”; they celebrate amid bright, vibrant colors, lights, and evergreens. Others are bizarre. In Slovakia, the senior man of the home takes a spoonful...
Fr. Ken Sedlak, CSsR Welcome into the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. It is the place that Jesus called the reign of God. He told us that this reign is not a physical place but makes its physical dwelling in our hearts. As discussed in previous columns, an...
Liturgically speaking, a smorgasbord follows the nativity of the lord. The stores and malls are decorated in green and red. Lighted Santas and reindeer adorn the lawns and rooftops of the neighborhood. Cookies and gingerbread are baking in the oven and the TV shopping channels are hawking trees, ornaments and...
St. Benedict Institute Editor Elizabeth Herzing interviews Jared Ortiz, assistant professor of religion at Hope College in Holland, MI, about St. Benedict Institute, which is dedicated to addressing the needs of the whole person—mind, heart, body, soul, intellect, and will—all from a God-focused foundation designed to draw people to Christ....
Joe Haack As he lays dying, Thomas’ doubts about god face a stranger. I sit alone on a hospital bed with only my thoughts to keep me company—company that leaves much to be desired. I had just received the news I had dreadfully been expecting for the past six months…my...
Br. Daniel Korn,CSsR / Fr. Ken Sedlak, CSsR The icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help continues to be an instrument of evangelization. Pope Francis speaks of Mary as the “Star of Evangelization.” He presents Mary as the pilgrim of proclamation because of what is said of her in the...
Elizabeth A. Herzing In this edition, I come before you with a foggy mind as I struggle to traverse the rocky path set before me. I have writer’s block. I’d like to attribute it to lack of sleep, the chaos of planning for the upcoming holidays, or a decline in...
By Richard C. Lukas Recalling a courageous priest and the dogs of war that washed onto an American shore during WWII Mike sat with his wife, Marita, on the balcony of their condominium overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and reminisced about their childhood. Marita reminded him with a touch of envy,...
Heifer International Group helps families overcome poverty and hunger by “teaching them to fish” Editor Elizabeth Herzing interviews Jen Girten, manager of education program development at Heifer International, about the organization’s mission to combat world hunger and poverty. They believe gifts of training and livestock can help families turn hunger...
Stressed out? Deepen your relationship with Jesus with practical methods of prayer. Stephen Muff Every year since 2007, the American Psychological Association has surveyed the country’s anxiety. This year broke the record. Americans are seeking remedies. More and more, people are turning toward the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, New Age...
Celebrate a city of culture and diversity with a rich history and deep faith. In 2018, New Orleans celebrates its tricentennial year. Liguorian’s award-winning fiction piece Remoulade and Ramos is a tale told by Louisiana native, Byron Miller, CSsR that skillfully weaves a young man’s rite of passage in with...
In a time of national danger, the prophet Joel called the people of Israel to have a conversion of heart and confidence in the Lord. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1430) refers to these words of the prophet in a section that speaks about interior penance. The Catechism...
A Letter by Robert E. Lee From my lofty perch atop many pedestals, I have become a lightning rod. Some governing bodies are now enacting legislation to keep me standing. Others have spent millions of dollars for masked men to remove my compatriots and me—mostly in darkness and secrecy. Paraphrasing...