Lent Archives - Page 3 of 10

Pope Francis: Look for the beauty of Jesus’ transfiguration in everyday life

March 5, 2023

Pope Francis said that we must “see the same beauty on the faces of the people who walk beside us every day,” such as family, friends, and colleagues. “How many luminous faces, how many smiles, how many wrinkles, how many tears and scars reveal love

The Cross is the doorway to communion with God

March 5, 2023

Readings: • Gen 12:1-4a • Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 • 2 Tim 1:8b-10 • Mt 17:1-9 “Life is short; death is certain,” wrote St. John Henry Newman, “and the world to come is everlasting.” It is a fitting introduction to today’s readings, for together

How Being Pregnant During Lent Helped Me Focus on Christ

February 22, 2023

Some women sail through pregnancy without incident. For others, it is an extremely painful, arduous process from the beginning. I am of the latter variety. For years after my husband, Ben, and I were married, I struggled with infertility. Due to hormonal fluctuations, I discovered

Lent Is an Opportunity To Let God Empty Us of Our Pride

February 22, 2023

I am an extremely strong-willed person. I’m not nearly as strong willed as when I was younger, but it is still an ongoing battle. Our Lord, in His mercy, has had to break me repeatedly. Strong-willed people are incredibly independent and we often think we

Pope Francis’ 10 suggestions for Lent

February 22, 2023

February 22, 2023, marks the beginning of Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. To celebrate this important liturgical season in preparation for Easter, here are 10 tips drawn from Pope Francis’ Lent messages across the years. 1REMEMBER THAT CHRIST’S POVERTY ENRICHES US “Christ’s poverty which

Is Ash Wednesday Unbiblical?

February 22, 2023

Have you ever felt awkward listening to the Gospel reading during Ash Wednesday services? It sounds as if Jesus is telling us not to put ashes on our foreheads during a day devoted to fasting. In one part of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, And

The Catholic Origins of Mcdonald’s Filet-o-Fish

February 22, 2023

Lent is a penitential season for Catholics preparing to mark the observance of Christ’s death on the cross, and on Easter his resurrection from the dead. For business owners, Lent is just part of the first financial quarter. For today’s Throwback Thursday, we go back to the

Leaning Into Lent: Father Mike Schmitz’s Tips for a Fruitful Penitential Season

February 21, 2023

Father Mike Schmitz is a Newman Center chaplain at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and podcast host of the popular The Bible in a Year and The Catechism in a Year. He is known for his practical and encouraging advice for Catholics of all ages. As we embark on Lent,

The ‘whole point of Lent’: Bishop Erik Varden on finding God this Lent

February 21, 2023

Lent has a habit of sneaking up on us. We’ve barely finished the Christmas leftovers and taken down the last strand of tinsel when Ash Wednesday pops up on the calendar. Often there isn’t much time to prepare for the 40-day season of prayer, fasting,

Why Shrove Tuesday is a day for confession

February 21, 2023

While many are familiar with food aspect of “Fat Tuesday,” originally it was designed to be a day to confess sins and prepare spiritually for Lent. A 19th-century writer, in his book The liturgical-class book, briefly explains the history of this day before Ash Wednesday. The Tuesday after Quinquagesima