Learning to be Quick to Listen

The Second Vatican Council , in Gaudium et Spes , laid out a profoundly balanced vision for family life. Article 50 of the Constitution teaches that parents must exercise " responsible parenthood ," which requires a serious and prudent consideration of not just the number of children, but the full context of their lives: the physical, economic, psychological, and social conditions of the spouses, the welfare of children already born, and the couple’s own material and spiritual well-being. This is not a simple endorsement of family planning , but a solemn obligation; it calls married couples to be mindful of their duties to God, to themselves, to their families, and to society, ensuring that the decision to welcome new life is always made with freedom, wisdom, and genuine generosity of spirit. Pope Saint John Paul II , through his extensive work on the Theology of the Body and his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio , further deepened this teaching by placing respons...

Scripture itself draws a distinction between two categories of wrongdoing, referring to "sin which is mortal " and "sin which is not mortal" ( 1 John 5 : 16 − 17 ). The latter is what the Church calls venial or pardonable sin, which wounds our relationship with God but doesn't sever it. To understand what tips the scales and makes a sin mortal—or deadly—we must look to three essential criteria, as reiterated by St. John Paul II: the sin must be of grave matter, committed with full knowledge, and done with deliberate consent. These conditions are critical because they speak to the degree of harm to our soul and the deliberate nature of the choice. For instance, some acts, like murder, are considered intrinsically grave and mortal by their very nature. If we know an action is seriously wrong and freely choose it, we’ve effectively chosen that sin over God, a choice that radically changes our fundamental orientation away from Him. A common misconception that St. ...

Many non-Catholic Christians operate under the belief that the Bible alone — Sacred Scripture —is the sole rule of faith, an idea often termed sola scriptura . Interestingly, nowhere in the Bible is this principle explicitly stated or even implied. The historical and scriptural evidence points to a much broader understanding of how God's truth is communicated and preserved: through Sacred Tradition . When Jesus commissioned the apostles in Matthew 28:19–20 , he commanded them to " teach them to obey all that I have commanded you," not to write it all down. This instruction inherently requires the faithful transmission of teaching—oral and lived experience—which is the essence of Sacred Tradition . The writings that eventually became the New Testament were themselves a product of this teaching; as St. Luke explains in his Gospel's introduction, he is committing to an orderly account of the things that were " delivered to us by those who from the beginning were ...

By its nature, biblical prophecy can be difficult to interpret because it often employs many symbols, which can be taken in more than one way. The key to understanding these complex texts is to determine the literal sense —that is, what the message meant in its original context and what the prophet was trying to communicate to his audience for their immediate benefit. Normally, Old Testament prophecies primarily found their fulfillment within the generation they were given to or within a few generations. However, these texts can have additional fulfillments later in time, which is why many also have further application at the time of Christ. To begin this careful process, the first essential step is to set aside any existing expectations about the text. Readers must specifically avoid looking to a text to validate a particular view they already hold, focusing instead on asking what the text is saying, not what they want it to say. The next foundational step is to diligently establish...

We live in a world saturated with information but starved for wisdom. When the noise of life—anxiety, self-doubt, and the exhaustion of keeping up—threatens to overwhelm us, the Holy Scriptures provide the unshakeable anchor we need. Daily reading is the essential practice that shifts our focus from the world's chaos to God's eternal perspective, transforming our inner turmoil into a dialogue with the Divine. As Pope Benedict XVI taught, reading Scripture accompanied by prayer "brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart." We must actively seek this knowledge, for as St. Jerome said, and Pope Benedict XVI echoed: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ .” Beyond daily reading, the practical act of memorizing Scripture is the spiritual weapon we carry into life’s daily battles. In moments of sudden temptation, despair, or fear, we don't have time...

The Catholic Church honors Saint Gabriel , the Archangel, with a special emphasis on his unique roles as the angel of the Incarnation and of Consolation . His name, meaning "God is my strength" or "Power of God," perfectly encapsulates his biblical appearances. Gabriel is perhaps most famously known for announcing to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear Jesus, the Son of God, marking the moment of the Incarnation . This role establishes him in Christian tradition as an angel of unparalleled mercy and good tidings, often contrasting with Saint Michael 's traditional association with judgment. Yet, even in this role of mercy, the frequent occurrence of words like "great," "might," "power," and "strength" in the scriptural accounts involving Gabriel underscores that he is fundamentally an angel of the Power of God acting on behalf of divine will.   Monday, a fitting day given the date, marks the Feast of the ...

Is it just me, or does the name Jesus Christ seem to stir up strong feelings in people? Some folks say it's because it reminds them of bad experiences with the Church or of Christianity 's more violent history. But isn't it interesting that the words “Christianity” or “ Catholic Church ” don’t seem to provoke the same anxiety? I'd argue that the name itself has power, and that's because the person who bears it is believed to be God in human form . This is a radical claim that sets Jesus apart from the teachings of other major world religions , which largely view him as a great teacher, a prophet, or an "enlightened man" but not God. So, why should we believe this incredible claim? For starters, Jesus believed he was God, and his actions backed it up. He didn't just teach about the truth; he declared, " I am the truth " ( John 14:6 ). He also acted like God by forgiving sins , a power only God has ( Mark 2:5-7 ). In a stunning display of di...

Rereading Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII . It is astonishing how relevant it still is for our modern world. One of the tenets involves our right to own private property .  The dignity of the human person is intrinsically linked to the right to private property. When a person engages in labor, they do so with the express intention of acquiring property—whether it's wages, a home, or a piece of land. This right is not merely a social construct; it is a fundamental aspect of human nature that distinguishes us from other animals. Unlike brutes , who live for the moment, human beings possess reason, allowing us to plan for the future. We are able to link the present with the future, and therefore, we need to be able to possess things in a stable and permanent way to provide for our recurring needs. To deny this right is to deny a person the ability to save, invest, and improve their condition in life, ultimately striking at the heart of their freedom and self-determination. This pr...

Jesus told a parable about a rich man and his dishonest manager. This manager was a shrewd operator, but he was fired for not bringing in as much money as he could have. Before he left, he went to all the people who owed the rich man money and drastically reduced their debts. He had no authority to do this, and legally, it was a dishonest act. Yet, when the rich man discovered what had happened, he commended the manager for his cleverness. Why? Because the manager had created a win-win situation . The debtors were overjoyed, morale skyrocketed, and productivity increased. The rich man, in the end, looked incredibly generous and couldn't risk revealing the truth, so he went along with it. The moral of this story, as Jesus explains, is to "make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes." While this can sound jarring, the message is simple: forgive . Whether it's a financial debt or an emot...

When we ponder the question "Who is Jesus?", we can't simply see him as an important historical figure or a moral teacher. The Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church teach us that He is infinitely more. He is the Son of God , the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity , and our Lord and Savior . He is fully God and fully man, united in one divine person. Jesus came to earth, born of the Virgin Mary , not only to teach us but to redeem humanity from sin through His passion, death, and resurrection. He is the fulfillment of all the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. His life and actions are the ultimate revelation of God’s love for us, and His teachings are the path to eternal life . Jesus is not a distant, historical character; He is a living, present reality. He is the Word made flesh , the one through whom all things were created. His identity is central to the Christian faith and our salvation. To know Jesus is to enter into a personal relationship w...