Faith & Spirituality

Planning for a Holy Death: A Catholic Guide to Advanced Age and End-of-Life Decisions

From living wills to the sacraments, the Church guides us to prepare for death not with fear, but with faith and hope in the Resurrection. (Photo: Unsplash) By Deacon John Volk, MD There’s an old saying: “Don’t rehearse for bad news.” While that can be good advice, sometimes it is wise to have a discussion with loved ones about how to approach medical decisions in the later years and at the end of life. In my experience as a family doctor, often medical conditions arise suddenly, and...

Accompanying at the Threshold: Lessons on Death, Dying and Hope

(Photo: Unsplash) By Deacon Ernest Martinez Director of Deacons Archdiocese of Denver As I reflect on End-of-Life Month in our Archdiocese, I find myself looking back over two distinct callings in my life: first as a police officer, then later as a deacon. They might seem worlds apart, but both have placed me face-to-face with the mystery of death and the beauty of the human soul’s longing for God. From the Streets to the Sanctuary During my years in law enforcement, I stood countless times...

10 Saint Quotes to Strengthen Your Heart During End-of-Life Month

(Photo: Unsplash) Throughout November, the Church reflects on the mystery we will all one day face: the passage from this life to our eternal home in Heaven. Locally, in the Archdiocese of Denver, we observe End-of-Life Month, inviting the faithful to reflect on the hope of the Resurrection, to accompany loved ones with dignity, and to learn from the wisdom of the ministries uniting to form the newly established Catholic End-of-Life Network. Comprising the Catholic Foundation, Catholic...

Preparing for Death: A Brief Imaginative Pilgrimage

Dante Alighieri with Florence and the Realms of the Divine Comedy (Hell, Purgatory, Paradise), fresco by Domenico di Michelino (1465, after Alesso Baldovinetti), Florence Cathedral. (Photo: Heroldius/Menkin AlRire, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0) November, the month of the dead, calls us to remember our own death and to prepare for eternal life. We may be tempted to think of this preparation in minimalist terms — avoiding mortal sin and fulfilling a basic set of obligations, such as...

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...