Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The reflections of Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., convinced me that Pope Francis' reframing of the scope and meaning of synods will have staying power, because it opens up a new model for the church.

During his general audience, Pope Francis reminded his listeners of the importance of the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. Engaging the crowd by having them recite the virtues aloud, Francis said that theological virtues animate our everyday actions toward the good.

‘The Sound of Silence’ version of the ‘Our Father’ has been widespread throughout Latin America and U.S. Latino communities for the last few decades.

You always hope that your favorite artist’s best work is still ahead of them. But what goes up must come down.

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, by Colleen Dulle

April 28, 2024, Fifth Sunday of Easter: The readings invite the faithful to pause this week and bring peace into the world through prayer and through intimacy with the Lord.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance are the marks of a righteous individual, the virtues of faith, hope and love emphasize a connection to other people fueled by belief in God and reliance on prayer, Pope Francis said.

"The Christian is never alone. He or she does good not because of a titanic effort of personal commitment, but because, as a humble disciple, he or she walks behind the master Jesus," the pope said April 24 at his weekly general audience.

Bundled up in a coat on a chilly spring morning, Pope Francis continued his audience talks about virtue, distinguishing between the "cardinal" -- meaning "hinge" -- virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, which are essential for living a righteous life, and the "theological" or New Testament virtues of faith, hope and charity.

The cardinal virtues were espoused and promoted by ancient philosophers well before the development of Christianity, the pope said. "Honesty was preached as a civic duty, wisdom as the rule for actions, courage as the fundamental ingredient for a life that tends toward the good and moderation as the necessary measure not to be overwhelmed by excesses."

Christianity, he said, did not replace that ethical heritage, but "enhanced, purified, and integrated" it with the teachings of Jesus about faith, hope and love.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the pope noted, says the three theological virtues "are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character. They inform and give life to all the moral virtues."

Those virtues, he said, also are "the great antidote to self-sufficiency" and prevent a good person from falling into pride.

"Pride is a poison; it is a powerful poison: one drop of it is enough to spoil an entire life marked by goodness," the pope said.

If people perform good works only "to exalt themselves, can they still call themselves virtuous? No," he said.

"Goodness is not only an end, but also a way. Goodness needs a lot of discretion, a lot of kindness," the pope said. "Above all, goodness needs to be stripped of that sometimes too unwieldy presence that is our self."

Greeting Polish pilgrims, Pope Francis noted that April 27 is the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. John Paul II. "Looking at his life, we can see what man can achieve by accepting and developing within himself the gifts of God: faith, hope and charity."

Amid an ongoing debate about liberalizing the nation's abortion laws, Pope Francis asked Polish Catholics to "remain faithful to his legacy. Promote life and do not be deceived by the culture of death."

Expressing his ongoing concern about wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and Myanmar, Pope Francis encouraged people to ask, through the intercession of St. John Paul, "for the gift of peace to which he, as pope, was so committed."

The statistics are sobering. According to a study published in 2015 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University: Only 22 percent of Catholic parents are attending Mass weekly or more often. 68 percent of Catholic parents don’t have their children enrolled in any form of Catholic religious education. Only 66 […]

The post Your child’s first Holy Communion and confession shouldn’t be their last appeared first on Catholic Digest.

St. Mark Feast Day: April 25 Represented by the winged lion, St. Mark the Evangelist has been an exceptionally popular subject for Venetian artists, ever since his remains were relocated to Venice. Once the patron saint of the adoptive city had come home, artists immediately set to work carving, sculpting, and painting his likeness around […]

The post St. Mark appeared first on Catholic Digest.

I came from the womb of my mother with nothing, and with nothing I desire to return to the arms of my Savior. — St. Fidelis

The post St. Fidelis—I came from the womb… appeared first on Catholic Digest.