Faith & Spirituality

Soldier-turned-bishop St. Martin of Tours celebrated Nov. 11

St. Martin of Tours sharing his cloak with a beggar by François Joseph Thomas De Backer. (Photo: François Joseph Thomas De Backer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) By CNA Staff On Nov. 11, the Catholic Church honors St. Martin of Tours, who left his post in the Roman army to become a “soldier of Christ.” Martin was born around the year 316 in modern-day Hungary. His family left that region for Italy when his father, a military official of the Roman Empire, was transferred there. Martin’s...

From Last Rites to First Rite: Reimagining the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

(Photo: Adobe Stock) By Msgr. Edward L. Buelt, J.C.L.   A Midnight Call The nursing home’s night nurse called me in the middle of the night, waking me from a sound sleep. She asked that I come immediately to administer the last rites to a non-responsive, near-death resident.   When I arrived, the woman’s daughter explained her mother’s condition. She was certain her mother would not live to see the morning. I sat beside the woman, greeted her softly and found that she did not respond. She was...

Gratitude and Love: What the Catholic Church Teaches About the End of Life

Catholic teaching reminds us that human dignity endures until our final breath, and that preparing for death — either ours or that of a parent or loved one — is an act of both gratitude and love. Extremae Unctionis Sacramentum by Pietro Longhi, c. 1757. (Photo: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons) By Father Scott Bailey   I recently anointed a man who was dying by himself in a nursing home. He was unresponsive, but I think he knew that I was there. His wife of 50+ years is homebound and could not...

Thirsting for Transcendence: The New Age and the Call Back to Christ

While searching for control and connection, those who practice New Age spirituality — from tarot to Reiki, from manifestation to astrology — are led astray, into anxiety, depression and conflict. (Photo: Adobe Stock) By Cecilia Dietzler Across the Western world, New Age spirituality has seen a dramatic rise. From meditation apps to hair salons offering Reiki treatments, it seems to be a constant in our society. Yet, beneath the aesthetic appeal and trendy buzzwords, these practices carry real...

Archbishop Aquila Invites Colorado Catholics to Pray for Life in National Novena

Beginning October 22, Catholics are encouraged to join the national Respect Life Novena and unite their prayers for the unborn, the vulnerable and all those affected by abortion. (Photo: Unsplash) In a state where abortion remains heartbreakingly prevalent, Catholics in Colorado are being called once again to stand in prayerful witness for the sanctity of every human life. Beginning Wednesday, October 22, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invites the faithful across the...

When Someone You Love is Hurting: A Catholic Guide to Accompaniment

Learn how to recognize the signs of emotional, physical and spiritual struggle in those you love, and how to reflect Jesus’ mercy with practical, faith-filled support. (Photo: Lightstock) By Matt Reinhardt, MA, MS, LPC Fully Alive Counseling When someone we care about is struggling, it can be challenging to know how to respond. As Catholics, we are called to reflect Christ’s love and mercy, walking alongside others with compassion and humility, just as Jesus did in his encounters with those...

The Sacred Heart’s 350-Year Legacy Began with One Humble Nun

Before the flicker of a sanctuary candle, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque beheld the Heart of Christ — and the world has never been the same. (Photo: Nheyob / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0) A young woman prays quietly, kneeling at a wooden pew in a cool stone chapel. It’s a night like many others. A cold breeze squeezes through the wooden window panes. The chapel is quiet, with the warm, sweet smell of candle wax and incense from recent feast days. She turns the pages of a small prayer book,...

Venerable Matt Talbot: The Saint of Sobriety

The Irish alcoholic conquered addiction with the help of grace, prayer and penance, and lived a life completely transformed by Jesus and...

Pray the Mental Health Novena This Respect Life Month!

(Photo: Lightstock) You are invited to join in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Novena for Mental Health from October...

The Father Desires Healing and Wholeness

(Photo: Lightstock) Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is clear: the Father desires to heal his children. He healed the blind and the lame,...

Do Animals Go to Heaven?

As the Feast of St. Francis, the most famous saintly animal lover, approaches, you might be asking: do all dogs really go to Heaven?...

Catholics and gender ideology

"And God created them male and female," the Book of Genesis reads. (Photo: Lightstock) In this raw, emotionally overwrought moment in our...