The smoke that rises from the burning of incense has for millennia been understood by the Christian community as a symbol of the prayers of the faithful rising up to God.

As the primaries heat up, we should guard ourselves against uncritically supporting candidates who know how to present themselves on the political stage as devout Catholics or concerned Christians.

The wonder of the Bible reading might be that—even though he’s tired and half-asleep—Eli realizes that God is calling Samuel and tells him how to respond the next time he hears the voice. Eli tells Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

As the flurry of distressed reactions to this declaration reminds us, the Catholic vision of marriage, family life, and human sexuality exists in a secular environment that regards the faith with profound hostility.

In the dreariness of January, we might be feeling kind of meh. Well, it turns out there’s a saint for that.

Because the issue of migration evokes disparate responses from different parts of the electorate, it will never be resolved unless there are compromises, which are an essential element of our political system.

For meaningful change to happen in our lives we may have to face the fact that it will mean allowing God to take charge of them, and then each of us slouching our way toward surrender.

Jesus’ baptism truly is a major “turning of the page” in Jesus’ life, since, after his baptism at the hands of John the Baptist his quiet, hidden life became one of public ministry, wherein he actively sought to make his saving mission and identity known and proclaimed.

Consider for a moment how endlessly the Lord, too, calls us to himself, and how greatly he wants us to respond.

Some days we might be like the shepherd in the fields, meeting God unexpectedly without warning. Other days we might be more like the wise men, following a star, looking for God and answering his invitation to be with him.