From Season to Season

Although I've been neglecting my blog for the last several months (as I've been navigating several other writing commitments), I'm happy to be blogging again and I want to share with you this piece that was recently published by my friends at Aleteia.org about my newest book (published by Ignatius Press ):  Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J.: With an Undivided Heart. The memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga is celebrated on June 21. To order a copy of the book, click here . To read the profile by Aleteia.org, click here .

In classes and days of recollection I offer during Lent, I often remind participants that the purpose of Lent is twofold: it is the time of final preparation of the uninitiated (i.e. catechumens) for baptism and the time for Christians to recall their own baptism and they prepare to renew their baptismal promises on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, this second aspect of Lent often gets lost. Yes, we all renewed our baptismal promises at Easter and were symbolically sprinkled with holy water, but, for most of us, that moment seems to be over as soon as it has begun and we don’t really appreciate the significance of the act… which is surprising since we’ve spent 40 days preparing to say “I do!” with a renewed mind, heart, and spirit. We renew our baptismal promises each year because conversion and growing in faith are lifelong processes. In saying that, I simply mean that each moment of every day (not just the days of Lent) offers us infinite possibilities for experiencing grace, for cho...

Almost immediately after Pope Francis announced his intention to canonize Blessed Junipero Serra—the priest who founded a number of missions in modern-day California in the early 18 th century—a veritable firestorm of criticism began. One of the most recent voices to weigh in is Ricardo Lara, a California state senator who wants to remove Serra’s statue from the U.S. Capital’s National Statuary Hall , citing that the Franciscan Friar was "too controversial."  The statue of Bl. Junipero Serra in National Statuary Hall. President Obama’s recent comments about the Crusades at the National Prayer Breakfast , the ongoing debate about Serra, and even the celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius (along with the Saint Valentines... yes, Valentines ) on February 14 have led me to reflect on how we view the saints and what they should and could mean for us. In a recent editorial on this theme in America Magazine , Fr. James Martin, S.J., wrote: Canonization does n...

* December 17 marks the beginning of the "O" Antiphons, privileged days celebrated the week before Christmas. The image that will accompany of each of the reflections for these days is inspired by the proper "O" Antiphon for that day and the concluding prayer is a translation of each of these seven texts that celebrate the coming of Christ using the powerful imagery of the Old Testament. To read an article I've written on the "O" Antiphons, please visit: http://www.cuf.org/2014/01/o-antiphons-prayers-waiting-world/ . He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, While tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage. - Genesis 49:9b-10 The entrance of God into the world at the birth of Jesus is an event which forever changed the course of human history. In fact, the Incarnation of Christ is the fulfillment of h...

Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit. Without being seeing, they are present to you. - Saint Francis de Sales   The tradition of honoring the Archangel Michael on the 29th day of September dates back to the early part of the fifth century, when a basilica was dedicated in his honor on the Via Salaria in Rome. Since 1969, this day has been celebrated as a common feast honoring Michael and the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael (who had formerly been celebrated on March 24 and October 24, respectively).   These three Archangels, and indeed all the hosts of heaven, are a "great multitude of very bright living lamps; they are the vast army of heavenly spirits, shining in the blessed light and living in great beauty and adornment, because when they were created by God they did not grasp at proud exaltation but strongly persisted in divine love" ( Saint Hildegard of Bingen , Scivias 1.2.1.). Honoring God with their whole beings, the An...