Learning to be Quick to Listen

Pope Francis has signed off on the miracle needed to make Mother Teresa a saint, giving the tiny nun who cared for the poorest of the poor one of the Catholic Church's highest honors just two decades after her death. The Vatican said Friday that Francis approved a decree attributing a miracle to Mother Teresa's intercession during an audience with the head of the Vatican's saint-making office on Thursday, his 79th birthday. No date was set for the canonization, but Italian media have speculated that the ceremony will take place in the first week of September — to coincide with the anniversary of her death and during Francis' Holy Year of Mercy. "This is fantastic news. We are very happy," said Sunita Kumar, a spokeswoman for the Missionaries of Charity in the eastern city of Kolkata (earlier called Calcutta), where Mother Teresa lived and worked. More On This Topic Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING -- Marie Constantin, who spent years photograph...

Creationism vs. evolution, scientific method vs. ethics, science vs. faith, the church's censure and rehabilitation of Galileo Galilei. For centuries, there have been countless confusion and arguments pitting science against faith as if they were two opposing forces. In the hopes of dispelling lingering myths and misunderstandings, one ecclesiastical institute has launched a unique online course explaining the compatible roles religion and science play in seeking meaning and knowledge in today's world. Sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the "Science and Faith in Dialogue" program is run by the Theological Faculty of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, and it seeks to bridge the gap between science and faith through education. Because of the course's success, the theological institute of Catalonia is now launching the course in English starting Feb. 9, 2016. Each class begins an introductory video on the day's lesson, narrated by Father Emili Marle...

On his return flight from Africa, as Pope Francis fielded the customary questions from the press, he challenged a journalist on a question about condom use in the fight to prevent HIV. “We know that prevention is key. We know that condoms are not the only method of solving the epidemic, but it’s an important part of the answer,” the journalist said. “Is it not time for the Church to change its position on the matter? To allow the use of condoms to prevent more infections?” The question, Pope Francis said, seemed too narrow to address such a widespread and complex issue. Condom use in and of itself could never solve the HIV crisis or other problems facing many African nations. “The problem is bigger,” the Pope said. “This question makes me think of one they once asked Jesus: 'Tell me, teacher, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? Is it obligatory to heal?' This question, 'Is doing this lawful,'…but malnutrition, the development of the person, slave labor, the lack ...

Speaking with catechists and teachers in Uganda, Pope Francis on Friday offered encouragement and stressed that witnessing the faith is critical for the growth of the Church. “Even when the task seems too much, the resources too few, the obstacles too great, it should never be forgotten that yours is a holy work,” he said. “The Holy Spirit is present wherever the name of Christ is proclaimed. He is in our midst whenever we lift up our hearts and minds to God in prayer. He will give you the light and strength you need!” Speaking to the catechists gathered before him, Pope Francis commented on what it means to be a teacher of the Christian faith. “'Teacher!' What a beautiful name this is! Jesus is our first and greatest teacher,” the Pope reflected. “Saint Paul tells us that Jesus gave his Church not only apostles and pastors, but also teachers, to build up the whole body in faith and love.” “Together with the bishops, priests and deacons who are ordained to preach the Gospel...

For the first time, U.S. bishops have issued a historical pastoral letter specifically addressing the global crisis of pornography, looking at how the industry is affecting the parishioners in their pews and what the Church can do to offer mercy, healing, and hope to recovering pornography users. "We offer this statement to give a word of hope and healing to those who have been harmed by pornography and to raise awareness of its pervasiveness and harms," the statement reads, saying the Church wants to offer healing to the families destroyed by pornography and to the individuals who have been exploited by it. The USCCB officially approved the pastoral letter created by the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth called "Create in Me a Clean Heart" on Nov. 17. The letter addresses the crisis of porn and how the Church is reaching out with mercy to those who fall prey to the thriving billion-dollar pornography industry, which creates an increasing slew of...

“Bangui is today the spiritual capital of the world,” Pope Francis said as he opened the Holy Door of Bangui’s cathedral on Sunday--the first time a Pope has opened a Holy Door outside Rome. Pope Francis proclaimed: “We all pray for peace, mercy, reconciliation, pardon, love. Throughout the Central African Republic and in all the nations of the world which suffer war, let us pray for peace. And together we all pray for love and peace. We pray together.” The Pope opened the Holy Door in the Central African Republic’s capital before the beginning of Sunday Mass Nov. 29. The Jubilee of Mercy does not begin until Dec. 8, but Pope Francis decided to open the Holy Door in the cathedral of Bangui as a sign of prayer and solidarity with the country. The Central African Republic is an active warzone following the December 2012 uprising which led to the overthrow of the president. About 6,000 people have died in the conflict, with several thousands more displaced. The rite of the opening o...

I urge you to continue to pray for the families of the victims who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Paris. Once again we see what humankind can do with something that God ordained. Religion is not about murder. The focus should be on God. The teachings of Jesus Christ when he lived among us are still true today. Love God with all of your heart. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Instead of trying to look for differences, lets find the commonalities. Collectively we can solve many of the world's problems by taking the time to get to know others that may be a little different from us. All of the victims killed by the suicide bombers were created by God. Why would God be happy with you if you are killing his creation? Before you condemn someone, kneel and pray with them. Your entire perspective will change.

A week after the 65th anniversary of Father Emil J. Kapaun's capture in North Korea, the bishop of Wichita, Kansas, formally presented a report on the Army chaplain's life, virtues and fame of holiness to the Congregation for Saints' Causes. Bishop Carl A. Kemme of Wichita and a small delegation from the diocese met Nov. 9 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the congregation, and other officials to hand over the 1,066 report known as a "positio." During the Korean War, Father Kapaun, a priest of the Wichita diocese, and other members of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, were captured by Chinese troops in North Korea Nov. 2, 1950. The priest died in a North Korean prison camp May 23, 1951. President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to the war-hero priest in a White House ceremony in 2013, but the men who were imprisoned with Father Kapaun and the faithful of the Diocese of Wichita had been honoring him long before that. "Sin...

Are you trying to get more out of Mass than you have in the past? Try keeping a journal. You can list the readings from the Bible and look them up later. You can jot down questions for your pastor or deacon and email them for the answers. You can also write down your thoughts about the entire experience by spending a little time at the end of Mass. So what is the point? All of this journaling will help you to deepen your faith. Taking the message of Sunday into the work week can help you become the person God created you to be. And it all starts with making a few notes at Mass and using those notes to live a more Christ-like life. Try it out.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love. That verse is one of the strongest memories I have of attending Catholic elementary school. It was a part of a song that we seemed to sing quiet frequently. But the true meaning of the song still resonates with me. Amid all of the rudeness and incivility among and between people of all faiths (and no faith), this is an idea who's time has come again. Do people know that you are a Christian by the way you respond to life's daily trials? Do you set the bar when it comes to acting like Jesus in your workplace? What about the example you set for your children or others who look to you for guidance? The song goes on to say "We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord." Another salient point that should be reemphasized at a time when it feels like Christians have been divided in order to be conquered. I am challenging myself to live the words of this song. I am committing to being someone who acts out of love. How tha...

If divorced-and-remarried Catholics should receive communion, as Cardinal Walter Kasper and many of the German bishops suggest, does that mean St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher died for nothing? In his latest column Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver asked this question and pointed to similarities between Cardinal Kasper’s push for allowing remarried Catholics to receive communion and English bishops granting Henry VIII’s “annulment.” “As with those who advocate for communion for the civilly remarried, the English bishops were uncomfortable with embracing divorce and remarriage outright,” he said in his Oct. 19 column. “Instead, they chose to bend the law to the individual circumstances of the case with which they were confronted, and King Henry VIII was granted an ‘annulment’ — on a fraudulent basis and without the sanction of Rome.” The case for Henry VIII’s divorce came from a “strong utilitarian argument”: the king’s personal happiness and the well-being of the country. Simi...

As reported by Yahoo news, "One of the participants in the synod, the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, tweeted earlier this week that Francis had warned the prelates against falling into a "conspiracy" mindset as they discuss how the church can better minister to Catholic families, gays, divorcees and couples in civil unions. But in his briefing to reporters Tuesday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, didn't quote Pope Francis as making such an explosive and critical admonition. His summary of Francis' remarks was more generic, and a text of Francis' remarks was never provided to the media. Lombardi confirmed Thursday that the pope indeed uttered the words but said he wasn't obliged to make public everything that everyone says." I guess it is all about the clicks even when it comes to the Catholic Church and Pope Francis. Yahoo posted the following story on its news page in order to ramp up the visits to it pages. That is the way the online econ...

The world Synod of Bishops on the family is not a parliament where participants will negotiate or lobby, Pope Francis said, but it must be a place of prayer where bishops speak with courage and open themselves to "God who always surprises us." Opening the first working session of the synod Oct. 5, the pope said the synod's 270 voting members need courage, "pastoral and doctrinal zeal, wisdom, frankness and to keep always before our eyes the good of the church and of families and the supreme law -- the salvation of souls." Arriving about 15 minutes before the session began, Pope Francis welcomed to the synod hall the members, delegates from other Christian communities and the men and women who will serve as experts and observers. The synod is not a convention or a parliament, Pope Francis said, "but an expression of the church; it is the church that walks together to read reality with the eyes of faith and with the heart of God." Synod members must ...

A streamlined annulment process announced by Pope Francis is a positive step for the Catholic Church and has the potential to help many divorced Catholics in the healing process, according to Father Paul Counce, judicial vicar for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. “The church is reaching out to people who are hurting,” said Father Counce said. “We’re making it easier for them to lead lives of faith, to come to church, to come to Communion.” The Vatican released Sept. 8 the texts of two papal documents, “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus” (“The Lord Jesus, the Gentle Judge”) for the Latin-rite church and “Mitis et misericors Iesus,” (“The Meek and Merciful Jesus”) for the Eastern Catholic churches. The changes, including the option of a brief process without the obligatory automatic appeal, go into effect Dec. 8, the opening day of the Year of Mercy. Pope Francis said the annulment process must be quicker, cheaper and much more of a pastoral ministry. The pope’s revised policy provides that in so...

Pope Francis threw away a prepared text and, to the delight of tens of thousands of people on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, spoke from the heart about the challenges and love that come with being part of a family. After listening to testimony from six families from various continents Sept. 26, he thanked them for sharing their stories. "A witness given in order to serve is thoroughly good, it makes us good persons, because God is goodness," he began, continuing to increase in speed and emphasis to the delight of the crowd. He smiled, gestured with his hands and the crowd cheered as he said it was "worth being a family." God sent his son into a family, he said, "and he could do this because it was a family that had a truly open heart," he said. The pope spoke in Spanish, the language in which he is most comfortable; his talk was translated by Msgr. Mark Miles. "We are celebrating the feast of the family," he told the crowd. "Families ha...

Pope Francis exhorted consecrated religious to take part in an evangelization which “burns in the heart,” cautioning against gossip and narcissism as prominent dangers of consecrated life. The Pope explained: “to evangelize is not only to convince, it's to give witness that Jesus Christ is alive. And how do I give you this witness? With your flesh, with your life.” While it is good to study and give courses in evangelization, the Pope said, “the ability of warming hearts doesn't come from books, it comes from the heart! If your heart is burning from love for Jesus Christ, you are a good evangelizer,” he said. He also warned that consecrated life can be sterile when it is “not quite prophetic” and “not allowed to dream.” Pope Francis acknowledged that consecrated life has moments of instability and temptations, especially the temptation to not forgive. He specifically warned that gossip impedes forgiveness and destroys others’ reputations. “But never, never drop the bomb of goss...

Pope Francis Monday celebrated his second public Mass during his papal visit to Cuba, reflecting that an encounter with Christ has the power to transform even the most rejected sinners into missionaries. “The gaze of Jesus gives rise to missionary activity, service, self-giving,” the Pope said, drawing his inspiration from the conversion of St. Matthew, whose feast is celebrated Sept. 21. “Jesus' love heals our short-sightedness and pushes us to look beyond, not to be satisfied with appearances or with what is politically correct.” Reminding the faithful that they too are sinners, the pontiff called them to take a moment and “recall with gratitude and happiness those situations, that moment, when the merciful gaze of God was felt in our lives. He sees beyond this, to our dignity as sons and daughters, a dignity at times sullied by sin, but one which endures in the depth of our soul,” the Pope Francis said. “He came precisely to seek out all those who feel unworthy of God, unworthy ...

Monday’s feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross reminds us that the way of Christ and his followers is one of humble surrender, Pope Francis said in his homily yesterday. “(I)f a Christian wants to make progress on the path of the Christian life, he must lower himself, as Jesus lowered himself: this is the path of humility,” the Holy Father said during his Sept. 14 Mass at the chapel of the Saint Martha guesthouse in the Vatican. He said that while many beautiful images of the crucifixion may help us meditate on the Lord’s sacrifice, what happened was “very different” from what most paintings depict. The reality is that Christ “was all torn and bloodied by our sins,” the Pope said. To illustrate this point, the Pope turned his attention to the figure of the serpent, which seemed to be the “protagonist of today’s readings.” In the first reading, from the book of Numbers, the Lord’s instructions for Moses to raise up the bronze serpent to save the people from the serpent’s venom illu...

This month, the Knights of Columbus will provide food to some 13,500 families in Erbil who have been displaced by the ISIS takeover of Mosul and Nineveh in Iraq. A national television commercial featuring Fr. Douglas Bazi, a Catholic priest who was kidnapped and tortured and now runs a refugee camp, will also air in the United States, hopefully prompting viewers to send even more aid. “Christians in the Middle East face persecution and extinction simply for their belief in the one who taught us to love one another,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said in a press release. “Despite the genocidal persecution against them, they have continued to be an inspiration to the power of their faith, and to the love of God and neighbor. They need our solidarity and support, and we are pleased to help provide it.” The organization has already donated millions in aid to the displaced Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, but this shipment of food supplies will bring their as...

Pope Francis has recalled the feast day of Saint Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. Toward the conclusion of Wednesday's general audience in St. Peter's Square in his remarks to Italian-speaking pilgrims, Pope Francis recalled that today, August 27, is the feast day of St. Monica. To the intercession of her and her son, Francis said, "We entrust newlyweds and Christian parents so that, like Monica, they will accompany the way of their children with their example and prayer." "We recommend comfort and constant attentions for the neediest sick as well as youth so that, like Augustine," he continued, "they tend always to the fullness of Truth and of Love, which is Christ: He alone can satiate the profound needs of the human heart." Born in Tagaste, North Africa, in 322, Monica was raised in a Christian home. The young girl had a difficult life and was forced to marry an adulterous, abusive Roman pagan, with a bad temper. She suffered greatly ...

How much reading do you do in a year? More specifically, how much Catholic reading do you do in a year? I am talking about books, articles, newspapers, blogs, websites, twitter, and instagram to name just a few. What about Catholic radio? Do you send a specific amount of time reading or learning about your faith? The Catholic faith is complex and rich with history and significance. There is so much to know about it and the resources are everywhere. I think that as I became more comfortable with the teachings of the Catholic church through study, I became much more willing to do as Jesus asked and evangelize. Bringing the Gospel to the unchurched is one of our primary missions in life. Exposing people to the life of Jesus and His teachings is needed in this world more than ever. The spread of relativism, the focus on oneself and free will, has made the world we live in very complex. As Christians we are assaulted for our beliefs everyday. And one of the ways to push back on this relativ...

Here is part of the homily given Sunday by Bishop Kevin Doran for the 2015 National Novena to Our Lady of Knock, which is underway through Aug. 22. "Giving thanks is a central theme in the writing and preaching of St. Paul. I think it comes, in the first place, from a deep down sense of gratitude for everything that God has done in his own life and especially for the experience of the Risen Jesus. Today, St. Paul encourages us, "always and everywhere" to give thanks to God. It is not just a formality or a routine, but an attitude and - as Paul knew well - that attitude of gratitude sometimes had to be lived in the face of adversity. In his work of proclaiming the good news about Jesus Christ, he was beaten, shipwrecked and imprisoned many times, but he remained grateful to God who, as he says, gave him the victory through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Today and during the whole of this novena, our focus is on the family and it seemed appropriate to reflect on why we ...

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and other speakers at a Steubenville Youth Conference inspired 1,800 Catholic teenagers to live their faith openly. Cardinal Dolan charmed the youth with his trademark sense of humor early on in his homily. "I'm a little uncomfortable today having Mass in a gym," he said, gesturing toward his stomach, "because I don't go to gyms very often. That's all right, because nowhere are we more at home than to gather around the table of Jesus Christ." The cardinal preached about St. Dominic's work with the Albigensians, a 12th-century sect. "They had such a lofty concept of God, and they just went off the wrong track," he said. "(They thought), 'How could God leave heaven and enter this stupid, sinful, corrupt, dirty world?' They said, 'This Incarnation is a big, fat lie, and we don't believe it. God could not have been conceived in the womb of a woman. God could not have sweated and crie...

Today we celebrate Christ's transfiguration. The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end. Moreover, this glorious event has been related in detail by St. Matthew (17:1-6), St. Mark (9:1-8), and St. Luke (9:28-36), while St. Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18) and St. John (1:14), two of the privileged witnesses, make allusion to it. About a week after His sojourn in Cæsarea Philippi, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them to a high mountain apart, where He was transfigured before their ravished eyes. St. Matthew and St. Mark express this phenomenon by the word metemorphothe, which the Vulgate renders transfiguratus est. The Synoptics explain the true meaning of the word by adding "his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow," according to the Vulgate, or "as light," according to the Greek text. This dazzling brightness which emanated fro...

The mystery priest who seemingly came from nowhere to pray with an accident victim at the scene of a head-on car crash in Missouri has come forward to say that he was only doing the basic job of a priest and most of the credit goes to God, who "took such good care of" the injured woman. "I have no doubt the Most High answered their prayers and I was part of his answer, but only part," the Rev. Patrick Dowling told ABC News Monday. First responders had said they were convinced the mystery priest was sent from above. Dowling, a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City, was the clergyman who showed up when an allegedly drunken driver hit Katie Lentz, of Quincy, Mo., head-on Aug. 4 while traveling on Route 19 near Center, Mo. The accident pinned the 19-year-old in the front seat of her vehicle. "I was coming from 8:30 a.m. mass and shortly after that I saw this line of cars," Dowling recounted. Lentz was barely clinging to life and her vital...

One of the topics that comes up frequently in our small Christian community is distractions. We are constantly bombarded with messages from so many different messengers it can be overwhelming. When is the last time you were in a place that had complete silence? I am not talking about somewhere that had the television on mute with the closed captioning running. I am talking about nothing happening but you and God. That is the ultimate benefit of being unplugged and focused. You know that Jesus was very effective because he was very focused on his mission. He came to earth to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for us. Everything he did was about that. His training of the disciples and followers was about bringing his salvation message in service to others. His preaching was about helping us to understand why he was willing to give of his life for us--the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus also spent time in the desert and elsewhere in silence. If Jesus needed to separate himself in ord...

Wanted to share an article from U.S. Catholic with you. Let me know what you think. The Rev. Martin Schlag is a trained economist as well as a Catholic moral theologian, and when he first read some of Pope Francis’ powerful critiques of the current free market system he had the same thought a lot of Americans did: “Just horrible.” But at a meeting in May, Schlag, an Austrian-born priest who teaches economics at an Opus Dei-run university in Rome, reassured a group of Catholics, many from the world of business and finance, that Francis’ views on capitalism aren’t actually as bad as he feared. “You can get the impression that the pope is against capitalism,” said Schlag, who heads the Markets, Culture and Ethics Research Centre at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, located near the Vatican. But he explained that what Francis—the first Latin American pope—understands as capitalism is in fact the “crony capitalism” that is found in the pontiff’s native Argentina and much of La...

Pope Francis visited one of Latin America's most notorious prisons, calling himself "a man who was and is saved from his many sins." "I couldn't leave Bolivia without seeing you, without sharing the hope and faith given in the cross," he told people at Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz. Speaking on the final morning of his less than 48-hour visit to Bolivia, the pope called for conversion and a changing of attitudes among inmates in their relations among each other and the broader society, which often views such populations with suspicions. "When Jesus becomes part of our lives, we can no longer remain imprisoned by our past," Pope Francis said. "Instead, we begin to look to the present, and we see it differently, with a different kind of hope." The visit again reflected the pope's preoccupation for prison populations, who, in Latin America, often serve their sentences in overcrowded and violent facilities -- if they're sentenced...

Have you ever been approached by someone who asks you if you believe in the afterlife? How did you respond? I think that we have all heard the adage that it is better to believe and be wrong than not believe at all. The Bible talks about faith a lot and Jesus dealt with the faith issue head on in the post-resurrection incident recounted in John 20:24-29 which says, “Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be...

In his last encounter during his visit to Ecuador, Pope Francis on Wednesday warned priests and religious against career ambitions that lead to 'spiritual Alzheimer’s.' “When a seminarian or priest thinks too much about his career, he starts to suffer from spiritual Alzheimer's and he loses his memory and forgets where he came from,” the Pope said. “Never forget where you came from; don’t forget your roots.” Emphasizing that “everything is a free gift,” he pointed to the example of Mary. “She was never a protagonist. All her life she was a disciple. Mary knew that everything she had was a freely given gift from God,” he said. “And God’s free gift is shown in you, religious men and women, and priests and seminarians.” “We need to go back to that free gift of God,” he continued. “You paid no entry ticket to be who you are or to be where you are in the seminary or in religious life. You did nothing to deserve it.” The Holy Father encouraged the clergy and religious to rec...

Like on any true pilgrimage, a group of Floridians met strangers along the way and were greeted by local people as well as travelers doing things both secular and recreation on a sunny summer Saturday in the Florida Keys. They sang hymns, prayed part of the Divine Mercy, read a pilgrim prayer and recited the rosary. They prayed the Stations of the Cross, heard reflections from the nation's Founding Fathers, stopped to admire sacred artwork, stained-glass windows and historic grottos, and walk through an elaborate prayer garden. For the fourth year in a row and as part of the nationwide U.S. bishops' Fortnight for Freedom effort, a small group of South Florida Catholics embarked June 27 on a daylong pilgrimage to the five Catholic parishes in the Florida Keys. The fortnight event is a call to U.S. Catholics to defend their freedom of religion and monitor ongoing threats against religious liberties that impact church entities nationwide. Adding urgency to the Floridians' fort...

The U.S. Supreme Court decision, June 26, interpreting the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage” “is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The full statement follows: Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable. Just as Roe v. Wade did not settle the question of abortion over forty years ago, Obergefell v. Hodges does not settle the question of marriage today. Neither decision is rooted in the truth, and as a result, both will eventually fail. Today the Court is wrong again. It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage. The unique meaning of marriage as the union of one man and ...

About 800 people witnessed history June 18 as the Archdiocese of Omaha advanced to Rome the sainthood cause for Father Edward Flanagan, Boys Town founder. Archbishop George J. Lucas was the main celebrant of a morning Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha that marked the closing of the archdiocesan phase of the canonization effort with a special ceremony to encase and officially seal four boxes -- 4,600 pages -- of documents detailing the archdiocese's three-year investigation. The documents will be shipped to the Congregation for Saints' Causes at the Vatican. If the findings are accepted, recognizing Father Flanagan's heroic virtues, he will be declared "venerable." In general, two approved miracles attributed to the intercession of the candidate are needed for sainthood -- one for beatification and the second for canonization. The ceremony was a once-in-a-lifetime event, a first for the archdiocese, to have one of its members -- an archdiocesan p...

Yes, I admit that I was one of the apparently millions who went to see Jurassic World this weekend. So without giving too much away (no spoilers here), I was happy to see that the story finally returned to the theme park that started the entire franchise. It was interesting to see how much technology is used in those types of operations (assuming what they showed was true to life). What I really want to focus on is the main issue of the movie; namely that the scientists decided they need to not just revive dinosaurs from the past but to genetically create a new one. That is where the plot gets ramped up and that is also where the religion theme begins to emerge. It seems that humans always create problems when they try to be God. It happens here and it happens in our daily lives. Deciding who lives and who dies through abortion or capital punishment. The entire field of genetic engineering really causes me to pause. I understand that God provides the miracle of modern medicine to help ...

Why is worrying considered to be a sin against God? I think it is mainly because we are forgetting who is in charge. I Peter 5:7 says "Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you." In that very simple statement is a very powerful and profound message. Our God loves us and cares about what happens to us. He is sad when we turn our backs on him whether through sin, neglect or ego. The self indulgence that we are capable of as humans is such an obstacle. But we must remember that nothing on earth cannot be healed by our loving God. He is almighty and powerful and his comfort is limitless. So we bring ourselves to him over and over again and he accepts us as we are. Who else does that for you? Have you ever felt judged by others? I know I have. Have you ever judged other people? I know I have. If you have felt judged by our God you are not talking to the same God that I know. Our God gives us talents, abilities and gifts and he honors that commitment. So often our ju...

Loving Father and Creator of all we come to you today deeply grateful for your creation. As we look around us we are amazed at the greatness and majesty of all that you have made. Nature around us speaks of your greatness - the vast expanse of the sky, the mountains, trees, lakes and streams speak of your great design. You have given us such beauty in the colors of the rainbow, the beauty of flowers and fields. Words cannot adequately express the magnificence of all you have created. We join in praise with the writer of the psalms when he says, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." May we show our love and reverence to you, our Lord, by caring for all that you have created. We humbly give you praise and thanks. Amen

A friend recently asked me what I thought of Bruce Jenner's decision to declare himself a female. The first thing that came to my mind was empathy. I am sure that Jenner is feeling pain and agonized over this matter for a while. At least I hope he did since there are other people (specifically his children) who are profoundly affected by his decision. The more I thought about it, I began to wonder why he would do this. Believing that God is our creator and that He certainly does not make mistakes, why did Jenner feel that he was meant to be a women? We have seen this humanist approach to the world more and more lately but this sort of public cry for attention is surely not what Jenner needs at this point. I am praying that someone will reach out to him and share the Good News with him. As humans we make mistakes. We certainly have doubts and fears but knowing that God is with us and in control is a comfort that Christians enjoy every day. Living for eternal life with Jesus Christ i...

In Philippians 4:12, St. Paul tells us that he has learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens. His happiness stems from his acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. So is the secret to happiness that easy? Yes is the answer! Asking Jesus Christ to take over your life is truly a life-changing experience. Allowing the conversation between you and Jesus to never end is a very important part of this transformation. Not only in prayer and adoration but in ongoing conversation. Allowing Jesus and his beatitudes to guide us through life is truly the secret to happiness. St. Paul experienced many hardships, not the least of which was his initial blinding, as he began his conversion from persecutor to Christian. I enjoyed the depiction presented two Sundays ago on A.D. the Series. Saul's anguish and confusion was carefully depicted. His complete and utter surrender to the power of Christ is a great example to all of us. Too often the story of St. Paul...

Couples who are seeking to marry, even those who have lived together, should value their engagement period as a time to grow in mature love and in profound knowledge of each other, said Pope Francis. The pope urged couples not to rush into marriage. Maturation in love before marriage is a slow process, in which none of the steps should be skipped, Pope Francis told people at his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. "The covenant of love between a man and a woman, a covenant for life, cannot be improvised; it cannot be done from one day to the next," he said. There is no such thing as "an express marriage," he added. While it is "beautiful" that people today can choose whom to marry, the "freedom of this bond" cannot be based simply on physical attraction or feelings, he said. Engagement allows a couple to do the profound and "beautiful work of love" -- work that involves a profound "learning" of the other. "...

When the church has a problem to solve or a big decision to make, the Holy Spirit works by helping people discuss the issues openly and frankly, not by fomenting gossip and backroom deals, Pope Francis said. "In a church where people always argue and there are factions, and brothers and sisters betray each other, the Spirit is not there," he said in his homily May 8. The pope dedicated his morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae to Our Lady of Lujan, patroness of his native Argentina, whose feast was celebrated that day. "The Spirit is the one who brings something new, who moves the situation forward, who creates new areas, who creates the wisdom that Jesus promised" and who creates "harmonious unity among everyone," he said, according to Vatican Radio. The pope talked about the day's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles in which the First Council of Jerusalem met to solve a dispute concerning whether Gentiles converting to Chris...

Struggling with alcoholism, Regina knew she had to get "re-centered" with God to help with her addiction. A Catholic from Atlanta, Regina had been convicted of her second driving under the influence offense and the court ordered her to enter rehabilitation as part of her sentence. So she turned to GraceWay, a faith-based addiction recovery program started 29 years ago by Debbie and Tim Mazur, parishioners of St. Teresa Church in Albany. It was the faith component of GraceWay that attracted Regina, a mother of two sons. She was admitted to the program in October 2013 and stayed 31 days. For Regina, who asked only that her first name be used, the program was a "steppingstone" in recovery. She was craving a lot of quiet time for prayer but also found a lot of work at GraceWay, where part of recovery for some residents is bread-making in its bakery. "You do a lot of cleaning and cooking and a lot of meetings," she said. During less-structured time, she would p...

As Catholics and non-Catholics alike prepare for Pope Francis' visit to the United States in September, the pontiff's message of greater solidarity with poor people is resonating with a wide-ranging group of faith-based social justice advocates. Almost 300 representatives of parishes and organizations from 50 dioceses across the United States aligned with the PICO National Network gathered at St. Joseph's University April 30 and May 1 to launch a yearlong effort of faith formation and social action on poverty to take advantage of the momentum building around the papal trip. The Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States is partnering with the PICO National Network, a coalition of faith-based advocacy organizations, in the effort. Event organizers cited the pope's apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") and its searing critique of social and economic injustices as motivation for the initiative. Joseph Fleming, execut...

A Christian marriage isn't just a big ceremony held in a church with nice flowers and everyone wearing fancy clothes and taking lots of pictures, Pope Francis said. Marriage is an act of faith between a man and woman who are both fragile and limited, but courageous enough to follow Christ and seek to love each other as he loves them, the pope said during his general audience in St. Peter's Square. "Men and women, courageous enough to carry this treasure in the 'earthen vessels' of our humanity, are an essential resource for the church and for the whole world," he said. "May God bless them a thousand times for this!" The pope continued a series of talks about the family by focusing on the beauty of Christian marriage as a sacrament that builds up the church and the world. A Christian marriage "is not simply a ceremony that you have in church with flowers, the dress, photos. Christian marriage is a sacrament that takes place in the church and is a...

God's plan for fruitful, everlasting unions between a man and woman has been lost in a world filled with skepticism, distrust and hostility, Pope Francis said. A culture that does not value "the stable and life-giving covenant between a man and woman is certainly a loss for everyone. We must bring honor back to marriage and the family," he said April 22 during his general audience in St. Peter's Square. But much also must be done to return respect and dignity to women, who are often exploited, objectified and understandably skeptical of the possibility of harmony between men and women, he said. The pope continued his catechesis about the family with the second of two talks on the complementary nature of men and women. The Book of Genesis shows how God created the heavens and earth, and then a special creature made in his likeness to care and watch over the earth. Even though man was "the culmination" of God's creation, still "something was missing,...

The poor, migrants in search of a better life and the unemployed want what all human beings want: life, dignity and a chance to earn a decent living, Pope Francis said in several speeches urging compassion and assistance by both governments and individuals. Reciting the "Regina Coeli" prayer April 19, just hours after reports surfaced that perhaps more than 700 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe, Pope Francis asked the thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for a moment of silence and then to join him reciting a Hail Mary for the victims and survivors. The Italian coast guard reported that as of late April 19, 28 survivors had been rescued and 24 bodies had been recovered; one of the survivors, a Bangladeshi, told authorities the smugglers had locked hundreds of people in the hold, so there may have been as many as 950 people on board. Pope Francis called on the international community to act decisively and quickly to prevent the deaths ...

A group of young adults in Spain are bringing to the big screen a novel about the renewal of the Cistercian Order by three saints who strove to recover the poverty, simplicity and austerity of the early monastic era. “Three Rebel Monks” tells the story of Saint Robert of Molesmes, Saint Albéric, and Saint Stephen Harding, who overcame the challenges of monasteries that resisted their efforts. The film is an adaptation of the book with the same title written by M. Raymond. The film director, Aleix Forcada, said that he began with a short university project and ended up with a thorough production. The film was shot at the medieval monastery of Santa Maria de Huerta in Soria, Spain, where there is currently a Cistercian community. Forcada and the other filmmakers are young adults in the Schoenstatt movement in Madrid. They spent four years in filming and editing, a period of time that they say has been an opportunity to encounter God, according to a press release on the movie. Althou...

Second-grader Taylor Garrison got the best birthday present ever April 12 -- her first Communion. She received the sacrament at St. Mark's Church in Edgewood on the day she turned 8. Her journey to meeting Jesus in the Eucharist wasn't easy, but came about through a combination of hard work, modern technology -- like an iPad and the Internet -- and God's grace. "I feel really excited," she said told The Witness, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, in an interview a few days before the special ceremony. "It was a little difficult, but I really wanted to have my first Communion." As a member of a military family, she currently lives at Fort Knox, an Army post in Kentucky, where her father is stationed. Because the Catholic resources there were lacking, Taylor's parents, Pam and Shane Garrison, looked elsewhere to enroll their daughter in a preparation class for the sacrament. "There are no religious education teachers here," said the mot...

To avoid living like pagans, Christians must guard against the temptation of "slipping toward worldliness and power" and of seeking Jesus only to fulfill their material interests, said Pope Francis. "This is the daily temptation for Christians, for all of us who make up the church," the pope said at his morning Mass April 20 in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. After the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, the people in the day's Gospel account (Jn 6:22-29) seek Jesus not "because of the religious awe that leads one to worship God," the pope said, but "for their material interests." When one tries to profit from following Jesus -- an attitude frequently shown in the Gospels -- then one "risks not understanding" and even obscuring the "true mission of Jesus," said the pope. "Many people follow Jesus for their own interests," the pope said. "Even among his apostles: the sons of Zebedee, who wanted...

People from a variety of faiths and backgrounds will unite in Washington, D.C., April 25 to uphold marriage as the union of a man and a woman in the third annual March for Marriage. “It’s going to be a diverse group, and it’s going to highlight how people of different faiths and backgrounds all come together to support the truth, and marriage is the union of a man and a woman,” Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, told CNA. The third annual March for Marriage will take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and precedes April 28 oral arguments at the Supreme Court on a critical marriage case that could determine the civil definition of marriage nationwide. The march normally takes place in June, but Brown told CNA that this year it was rescheduled to April to coincide with the oral arguments for Obergefell v. Hodges. That case involves four marriage decisions by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in November. At that time, the court upheld trad...

For a "good Easter," Christians must do more than simply recall the passion of Jesus during Holy Week; they must "enter into the mystery" of the Easter Triduum and make Jesus' feelings and attitudes their own, Pope Francis said. During his general audience April 1, he also recalled the "true martyrs" of today, men and women who "offer their lives with Jesus" for their Christian faith. Their witness, in imitation of Christ's sacrifice, "reflects a ray of this perfect, full and pure love (of Christ)," he said. Theirs, he added, "is a service of Christian witness to the point of bloodshed. It is the service Christ did for us, he redeemed us." The pope began his catechesis, dedicated to the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, by saying that the death and resurrection of Christ are "the culmination" of the entire liturgical year and of the Christian life. The pope offered reflections for each day of the Triduum, ...

Religious liberty is "the most fundamental freedom in society" and it is at "the very core of the human condition," attorney and scholar Joseph Weiler told an audience at The Catholic University of America in Washington. He gave a lecture at a ceremony where he was presented an honorary doctorate of theology by the university. In attendance were John Garvey, the university's president, and several members of its academic faculty at the March 19 event hosted by the School of Theology and Religious Studies. In honoring Weiler, the university cited his lifelong contributions to the cause of religious liberty, scholarship on Judeo-Christian morality in European public life, and the continued development of Catholic-Jewish relations in the Western world. Weiler, born in 1951 in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the Joseph Straus professor of law at New York University. He also is the European Union Jean Monnet chaired professor, co-director of the Jean Monnet Center for...

Catholic advocates are pressing Congress to make the needs of poor and vulnerable people a priority as legislators hammer out a federal spending plan for 2016. The advocates told Catholic News Service they want to prevent trillions of dollars in social services spending from disappearing over the next decade as Congress seeks to balance the federal budget and reduce the nation's growing debt. In meetings with individual members of Congress, they have stressed that the needs of hungry, homeless and unemployed people must be the country's highest priority. "There are millions of people at stake in these decisions," said Brian Corbin, senior vice president for social policy at Catholic Charities USA, which has joined with Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in meetings on Capitol Hill. "They all have a name and a face and based on our principle of human dignity, that name and that face and that family, those really are important to m...

Today as we celebrate the feast day of the great St. Joseph, I hope you are not just worrying about getting your Italian cookies. St. Joseph is such a powerful example to us mainstream Catholics and Christians as well. His obedience to God's requests brought the world Jesus Christ. His protection of the Virgin Mary and Jesus caused such a revolution that we are still contemplating the consequences. St. Joseph was a terrific husband and father and now is a great time to look to him for guidance. Look at his conversation with God's messenger in the Bible. Look at how he stood by his commitment to our Mother Mary when there was immense pressure to walk away. Look how he moved his family quickly to safety every time the leaders of the time changed their minds. Look at his influence on Jesus. Now more than ever, when many men are turning their backs on their own children, Joseph is the perfect example of what a real man does. His devotion and allegiance to Mary and Jesus is really q...