Sometimes when God tells us to wait he wants us to actively receive his grace for that moment. This is especially true during Advent. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz encourages us to prepare our souls for the arrival of Christ as we wait for Christmas Day.
If we want to be holy, the Virgin Mary should have an integral role in our spiritual life; but sometimes, perhaps, you might think you cannot relate to the Blessed Mother because she was immaculately conceived and didn’t have to struggle with sin as we do. In this video, Fr. Mike shares how even though Mary did not struggle with sin, she still had her own unique struggle that we can relate to when we are seeking holiness.
Friends, many years ago, in the context of a high school religion class, a very wise Benedictine nun gave me a template for understanding Advent that I’ve never forgotten. It is simply that Advent calls to mind three “comings” of Christ: the first in history, the second now, and the third at the end of time. Meditating upon each of these is a helpful preparation for the holy season upon which we are embarking.
Summer is wedding season and Bishop Barron explains the significance of the sacrament of marriage.
Although most of our parent's generation knew the Ten Commandments by heart, few Christians today can recite them. Yet a deep exploration of these commandments reveals a path to a flourishing moral life.
We know that God is calling us spend time with Him in prayer. But sometimes it can feel like a waste of time. But is it?
As Pentecost approaches, have you ever wondered where does the feast of Pentecost come from? Is Pentecost just a Christian feast or was Pentecost a festival that was already being celebrated at the time of Jesus and before? Dr. Brant Pitre explains.
Bishop Barron explains how angry he feels after reading the latest Pew Forum study, which reveals only one-third of Catholics agree with the Church that the Eucharist is actually the Body and Blood of Christ. He describes how this needs to be a wake-up call to all of us in the Church—priests, bishops, religious, laypeople, catechists, parents, everyone—that we need to pick up our game when it comes to communicating even the most basic doctrines of the Church.
It's still the Easter season. How is your celebration going? We can be terrible at staying in the mode of joyful celebration especially when things are still hard or when we are still suffering. Today Fr. Mark-Mary challenges us to lean into the 50 days of the Easter season and shares a couple tips to get more out of it!
Jesus call himself the Good Shepherd in John 10. Why? And what did it mean for Jesus to call himself the Good Shepherd?
Today Fr. Mark-Mary challenges us to lean into the immense gift of this Easter season and boldly proclaim, with a sure hope, Alleluia, He is Risen!
During Lent, many Catholics pray the stations of the cross. Where did this devotion come from, and how did it develop over time?
If you have ever wondered how to make a good confession, Fr. Mike Schmitz has some solid advice for you. He points out that preparing for a good confession starts when we recognize that being a "good person” in our own eyes is not enough—we are called to holiness, which is something much greater. In this video, Fr. Mike offers four powerful ways we can examine our consciences so that our experience of reconciliation moves us towards that holiness to which we are called.
Here is a quick video from Fr. Mike reminding us of the importance of fasting on upcoming Ash Wednesday
With the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes approaching and the recent wonderful news from Fr. John Hollowell we felt this clip from then Fr. Barron visit to Lourdes, France was perfect and timely.
In this video, Fr. Mike explains how prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three pillars of a spiritually fruitful Lent. He then challenges us to try new ways to exercise these Lenten practices, sharing several simple strategies for drawing closer to God during this holy season.