No Turning Back on Lent
Ah, the first week of Lent—just about the time when I usually start to question the choice and discernment of my individual Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and…
Faith Library
Category: Saints & Church Year
Walking through the Catholic calendar.
Why is Lent Forty Days?
Readings for February 17, 2013: First Sunday of Lent In the English language, the special season before Easter is called “Lent.” The word comes from the “lengthening” of…
Food for Thought
I am not very successful at fasting these days. Yes, I can abstain from meat, but true fasting? It’s a hard go. However, I wonder if the first…
40 Ways to Get the Most out of Lent
This is not an exhaustive list of Lenten ideas. But it’s a start! Many of the resources mention here are available on our website at www.crossroadsinitiative.com or can…
The “gift” of a mother’s tears
It seems odd that shortly after celebrating our Lord’s birth, we are thrown into Lent commemorating His passion, death, and resurrection. I remember our late pastor saying that…
Mary the Magnificent
Mild, meek, pregnant, servant-of-the-Lord Mary takes a trip to see her cousin Elizabeth, who is miraculously pregnant in her own right. Elizabeth sees Mary and John the Baptist…
A Little Epiphany
Over the years as I’ve studied the Bible, I–along with others in my Bible Study group–have wondered, “Why didn’t the Israelites of the Old Testament get it? And…
Being a Whole Saint
St. Therese, the Little Flower, once said that a person “cannot be half a saint. We must be a whole saint or no saint at all.” Only the…
Behold Your Mother
Earlier this month, we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It is a great feast day of Mary’s maternity, of her motherhood of Christ. What kind…
Mary’s Yes and Mine
I wonder what Mary thought about the gifts the Magi brought, which were odd for a baby, but not so odd for the Savior of the world. Did…