Our Lady’s Shrine at Lourdes is an amazing place. It seems that for pilgrims who come to Lourdes, every step of their pilgrim way provides an occasion of grace, an occasion to grow closer to Jesus through His Most Holy Mother.

The Rosary is very dear to Our Lady, because by its recitation we are brought by her intercession deeper and deeper into the mystery of Christ her Son.

The Ulma family were considered martyrs who were killed because of their deep-seated Christian convictions about coming to the aid of those in danger. They were deeply devout Catholics who lived their Faith to the full, even to the point of laying down their lives for others.

October, Respect Life Month, is just around the corner. It is a month when we remember the tremendous gift of life that we receive from the hands of God our Creator and Father.

Every year on the 8th of September the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the day of her birth. The Entrance Antiphon of the feast is a beautiful invitation, “Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.”

Spiritual reading is absolutely key to our spiritual life. We should read some worthy and inspiring work on a daily basis, even if it is only a few pages. God uses these good works to draw us closer to Him and enlighten our path

Coming to Confession is not about being crushed by guilt or being chastised for our sins. It is not an occasion to be severely judged or to experience terrible shame. Coming to Confession is coming to have an encounter with the merciful Jesus.

Any Catholic who desires holiness, who wants to grow deeper in his or her relationship with God should seek to come to Mass as often as possible, daily if one’s responsibilities in life permits. The following are some reasons for coming to Mass daily if possible.

The turning of our mind to the mysteries of the Rosary provides a source of meditation and focus for our prayer. Entry into contemplation can be the result of picking up the Rosary and allowing God’s grace to lead us into greater union with Him.

Praying is certainly something that we should work at each day. It is a powerful means of growing in holiness because by praying we commune with God who is the All-Holy.

God, who is ineffable Mystery, enables us to approach Him, to know Him, and to be in union with Him. This personal relationship with God happens in prayer.

The spiritual life is not an evolving, amorphous, and directionless spiritual quest that we invent. It is, rather, a dynamic journey wherein we participate in the life of God.

What is the importance of the spiritual life for us? Can it simply be a sort of free-floating acknowledgement of something beyond ourselves? Do humanitarianism, political ideals, or being spiritual suffice in helping us to rise to noble purpose and find meaning in life?

We should have great confidence that Our Mother who has shown up time and again in our history will continue to guide and protect us in the years to come if only we heed her motherly pleas.

We become credible witnesses to the joy and transforming beauty of the Gospel only when we recognize that the love we celebrate in this sacrament cannot be kept to ourselves but demands to be shared with all.

The priest or the deacon dismisses the faithful with, “Go forth, the Mass is ended”. This is not simply a “meeting adjourned” closing to the Liturgy. It is something much greater. It is a sending on mission

We believe that as we persevere in prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are able in union with them to transform a culture of death into a culture of life and a world of violence and hatred into a civilization of love.

The procession with the Blessed Sacrament on Corpus Christi brings the One who heals the ills of people with His own wounds, suffered for us in His Passion. His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist provides an encounter with God Himself, who reaches out to those who are suffering to bring them hope.

The Lamb of God Himself knocks at the door of our hearts because He desires to come in and share with us the Banquet of His Body and Blood. Yes, we are unworthy, but He is merciful.

The imparting of the Sign of Peace at Mass is not a mere gesture of good will from one person to another...It is a profound receiving and sharing in the peace that comes only from Christ Himself.