Have you ever had an out-of-body-experience? Hundreds of books have been written about it going back centuries. They generally report that the sensation of being lifted out of one’s body happens unexpectedly. You find yourself looking down on yourself below. It happened to me once, and it had a powerful influence on my life. Recently, […]
Christina Capecchi | Twenty Something: Life after the convent: finding the courage to start over
There is no scrapbook of Kathy Webb’s life as a Dominican sister. No picture frames or friendship bracelets, no nun memorabilia perched in a closet or buried in a trunk. The only artifact from her convent days is the long apron she wore to protect her white habit, bearing her former identity on a tiny […]
Msgr. Owen F. Campion | 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Gold, worthless as sand
Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30 The Book of Wisdom is the source of this weekend’s first reading. As the name implies, this ancient book was designed to insist that believing in the one God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, was not ridiculous but, in fact, the ultimate in wisdom and […]
Father Kenneth Doyle | Question corner: No wedding in a closed church?
Q: I am having a hard time understanding why a Catholic church closed by a bishop can no longer be used for Masses, weddings and funerals. For more than 100 years, this particular church — built by my great-great-grandparents — was considered sacred ground. Now my grandson wants to get married in that beautiful little […]
Father Eugene Hemrick | The human side: The roots of terrorism
Why is terrorism spreading like wildfire? Violent terrorism seizes the world’s attention today. So many lives and resources are devoted to countering terrorism’s influence and impact. Terrorist recruiters play on youthful idealism, and this is one reason the number of terrorists continues to grow. Young people tend to be highly idealistic and to dream of […]
Father John Catoir: The joy Pope Francis left behind
Pope Francis is the true vicar of Christ on earth today. During his first visit to the United States, he touched us deeply with his wisdom and love. He encouraged us to live joyfully and to keep our hopes high. Countless millions, young and old alike, through the miracle of television, experienced the sights and […]
Sister Cheryl Wint, Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities: The spirituality of turning it off
As an extrovert, I am constantly on the go. It is really hard to stop the brain from thinking, the limbs from moving, everything from just going, and to simply be. And yet, when I do take time to turn off and tune out, emptying myself of any accountability to anyone or unnecessary talk, I […]
Mary Adamski: Getting spiritual about ecology
If Catholics think we corner the market on fulfillment and welcome as we watch Pope Francis in his historic visit to the United States, we are mistaken. Even the American politicos who cluster to hear him — and hope for a photo op — when he speaks to Congress, visits the White House and mingles […]
Msgr. Owen F. Campion | 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The things of this world are fleeting
Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 The Book of Numbers, the source of the first reading for this weekend, is one of the first five books of the Bible. The ancient Hebrews and Jews today attribute these five books, collectively called the Pentateuch, to Moses. Jews see Moses, however, as only the […]
Father John Catoir: Trusting in God’s hidden hand
Faith teaches us that divine providence is somehow at work behind the scenes in the day-to-day events of our lives. Ask yourself, How did your parents meet? What sparked the mutual attraction between them? They probably met by accident, or so it seemed to them. Whatever the explanation might have been, the fact is that […]
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