Text from the first four paragraphs of "The Disciples of Fr. Frans"|I am writing these lines on the "Third Day," the third day after the death of my companion, Fr. Frans van der Lugt, S.J. the Dutch Jesuit who was assassinated ...

Text from the first four paragraphs of "Beyond Giving Up Chocolate"|From the time we were children, our first question for Lent was often, "What are you giving up for Lent?" Giving something up for these 40 days is a ...

More than just a day, the Church gives us a seven-week Easter season to celebrate. Yet sometimes our everyday lives feel so heavy that celebration is not a part of them. Critical illness in the family, loss of a job, ...

Text from page one of "Praying Lent: Helping Little Children with Lent"|As parents of young children know, Lent can seem so "heavy" in comparison to the anticipation and excitement of preparing for Christmas. What can ...

Ashes are placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, in one of the most counter-cultural acts of our faith. It is done for two reasons: a personal act of remembrance and as a sign or a witness for others.|The ashes come ...

Text from the first three paragraphs of "One Prayer a Day for Lent"|The First Four Days of Lent|Ash Wednesday|Lord, it feels like we are embarking on a Lenten journey together, you and I. The beautiful words in the today's ...

Text from the first four paragraphs of "The Story of Emmaus: Feeling our Hearts Burning with Hope"|The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were having a very difficult day. They were part of "the group," the followers of ...

Text from the first four paragraphs of "Letting Myself be Reborn"|Easter is a wonderful time to reflect upon the new life we receive through our relationship with Jesus. However, celebrating Easter is not just thinking ...

When Jesus was revealing to his disciples that he is the Bread that gives us life, he said this profound thing:|Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will ...

Lent can be a good time to reflect on the people who mean the most to us and the relationships we hold most dear. For those of us who live in industrialized countries, it can be jarring to realize that our time together ...