On the 6th Sunday of Matthew, we hear about a paralytic whom Jesus healed. On July 20, we also commemorate the Holy Prophet Elias (Elijah). Read: Elijah was of priestly lineage, a man of a solitary and ascetical character, clothed in a mantle of sheep skin, girded about his loins with a leather belt, and a zealot who was compared to fire and a burning lamp. Elijah commanded the rain to stop for 3.5 years, multiplied the little flour and oil of the poor widow of Sarephtha of S

There is a tyranny of Increasingly Low expectations. We rely Wantonly On the prophecies of our own fear And it reminds me Disturbingly Of the rituals of pagans. We rely almost Exclusively On the language of the self And it reminds me Loudly Of clanging cymbals. We rely Greedily On mere human supposition And it reminds me Gloomily Of darker paths Filled with nothing Leading nowhere Bereft of clarity Angry Corrupt Murderous Sick beyond disease. But sacrificial love overcomes. I

Sweet, succulent peace. We want you. We desire you. We yearn for you. Savory, satisfying peace. We hunger for you. We thirst for you. We even crave you. But do we know you? Can we find you? How do you work? Safety Stability Consistency Care Kindness Calm Simplicity Generosity Quietude We pray for you. We hope for you. We have faith in you. Keep us close Show us the way Stay with us forever... Magnificent view of ocean beneath light pink sky · Free Stock Photo

Help us Most Holy Martyr Agatha (231-251) of Palermo whose feast we celebrate today (February 5). You who were beautiful inside and out ... You who were devout and spiritually advanced ... You who resisted temptation ... You who were beaten ... You who were visited by St. Peter in prison and restored to health ... You who ultimately preferred martyrdom rather than betray Christ ... Show us the path of piety, prayer, steadfastness, faithfulness, and love. Keep our enemies at b

My dear St. Theoctistus of Sicily, you served God and His people by raising up a monastery that became a place of refuge, rest, and protection for people suffering and dying under the tyranny of iconoclasm. Your compassionate tears, your unrelenting labor, and your constant prayer brought forth the uncreated silence of the Holy Spirit and the uncreated light of Christ for those you served. O Righteous One, I ask your intercession today for a brotherhood of men who commit them

My Dear St. Thomais of Lesvos, you were pressured by your parents to marry and brutalized by your husband every day for 13 years (she died at 38 years old). But you persevered in prayer and remained steadfast in the love and care for others, especially prostitutes. In fact, you remained so deeply faithful to our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ that He allowed you, in life, to perform miracles of healing (curing disease) and gave you the power to banish evil spirits. That i

My dearest St. Hugh of Lincoln (1140-1200), you who witnessed my baptism and helped to guide me along the dual paths of silence and pastoral care, on this day of your feast in the West (November 16), I plead with you to intercede for me before Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, the removal of the stain of my procrastinations, and the reduction of my worry about human machinations. I also implore you to entreat the Holy Spirit to aid me in d

It's easy to think that everyone around us has it better. Very often, though, other people suffer in the same ways, and in similar intensities, that we do. Then there are the times when we come across people who are truly beset with problems that bury them in a pit of despair. Whether it's a physical, emotional, intellectual, relational, or spiritual issue (and regardless of the fact that it's most often a combination of some or all of the above) it's incumbent upon you as a

Life can be difficult. There's no doubt about it. One day you can feel like things are going your way. And the next day you can feel like work is too hard and money is too tight. The people around you may drag you down. People you don't even know can have an impact on your life too. What makes things tougher is when you feel like you don't fit in. Or that people you thought you could trust end up saying and doing awful things. That's why I am writing to you today. It's going

The path to God, vocation, prayer, and the righteous life is not always a straight one. More often than not, it isn't. That is why we...