A person who is dying doesn’t waste words on frivolous things. They don’t have the time and often not the strength, either. There are many things Jacinta could have said at that moment, but she chose what was most critical for others to know. The apparitions had made Jacinta wise beyond her years and she understood that her parting words to Lucia must bear fruit long after her death.
As we hunker down during the social distancing requirements of COVID-19, a majority of us are faced with open pockets of time that weren’t there before. With the government extending the requirements to April 30, we’re in for a long month ahead. While the extra time and quiet can be a boon to our prayer life, it can also place a burden upon it. Our prayers can become rote and lifeless. The days seem to melt together and without our Sunday-going-to-Mass marker, we can slip into the abyss. At this point, you might find yourself stuck in a prayer rut.
This is an amazing time for the entire world. Even amid the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the illness, isolation, and fear, we have much for which we can be grateful. In this present time, we have access to technology that didn’t exist in previous eras, and we have Read more…
St. Joseph often is referred to as the “silent saint” because not a single word of his is quoted in the Bible. And yet, his actions speak volumes!
Sometimes what you think are the dumbest things your parents ever did turn out to be the most profound and useful life lessons. Marge dedicates this episode to her dad and describes a vital life lesson she learned from him about dealing with difficult people and situations.
What are your stumbling blocks to holiness? The emphasis is on your stumbling blocks and not anyone else’s. The thing (or things) that make one person stumble may not be an obstruction to another’s holiness. What matters is what makes you stumble on your path to heaven.
Some folks mistakenly think that this feast refers to our Lord – that he was immaculately conceived, without stain of sin. Well, that’s true, but that’s what the Annunciation is all about, not the Immaculate Conception. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was conceived without original sin.