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I’m sure it’s no coincidence that I keep noticing articles about the Holy Land. It’s like when you buy a new car, and you think you’re one in a million driving that model. Then you take it out for a spin and see that half the folks on the highway are driving the same car. In the same color.

This morning, an article caught my eye with double impact. It’s about veterans in the Holy Land. I’ll be going there soon, but also my grandpa, dad, and one of our sons are all veterans. Triple play. (more…)

Twelve days, and counting…down. Soon I’ll be on my way to the Holy Land with the Catholic Press Association as part of Pope Francis’ visit there. Until now, the trip to Israel was somewhat out of reach, especially since we’re still waiting on our official itinerary. It’s like the box of supplies and equipment sitting in the corner of my office is meant for next (more…)

I’m starting to assemble the items I’ll be taking with me to Israel and deciding what will go in my suitcase and what will go in my backpack. As I tinkered with my “what to pack” list, I was hit with the magnitude of this gift I’m about to receive.

It’s huge – so huge, in fact, (more…)

 Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the great pleasure of putting together the May 11, 2014 In Focus for Our Sunday Visitor. It’s on “The Power of Novenas,” and I’m proud to say ūthat some of this blog’s subscribers agreed to interview with me (You know who you are –  thank you!).

I came across lots of interesting stories and information while working on the project. For example, did you know that the Ancient Romans observed a type of novena? Did you know that Jesus taught us how to pray novenas during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane? Or that any prayer can be used (more…)

Yesterday’s canonization of Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II took me back ten years to September 9, 2004 when I stood in a private audience with then-Pope John Paul II. It wasn’t just me, of course. I was with 4,000 other pilgrims who had traveled to Rome for the dedication of the Schoenstatt Marian Shrine, Matri (more…)

According to our Lord’s directions to St. Faustina Kowalska, Good Friday begins the Divine Mercy Novena.  In the 1930s, Jesus appeared repeatedly to Polish nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Faustina Kowalska, dictating to her passage after passage on his Divine Mercy, which she obediently recorded in her diary. It was during these visits of Jesus to St. Faustina that he gave her the Divine Mercy Chaplet (to be said at 3pm each day) and the Divine Mercy Novena. It also was during these visits that our Lord called for the institution of the Feast of Divine Mercy, to take place the Sunday after Easter. It wasn’t until May 23, 2000 that a decree was issued by Blessed John Paul (more…)

Every Holy Thursday, I think of a friend of mine, an exceptionally humble and childlike mom (and grandma). When I grow up, I want to be just like her. Whenever Ann sees a priest, she immediately approaches him, folds her hands, bows her head, and asks for his blessing. Just that, (more…)