Have you ever wondered about the difference between Catholic charity and modern philanthropy? Both care for the poor’s material needs. However, true Catholic charity adds two very important elements—supernatural vision and aid. Indeed, infinitely more can be done with the aid of God, Our Lady, the angels and saints. The saints saw … Read more
May the most just, the most high and most amiable will of God be in all things fulfilled, praised and exalted above all forever. –Pope Pius VII On the fourth of January 1821, Elizabeth Ann Seton breathed her last breath. Her favorite prayer, quoted above, was ever on her lips as she … Read more
Gustavo Antônio Solimeo and Luiz Sérgio Solimeo Notions about the holy angels among the Catholic faithful, even the most enthusiastic Catholics, are often vague and superficial. For the most part, they are mere memories and images of childhood, not much different from fictitious and somewhat mythological beings such as fairies and elves. … Read more
(May 30 is the feast day of Saint John of Arc) Pray novena for 9 consecutive days Eternal Father, Thou gave us Saint Joan of Arc through Thine infinite love and mercy for us. We humbly ask Thee to send down Thine Holy Spirit upon us, as the intermediary by which the … Read more
April 21 is the feast of Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church. Intrepid in the battles for the Faith, he defended the Church against the English King William Rufus. He once said that “Christ does not want a slave for a spouse. He loves nothing in … Read more
The Declaration of Independence enshrined the unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. By this right, we think we may freely live the life that makes us happy, as long as it is not illegal or violates the rights of others. Many have the illusion that we can achieve perfect happiness on … Read more
Frontier Catholics? What frontier Catholics? The idea that there were Catholics on the American frontier is unfamiliar to many. The early history of the United States is often thought of as a product of Protestantism. Our earliest settlers, so the accepted story goes, were English—some Puritans and others Anglican—but all Protestants. Maryland … Read more
There is good news in America today. Unemployment is down as the economy is booming. Jobs are available to all. Happy times should be here again. An economy-centered vision of society holds that plentiful jobs automatically lead to happiness. Give everyone a good job, they claim, and it will increase the person’s … Read more
It was a beautiful spring day when I visited the Baaklini family in Harrisburg, Penn. The enthusiastic crowd sang hymns and organized a procession for Our Lady of Fatima on entering the home. After crowning Our Lady, I looked around the living room at several images of saints, some of who were … Read more
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like the cedar of Lebanon. (Ps. 91:13) The Biblical cedars of Lebanon have towered on mountaintops for thousands of years. Lebanon, a country mentioned in the Bible more than 70 times, today carries the cedar on its flag. The towering … Read more