Learning to be Quick to Listen

In a world that often feels fractured and filled with conflict, we are constantly faced with the shocking reality of senseless violence and murder. We see acts of hatred in our communities, on the news, and sometimes even in our own lives, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed, angry, or hopeless. Our natural human response is to demand justice, to seek revenge, or to build walls of protection. Yet, Jesus offers a radically different path , a call to love that seems impossible in the face of such profound evil. In Luke's Gospel , Jesus lays out a countercultural manifesto for how to live in a broken world. He says, “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” This isn't just a suggestion; it's a divine command that challenges us to move beyond our base instincts. It's a call to offer the other cheek, to give away more than is asked, and to be generous without expectation of return...

On August 28, 2025, Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful address in French to a delegation of officials from France's Diocese of Créteil . In his remarks, the Holy Father directly challenged the false notion that faith and public life should be separate. He emphasized that the salvation of Christ encompasses all aspects of human existence, including culture, politics, and the economy. Citing the Church's social doctrine, Pope Leo insisted that charity, a gift from God, can transform structures, legal systems, and social organizations from within. For the pope, a Christian’s faith is not a private matter to be left at home when they enter the public sphere; it must inform every aspect of their being and work. Pope Leo XIV told the politicians that there is no separation in their personality—they are not one person as a politician and another as a Christian. Instead, they must live out their political responsibilities in a Christian manner , guided by their conscience and fa...

In a world that often feels fractured and overwhelming, the Corporal Works of Mercy , as outlined by Jesus in the Bible , offer a powerful pathway to a life of profound goodness and genuine freedom. These acts – feeding the hungry , giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless , visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, and burying the dead – are not mere suggestions, but invitations to participate actively in God's compassionate plan for humanity . By choosing to engage in these tangible acts of service, we step outside of ourselves and our own concerns, fostering a deeper connection with our neighbors and, in turn, with the divine. This outward focus, paradoxically, liberates us from the self-centeredness and anxieties that can often shackle our spirits, allowing us to experience the joy and fulfillment that come from living a life of purpose. Embracing the Corporal Works of Mercy also cultivates a sense of true freedom, not just for those we serve, but f...

From a Catholic perspective , social media and texting can be a great gift. It has made communication easier and faster. We can quickly share information or ask and answer questions with a simple text. It also allows people to express their thoughts in writing, which for some is easier than speaking in person. The ability to connect with people far away or to keep in touch with friends and family has never been more accessible, allowing us to build up our communities even when we're not physically together. While there are many positive aspects of social media, we also need to be mindful of its downsides. Digital communication can miss essential non-verbal cues like tone and body language. This can lead to misunderstandings, even when the person sending the message has good intentions. The written word can be easily misinterpreted, and once a message is sent, it can be saved forever. Receiving a text message can also activate a hit of dopamine , which may explain why a generation o...

It's an exciting time for the Church as the Vatican recently announced the approval for the canonization of two remarkable young figures: Blessed  Carlo Acutis and Blessed  Pier Giorgio Frassati . This momentous news recognizes their profound impact and enduring witness to Christ. Carlo Acutis, the "patron of the internet," used his passion for technology to document Eucharistic miracles before his untimely death at 15. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at 24, was a vibrant social activist and outdoorsman, dedicating his life to serving the poor and living out the Beatitudes with joyful abandon. Both, in their own unique ways, demonstrate that holiness is accessible and compelling for every generation. Pope Francis has frequently pointed to figures like Carlo and Pier Giorgio as models for young people today. In his apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit , Pope Francis specifically praised Carlo Acutis, noting that he "knew how to use the new communication technologi...

There’s an ancient, and often forgotten, prayer that's been a source of comfort and strength for centuries. Known as the Jesus Prayer , its roots trace back to the fifth century , with early versions found etched in caves across the Egyptian desert . The prayer itself is a simple yet profound petition: " Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner ." It's a way to align our minds and hearts with the very name of Jesus, a name that St. Paul says is "above every name." This powerful repetition can become a deeply personal practice, one that aims to match the rhythm of our breathing, turning prayer from something we merely do into a part of who we are. This simple act of repetition can also be a quiet form of self-denial—a hidden martyrdom that helps us stay present and focused on God throughout our day. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through our phones at a red light, we can use that moment to breathe in the awareness of God’s presence. The ...

Today's Gospel from Luke offers a powerful glimpse into the "day in the life" of Jesus, a day filled not just with words, but with dynamic action. We find Jesus, fresh from a dramatic expulsion of a demon in the Capernaum synagogue, moving swiftly to the house of Simon. There, he cures Simon’s mother-in-law , a private act of compassion that quickly becomes a public spectacle as the entire town gathers at his door. Jesus, far from being just a teacher of ethics, spends the entire evening healing the sick, a profound demonstration of his divine power breaking through into the human world. This is the Jesus that the evangelist Luke presents: a healer, a " soter " or "savior," whose actions are a foretaste of the full health and wholeness God intends for us in the Kingdom . This image of a dynamic, healing Savior is a crucial counterpoint to the more rationalized portrayals of Jesus that emerged in later centuries. As Saint Pope John Paul II often emph...

Catholics don’t celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus because it's a random organ. We don’t have feast days for Jesus’ arms or kidneys, for instance. Rather, the feast honors his divine-human love for us, a love that the Catechism refers to as “our hidden center.” This devotion goes all the way back to the Middle Ages, but its celebration as a solemnity became especially important in the seventeenth century as a response to the devastating heresy of Jansenism . The Jansenist heresy created a deep and lasting spiritual anxiety for Catholics, largely because it painted a distorted picture of God as an “implacable judge” rather than a merciful Father. Jansenism wrongly taught that God predestined some people for hell, that most people lacked the perfect contrition required to be forgiven in the sacrament of confession, and that unworthy reception of Communion was a grave risk. The resulting vision was a cold, distant God who was not to be loved but feared. This led o...

Some Protestant critics claim that Catholics can't truly know what's in Sacred Tradition , arguing that it's a vague concept compared to the clear contents of Scripture. They believe that since we can no longer speak directly with the apostles, we can't be sure which traditions are truly apostolic . This line of reasoning, however, creates a problem for many Protestants, as they themselves rely on truths not explicitly found in the Bible. Many common Protestant beliefs, such as the cessation of public revelation or the specific books that make up the Bible, are accepted based on historical consensus and tradition, not solely on Scripture. This reveals a shared reliance on tradition, whether it's acknowledged or not. The Catholic Church, however, is not only able to identify these apostolic traditions, but it also has a clear, God-given method for doing so: the Magisterium. The Bible itself gives us a model for this process in Acts 15 , where the apostles gathered fo...