The Catholic Death | Part Three: Prayer and the Afterlife

We can do a lot for those who have died - at their funerals, at Holy Mass, and in our daily prayers.

The Catholic Death | Part Two: Supporting the Dying

We can extend so much to those who are dying. Forgiveness, the sacraments, and love are so crucial in these final moments.

The Catholic Death | Part One: Understanding Death

We'll begin our series by exploring death itself--its significance as a natural part of life, the fear we feel because of it, and the need to prepare spiritually for this important moment.

Festivity Forgotten: The Importance of Vigils

Having a feast day without preparation produces a shallower understanding of festivity, and it leads to a more banal treatment of what is sacred. This is why we must keep vigilant.

Part Five: Natural Law and Religion

Part Four: Authentic Freedom

Part Three: Understanding Natural Rights

Our rights come from God, not come from actions of the state, and real heartache can occur when states try to play God.

Part Two: Corporate Cooperation

A society based entirely on individual liberty and private rights leads to a grim scenario--but what's the alternative?

Part One: The Common Good

Politics is a form of morality: it's the pursuit of a good by a society. So, as we begin our look at politics, we should probably start by getting a good sense of what that "good" looks like.

Celebration: A Core Element of Catholic Life

Celebration, far from being an incidental feature of Catholic life, is deeply woven into the fabric of the Church’s life, her spiritual and liturgical traditions.

The Church Today

This wide ranging and insightful conversation--part of an exclusive interview with Cardinal Burke--covers a lot of ground and tackles some pressing topics that are particular to our age.

The Bodily Assumption of Mary

While not a "singular privilege," the Assumption of Mary is a suitable compliment to Our Lady's great holiness and a glimpse at heaven itself.

The Priesthood and the Laity

Just as the priests must live in service to the laity, the faithful have an opportunity (and, indeed, an obligation!) to support priests with their prayers, their generosity, and their honesty.

The Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Our religion is no mere ideology or moral code: it is a living relationship with Christ, Our Lord and Our Brother. This is why the devotional life, which helps our Faith find expression in our daily life, is so important.

Why Do We Process?

The liturgical and devotional life of Catholic Christians is marked on all sides by the practice of processions.

What Is the Sacred Priesthood?

In this short interview--the first of four in a new series--His Eminence talks about the meaning of the sacred priesthood. Join us as we delve into the role of a shepherd, the love of the Savior to which the priesthood bears witness, and the ultimate value of the sacraments and the Holy Mass.

Understanding Divine Revelation

Confused about Divine Revelation? Fathers Sebastian and Ambrose sift through some common misconceptions in this short video.

Why Did God Have to Die?

Is it true that Our Lord's Crucifixion is also the death of God? And did Jesus really have to die for our sins?

Journey with Christ Through the Triduum Liturgies

We encounter Christ's Passion in every Mass, but the liturgies of Holy Week make the reality of Christ's Passion so clear to us.

The Veiling of Sacred Images in Passiontide

In a counterintuitive action, the Church has us veil the images that depict Christ and the saints during Passiontide. If we are focusing on His Passion, why are we veiling these images?

What is Fasting?

What is fasting, anyway, and what is the best way to do it? In this short video, Fr. John Henry speaks into the practical basics (and benefits) of fasting.

An Advent Retreat

It's not Christmas yet! Fr. Ambrose and Fr. Hugh discuss a few things you can do to make the most of the final days of Advent.

Secularism is Anything but Secular: A Conversation with Dr. Aaron Kheriaty

Fr. Ambrose and Dr. Aaron Kheriaty confront the philosophical, social, and spiritual (yes, really!) tenets of secularism.

Mary's Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception--a singular decree of Providence--not only gives us an insight into Mary, but into the nature of sin, grace, salvation, and redemption.

Mother of the Church

"Mother of the Church" extends Mary's relationship with Christ to each of us--as our mother, and as the Mediatrix of All Grace.

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary is difficult for contemporary culture to accept. But there is much to be gained in pondering this miracle.

The Divine Maternity of Mary

What does it mean to be the "Mother of God"?

Feasting with the Whole Church this Hallowtide

For all secular culture's efforts, Halloween remains a holy feast, and a great opportunity to celebrate as only Catholics can … and should!

The Power of Feasting!

Catholics love a good party - and for good reason. Regular feasts provide needed foil to our fasting, lift our spirits for spiritual causes, and give us a foretaste of the community, celebration, and joy that is promised to us in heaven.

Plenary Indulgences in November

November gives us the occasion to remember and pray for the dead in a special way.

Key Five: Wisdom

Wisdom is the knowledge that comes through loving union. We become wise, able to judge spiritual things and the highest things in relation to our life and other people, because of our union with God. The wise person is never overcome with fear.

Key Four: Generosity

Generosity is practicing an open heart and a willingness to make use of our time, talent, and treasure – putting these in the service of others. Our Lord says, "by this they will know that you are my disciples, by the love you have for one another."

Key Three: Beauty

Beauty is compelling. People are drawn to beautiful things. In this new episode of 5 Keys to a True Catholic Life, Fr. Hugh and Fr. Ambrose discuss the importance of beauty in the spaces so dear to us–our homes and places of worship.

Key Two: Hospitality

When we receive guests, we receive Christ! Hospitality is a hallmark of Catholic culture, but its value runs much deeper than that.

Key One: Goodness

We should be taken up each morning by the joy of our practice of the faith, and let that spread to others by our cheerful demeanor, by our kindness, by our refusal to be hypercritical or sullen in our dealings with others.

Seeing Mary Through the Mind of Christ

Christians--especially non-Catholics--have differing opinions about how best to honor Mary. A good way to cut through the confusion, says Fr. Hugh, is to encounter Mary through the heart of Her Son.

Why the Church Celebrates Mary's Immaculate Conception

One cannot help but wonder why God had waited 1854 years before He had His Church proclaim the Immaculate Conception a revealed dogma of the faith.

Catholic Feminism

As several of my priest confreres have heard ad nauseam already, I just finished an online theology course tangentially related to my more serious canon law studies.

This Blood Is Christ

“This is the Chalice of My Blood, of the New and Eternal Covenant which will be poured out for you and for many…” How many times have we knelt at Holy Mass when these words were pronounced by the priest over the wine?

True God and True Man

As unimaginable as it may seem, the unchanging God has taken to himself a human nature in order to suffer like us and for us.

A Wonderful Exchange

God becoming man is only one side of the equation. He became one with us so that we could become one with him. God became man so that men might become gods.

An Echoing Fiat

The feast of the Annunciation celebrates the very moment in which the divine and human natures came together in Jesus Christ.

Why Do We Fast?

Fasting can be a challenge. But far more than a set of rules, true fasting is an act of generosity.

And the Word Became Flesh

God is born of man -- and man becomes a child of God! Fr. Hugh and Fr. Ambrose dive into the joy and mystery of the Prologue of the Gospel according to St. John.

Five Things Every Catholic Should Know

A Conversation with Fr. Ambrose and Fr. Sebastian

Five Ways to Prepare for Lent

Lent will be here before you know it! Are you ready? Fr. Claude and Fr. Ambrose look at how we can prepare for this holy season.

The Sacraments

The Sacred: Veiled and Revealed

Catholic sacred spaces hold two things in tension: that which is visible and that which is held in mystery.

What Is the Trinity?

Catholic vs. Protestant Theology - The Fundamental Difference

What Is the Mass?

If My Child Has Fallen Away From the Faith...

What Is Marriage

The understanding of marriage and family in western culture has changed significantly in the past thirty years. What used to be taken for granted is now challenged and even rejected.

The Difference Between Theological and Moral Virtues

Christian Citizenship

St. Paul admonishes the Thessalonians today with the words: “[Know] brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.” We were chosen without any merit on our part. We were loved first.

What Constitutes a Just War?

Can making war be justified? The answer of the whole of Christian tradition is “Yes.” But is there a problem with our modern notion and practice of warfare? The Christian answer to this question is also “Yes.”

The Most Pressing Issue in the Church Today

The Holy Spirit

Who Are the Saints?

The Gift of Indulgences

The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Why We Appropriate Creation to the Father

The Lives of the Saints

Why Confession?

Catholics in Politics

Watch as Fr. Sebastian goes through the four arguments against “being Catholic” in public

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Understanding "Consubstantial"

What Does It Mean for Priests to Retain Sins?

What Makes an Act Good?