Learning to be Quick to Listen

Sudden loss is a shock that rends the fabric of our lives without warning. The unexpected news of a loved one's death—whether a tragic accident, a swift illness, or any unforeseen event—leaves us reeling in a desolate landscape of confusion and profound pain. It is an unspeakable wound, one that often brings with it an intense feeling of injustice, paralyzing grief, and the agonizing question of "why?" In these first moments, the world seems silent, and the promises of faith can feel distant, a whisper lost in the roar of sorrow. The Church, in its wisdom, acknowledges the sheer weight of this human suffering. As the Order of Christian Funerals states, "The celebration of the funeral rites ... provides the opportunity for the community to express its consoling presence." This ministry of presence is vital because we are never meant to suffer this darkness alone; even in the deepest despair, our faith reminds us that Christ himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. ...

Developing a profound and personal relationship with Jesus Christ is at the very heart of the Catholic faith, and the teaching of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) provides a clear pathway for this spiritual journey. This path is often understood through a four-step pattern for Christian life: Encounter, Conversion, Communion, and Mission. It begins with a personal encounter with Jesus, meeting Him in a real and transformative way. This leads to conversion, the crucial process of becoming more like Christ by turning away from sin and striving for holiness. While this relationship is intensely personal, it is also fundamentally communal—an encounter that happens through the Church and draws us into the Church. This uniquely Catholic approach ensures that our personal relationship with Christ is nurtured within the body of believers. The subsequent steps of Communion and Mission are notably prominent in the documents of Vatican II, particularly in Lumen gentium . Communion is the ...

On the surface, the Catholic practice of " closed communion "—restricting the Eucharist to Catholics in good standing—can appear scandalous, especially when many Protestant communities practice "open communion." Critics often ask: if Jesus freely received tax collectors and sinners at His dinner table (Luke 15:1-2), why do we refuse them the Lord’s Supper? The fundamental difference lies in understanding what the Eucharist is. Unlike a casual, hospitable meal, the Last Supper was an intimate, covenantal affair reserved for Jesus's chosen twelve, serving as the fulfillment of the Jewish Passover. The Passover was a decidedly "closed" event, requiring entrance into the covenant community (Exod. 12:48). Therefore, the Church doesn't treat the Eucharist as an act of generic hospitality, open to all, but rather as an act of marital intimacy—a profound union reserved for those in full covenantal relationship with the Church, the Bride of Christ. This exc...

The release of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s note, Mater Populi Fidelis , on November 4, 2025, sparked immediate and widespread confusion, driven largely by sensationalist headlines. In response to requests, particularly surrounding a potential Fifth Marian Dogma of Spiritual Maternity , the DDF addressed the usage of titles like Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix. Unfortunately, this has led to a large contingent online and in the media prematurely claiming that the Church has "tossed out" centuries of doctrine, with some outside the Church even proclaiming a victory over Catholic teaching. It is essential to understand that this doctrinal note is fundamentally about titles and clarity, not doctrine and change. The true teachings regarding Mary's unique role in salvation remain inviolable and unchanged; the document seeks merely to address how certain terms are used so that the Church’s doctrine may be correctly and harmoniously understood by the faithful world...

I've been reflecting deeply on Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te (“I have loved you”), and how I truly apply its principles—the preferential choice for the poor—to my daily life. The core challenge is overcoming my own self-centeredness and moving past pity. The Pope insists that love for the Lord is one with love for the poor (Rev 3:9), demanding that I treat charity not as an optional good work, but as the essential expression of my relationship with Christ. This calls me to start my day with a "Morning Prayer Check," asking the Holy Spirit to reveal one person or situation of need I might otherwise overlook, thereby keeping my faith from becoming a private comfort. The most profound shift required is seeing the poor not as objects of my compassion, but as "teachers of the Gospel"—a sacramental presence of the Lord. This means the focus of my action must be on encounter and listening, not just "giving and going." If I volunteer, I n...

All Souls' Day, officially known as The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (November 2nd), holds a profound place in the heart of Catholic tradition. It is a day dedicated to praying for the souls of those who, having died in God's grace and friendship, are still undergoing purification before entering the perfect joy of heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this final cleansing, calling it Purgatory , which is "entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (CCC 1030-1031). It is a necessary mercy for those "still imperfectly purified" to achieve the holiness required to gaze upon God, as nothing unclean can enter Heaven. This purification is not a punishment in the sense of condemnation, but a loving act of God to remove every remaining attachment to sin, preparing the soul for eternal beatitude. The reason Catholics pray for these souls—often called the "Church Suffering"—is rooted in the fundamental belief in the ...