By Sr. Anne Joan Flanagan, FSP Pope Francis wrote that mercy is “the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.” That image of the bridge, of course, reminds us of the very role of the Pope, the “Pontifex” (bridge-builder). In the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which started this week it is also a fitting image for Mary, the Mother of God, whose feast we celebrate today under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. At Guadalupe...

It is a privilege to reflect with you on the Year of Mercy in these days in which we approach the birth of the Prince of Peace, our Savior who revealed to us the Father, the "God, who is rich in mercy" (Eph 2:4). Have you seen the latest version of Cinderella? In the movie, just as Cinderella and her Prince begin to leave the wicked stepmother, Cinderella turns to face the cruel woman. “I forgive you,” Cinderella says clearly. Then, secure in her resolve to always practice kindness, arm-in-arm...

One of the great joys of family life is experiencing the innocence of children. Sister Maria Grace Dateno, author of the children's series, Gospel Time Trekkers, shares some tips about fostering Marian devotion with your children.

You may have noticed the latest trend in Keep Calm T-Shirts and even Facebook posts: Keep Calm I'm a Nurse, Keep Calm and Carry On, Keep Calm and Let the Chef Handle It, Keep Calm It's My 40th Birthday Today.... Anyone can go on zazzle.com and create their own Keep Calm T-Shirt message. I’m visiting my family these few weeks and these Keep Calm messages have caught my attention.In reality, however, there are lots of events, that can shatter our calm and leave us feeling anxious, on edge, even i...

A couple years ago I went to a Theology of the Body (TOB) Congress in Philadelphia. One thing stood out for me: so many people I talked to said that learning about TOB had made their life happier. I recall one man who was an ordinary Catholic guy—I’ll call him Joe from New Jersey. He said that his wife had started listening to talks about TOB and was very enthusiastic about it. He wasn’t too interested at first. His wife, however, would play the CDs when the two of them were in the car. After...

If there is one word that has characterized the pontificate of Pope Francis, it is the word mercy. As St. John Paul II before him—who called for a recourse to mercy “in this difficult, critical phase of the history of the Church and of the world” (Dives in Misericordia, 15)—Pope Francis has looked out onto today’s world situation and called for a revolution in tenderness. We see Francis modeling this revolution in his actions, in his gaze, in his words…all of which have captured the imagin...

Do you know someone who has left the Church?  Who do you ask to pray for your loved ones? Sometimes St. Monica is invoked on behalf of children who have strayed from the faith. And she definitely can be a powerful intercessor. But there is another intercessor we should never forget when we pray for friends and family who have left the Church: our Blessed Mother. Here are some reasons why: 1. Mary is Our Loved Ones’ Mother:  I once had a very strong prayer expe...

One of the most beautiful aspects of community life is the way it becomes another family that includes one's family of origin. A sister's mom was here over the past three weeks, baking every sort of yummy deliciousness that any granny would provide for her children--although on a rather large scale, there being 70+ eager hands reaching for the brownies. When there is a family crisis, we're on it for prayers. Everybody in community followed my sister's 30-year search for a husband and rejoiced wh...

February 2 is the World Day of Consecrated Life, in 2015, the Year of Consecrated Life. It's an important year for the whole Church, not just members of religious institutes, to reflect on what the consecrated life means for the Church. Pope John Paul II's document "Consecrated Life" is an important resource for this. Sister Marianne Lorraine explains why.

In these days each morning at Mass I have been moved by the readings from the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus our High Priest is the centerpiece of this masterful work from the New Testament. The writer tells us that Jesus learned “obedience from what he suffered” for us. He purchased our souls for God, and because of what Jesus did we have hope.In our coastal New England area it is easy to visualize an anchor holding a ship fast, despite the strength of the wind or waves. Jesus is the anchor tha...