With the exception of the Bible, it is perhaps the most widely read spiritual book in the world. It was first published anonymously in 1418 and consists of a series of counsels of perfection that are as relevant today as they were when it was written.It is The Imitation of Christ, and every Catholic should own a well-thumbed and much-consulted copy!When its author, Thomas à Kempis, was a boy, he attended a school operated by the Brethren of the Common Life. He was so impressed with t...

Every Lent, I look around for a Way of the Cross that will draw me into the mystery of redemption in a new way. So I was really intrigued by the introduction to the new Way of the Cross written by Father Marco Rupnik, SJ, a small book which also features his mosaics. The book is called Contemplating the Face of Christ.These stations featured in Contemplating the Face of Christ were constructed by Father Rupnik and the artists from the Atelier of the Aletti Center. They stand outside the church o...

Do you think Church history is dull? It's okay to admit it! But here are a few facts that might liven it up a little: Feeling pent up in the Vatican, Pope John Paul II used to sneak out to ski and hike in the Italian Alps. He did it over a hundred times before being discovered by a 10-year-old boy who pointed at him and shouted, "The pope! The pope!" The only Christian church in existence for the first 1,000 years of Christian history was the Roman Catholic Church. Most non-Ca...

Saint Paul lists joy second among the seven famous fruits of the Holy Spirit. But if you are like me, you might often find joy to be elusive and somewhat immeasurable. No one can force another person to be joy-filled.Finding even the least bit of joy in our hearts, in fact, can seem almost impossible in the desert sands of a Lent that opened with the horror of the school shooting Ash Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. After this tragedy, we might fe...

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and thoughts turn easily to romantic love. But what if you could read something thoroughly romantic… and thoroughly spiritual and thoughtful as well?  The love letters exchanged between Saint Gianna Beretta and her husband, Pietro Molla, might provide just what you’re looking for. Better than a theological treatise, these letters are a convincing proof that the way of holiness does not necessa...

As Christians, we are commended to see Christ in everyone, to see God’s hand in everything. The Gospels tell us to, Pope Francis tells us to, Saint Teresa tells us to… and, in the early part of the 20th century, an Englishwoman named Caryll Houselander told us, as well, in words that still resonate today.Many of the Church’s mystics saw or heard Jesus. He appeared to them in visions and they listened to his words echoing in their hearts. Caryll Houselander was different: she s...

Mary Lea Hill, FSP, has added a new book to her repertoire: The Church Rocks, an engaging and often amusing whirlwind tour of Church history. We caught up with the Crabby Mystic to ask her a few questions about it. Your new book, The Church Rocks, gives young people an overview of Church history in a delightful and entertaining way. But… why do we need to know about all this?We need to teach Church history to young people because it is our history, their history – it is a story...

If there’s one thing on which all Christians agree, it’s that the Gospels are at the heart of our faith. These are the stories of the Son of God: his birth, life, death, and resurrection. And if there’s one thing on which all Christians seem to disagree, it’s in how the Gospels should manifest in our lives, how we can live out their mandates. There’s a group of people who don’t seem to be concerned with the “how,” because, ...

January 25 is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul--a special feast for my congregation, the Daughters of St. Paul. One thing that I discovered when I first “hung out” with the sisters before entering the convent is that sisters know how to celebrate. Our parties are usually very simple, and I suspect the joyfulness in our celebrations is simply an overflow of the joy of following Christ, but we really do know how to have fun together. So today is a special day for us!  But t...

With her new book, Thomas Aquinas, now available in the Saints By Our Sides series, Sr. Marianne Lorraine Trouvé, FSP, again shows her expertise in—and love of—this great saint. We caught up with her to find out more about it.  1) Everyone at the publishing house and in the convent knows to go to you for all things Thomas Aquinas. Why are you so interested in him?I've always loved Saint Thomas ever since I found out about him as a kid. I was a bookworm ...