Beautiful Inside And Out

Saint Rose of Lima by Claudio Coello (1642–1693), in the Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain

Appearances rule in pop culture. The beautiful people occupy the covers of magazines and get all the buzz for their many sightings and multiple marriages. We are likewise bombarded with the externals of clothing and housing and vehicles, as if looking good will somehow increase our internal value. Saint Rose of Lima, born Isabel Flores de Oliva (1586-1617), a lay member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, Peru, was by all accounts an exceedingly beautiful woman, and because she was

Let Others Lift You Up

Some say it’s good to be queen, and in the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Lucy is dismayed to learn she can’t be queen when she grows up. You have to be born one. “If I can’t be a queen,” she says, then “I’ll work and work until I’m very rich and then I will buy myself a queendom.” Good grief! Wrong on both counts. Queen saints became saints by doing

Champion For The Poor

Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914), 257th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Saint Pius X was born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto (1835-1914), was canonized in 1954, and was adored and abhorred during his brief 11-year papal reign from 1903-1914. As a pastoral pope, he promoted frequent Communion and spirituality for children and laypeople. As a reformer, he contributed to significant changes in

Approach Boldly

“The Woman at the Well” by Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886-1957)

Greek icon, date unknown, “Woman at the Well”

The award for the “Lady with the Most Chutzpah” in the New Testament might be viewed as a toss-up between

Reform From Within

Love for people innervated John Eudes’ (1601-80) work, who from the beginning, gave of himself. As a young priest he worked among plague victims, and lived alone so as not to risk infecting other members of his religious order. He became a famous preacher and confessor, and in 1641 founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge in Caen, Normandya, a community to help women who had

United In Love

The church teaches that marriage is a sacrament for many reasons. A commitment this profound, which leads a couple to

Forgiveness Made Real In Boston

Woodcut image of the 1834 burning of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

In 1834, the Irish Catholics of Boston were ready to avenge the ransacking and burning of an Ursuline convent by a Protestant mob. (See also: http://www.celebrateboston.com/crime/ursuline-convent-destruction.htm) But on August 17 of that year, Bishop Benedict Fenwick preached a message of forgiveness in the cathedral and effectively stopped any retribution and bloodshed. Matthew’s gospel today (Matthew 18:21—19:1) challenges us to forgive unconditionally. It is possible. Forgiveness works. We all have someone we could forgive today. It can make a real difference.

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21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22Jesus answered,

Give From Your Heart

Saint Stephen the Great of Hungary (969–1038) was the first king of that nation, helped bring Christianity to his nation a thousand years ago and helped popularize the ancient custom of

Lifting Up The Lowly

A recent study showed the power of a simple compliment. Telling a proficient sales clerk, “My, you’re good at your job!” or a co-worker, “I appreciate your thoughtfulness” can greatly alter their mood and improve their performance. One man who had

Are you imagining things? Good!

Saint Francis of Assisi cuts Clare’s king beautiful hair at her request as she begins efforts to become a nun.

Before Saint Clare’s birth, one biographer wrote, it was revealed to her mother that the child “would be a brilliant light in the world.” As abbess of the first convent of Franciscan sisters, Clare rose from her sickbed to pray for the protection of her sisters from marauders and heard a voice say,

The Church’s True Wealth

Fresco cycle on the life of St. Stephen and Laurentius, scene: St. Laurentius before the court of the emperor Valerian, who orders him tortured to death on a fire-grate

Saint Lawrence (225–258) was a deacon known as the keeper of the church’s treasures. That means he disbursed donated alms to the needy. In August of 258 A.D., the pagan Emperor Valerian outlawed Christianity, and Roman authorities demanded that Lawrence turn over the wealth of the church.

They first tortured him extensively looking for information on other Christians, and then they

A Martyr Of Two Faiths

Edith Stein

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein, 1891-1942) was was born into a Jewish family in Breslau, Germany, and became a philosopher, phenomenologist, teacher, feminist, and translator. She was a brilliant woman who earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Göttingen in 1916, and obtained an assistantship at the University of Freiburg. She was raised as an observant Jew, became atheist in her teens, but during her student years read Saint Teresa of Ávila’s autobiography, and as a result, decided to become Catholic, was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church in 1922, and joined the Discalced Carmelite order in 1933.

Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein, 1891-1942)

Edith Stein

After the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, she was forced to resign from her teaching post because of Nazi law. And though

Mary & Martha Shake Hands

The contest between action and contemplation in the spiritual life is an old one. Just think “Martha & Mary” and you get the picture. Saint Dominic (1170-1221) had the advantage of an early experience with contemplative life to shape his sense that the two impulses should be combined. When he founded his Order of Preachers, the idea was to

Power Of The People

When the Roman Empire hit hard times, Emperor Valerius ordered the execution of Christian leaders. The church, still young and wrangling over rules, was already agitated as persecution came. Enter Sixtus II, the pope trying to hold everything together, “a good and peace-loving priest,” wrote one biographer. But, enter too, those who follow leaders — the mob and their makers, wielding a power all its own. Because Sixtus wanted to

Discover Truths In Sacred Places

Exploring architecture is a great way to grow in your understanding of Catholicism. Not only are there different styles of Catholic church buildings but there are also different classifications. The type of structure you may know best is the parish church, but there are also oratories, crypts, cathedrals, and basilicas. Each has its own particular characteristics. A basilica, for example, signifies a church that has a place of honor because of its historical and religious importance. Look up a church like the Basilica of Mary Major and

Hang In There

Saint John Vianney (1786-1859), known as the Curé of Ars, started out as a farmhand and catechist who needed extra time in his studies for the priesthood because he wasn’t the most brilliant student. At first, he was not authorized to hear Confessions, but later would spend 10 to 16 hours a day hearing the Confessions of the 100,000 people a year who trooped to visit him. Sometimes it’s necessary to struggle, even fail, before you find your true calling. When you get to

Travel Light

Most tabernacles these days are pretty fancy places, far removed in size and style from the original dwelling place of God, which was a modest tent in the desert. Moses built it, but the master architect was God, who delivered the blueprint on Mt. Sinai. It served as

Unity Is Stronger

The Virgin Mary in Glory with Archangel Gabriel, and Saints Eusebius of Vercelli (seated), Saint Sebastian, and Saint Roch, by Sebastiano Ricci (1 August 1659 – 15 May 1734).

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli (c. March 2, 283 – August 1, 371) lived at a time when bishops were elected by acclamation of the people. The people of Vercelli, in modern-day Italy, chose Eusebius because of his humility and his commitment to unity at a time of great division in the early church. Eusebius emphasized the faith that unites us rather than the opinions that divide us. When you find yourself in a disagreement with someone, ask if you are clashing over fundamental truths or merely over personal opinions and preferences. If we

A Whole Lot Of Love

Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, C.Ss.R. (27 September 1696 – 1 August 1787), was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, theologian, and founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Saint Alphonsus (1696-1787) practiced law for a time, became a priest, and eventually founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists). His clear and reasoned thinking — a remnant from his days as a litigator — served him well as a

The Order Of The Day

Pope Francis was Jorge Mario Bergoglio before election to the papacy.

Before he came on the world stage as Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio had already put in 53 years of service to the church as a Jesuit. The Society of Jesus founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola has served the church for nearly 500 years, with Jesuits currently working in 112 nations in a variety of apostolic ministries.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (October 23, 1491 – July 31, 1556) founded the Society of Jesus, whose members are called Jesuits.

The election of