Celebrating Cultures

Patricia Breen McNeil October 15, 2026

There is something beautiful in celebrating and experiencing a culture that is different from your own.

Skylark perching in a flowering rapeseed field.

The Larks of Assisi

Pat McCloskey, OFM October 15, 2026

Francis had a special affection for larks; he considered their brown feathers a sign of their closeness to God, of their humility.

man sitting at a table reading his Bible

A Call to Discipleship

Shannon K. Evans October 14, 2026

Today we pray to take seriously our call to discipleship, letting Jesus’ example influence every decision we make.

black sneakers standing next to a bible verse engraved in stone tile.

Carlo Acutis: You Belong to the Ages

Christopher Heffron October 14, 2026

I have always categorized you, Carlo Acutis, as “the millennial saint,” but that is limiting. You are timeless.

Sometimes on the path we’re walking upon, it is easy to become haunted by regret, comparisons, or dreams yet to be attained. The contemplative must rise above lingering either/or judgments of oneself and trust in the non-dualistic path that has uniquely chosen them to walk upon it.

woman standing still while a train in motion moves fast behind her

In Communion with the Father

Diane M. Houdek October 13, 2026

Have you ever been surrounded by a whirlwind of activity, perhaps in the midst of family and friends, and felt a sudden whoosh of deep contentment?

person drawing a circle with light in the dark.

In the Light of Forever

Christopher Heffron October 12, 2026

“Trust in dreams,” author Khalil Gibran once wrote, “for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” Can your mind embrace the concept of such a thing, where time is circular, ceaseless?

St. Josephine Bakhita, Prophet

Christopher Heffron October 9, 2026

That total abandonment to God would be Josephine’s legacy—and it is one we can work toward as 21st-century Catholics.

A patinated bronze statue of St. John the Baptist

Did John the Baptist Doubt Jesus?

Pat McCloskey, OFM October 9, 2026

After John described Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (Jn 1:36), Andrew and another disciple left John to follow Jesus. Was John the Baptist having doubts about who Jesus was?

Loving with All Your Heart

Maureen O'Brien October 8, 2026

We find in Matthew 22: 37–38: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.” What comes to mind today as you read these words?