I recently watched a movie about the life of St. Joseph of Cupertino, the Franciscan friar and mystic famed for levitating while praying or offering mass. This incredible saint could be a poster child for what sainthood truly means. Through the power and graces of the Holy Spirit, he transformed from a clumsy, inept simpleton […]
The Church is God’s temple on earth, and believers are the living stones that form that holy house. We have been called to follow our Father’s divine blueprint for our lives: building on the sturdy foundation of Christ the cornerstone, living in holy fellowship with one another, being an open door to the lost world, […]
Who is to say that God does not put you or me, and no other, specifically at a scene for the very purpose of saying a prayer which will make a difference in a life? Prayer is the conduit of goodness and grace in the world. Prayer is humanity’s awesome duty to God and to each […]
After roughly three years of public ministry, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain and revealed His glory to them. They had spent day after day with Jesus as He walked from town to town, preaching the Gospel and calling sinners to repent. He told them many stories, spoke numerous parables, and worked […]
I was told that my First Holy Communion day would be the happiest day of my life. I found it difficult to believe that it could be happier than Christmas day or bonfire night, or a day out at the fun fair, but I was prepared to keep an open mind. Then someone told me […]
This month marks the one year anniversary of the passing of an extraordinary man, Fr. Arne Panula. While I never met him personally, I am deeply indebted to this wonderful man. My closest encounter with Fr. Arne was when he led the 2017 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in a closing prayer, just weeks before his death. […]
Catholics love to ask for the saints’ intercession, and no saint is called upon more often than Mary, the mother of Jesus. While every saint has at least some devotees within the Church, Mary is loved almost universally. Just about every Catholic has some sort of devotion to her, making her by far the most […]
Here then are a few points I have written down to provide you with a standard of conduct to live up to; but our Lord, at his second coming, will reward anyone who does more than he is obliged to do. See that the bounds of common sense are not exceeded, however, for common sense […]
Recently I came across a Portuguese word, “saudade,” which means a melancholic longing for what was lost; a missing person, place or experience that is unreachable, once had, or never had at all. There is, evidently, no direct English translation for this word which is more feeling than verb. Saudade (pronounced something along the lines […]
Three Forms of the Apostolate The Confiteor of the Mass outlines three areas of sin: “I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed; in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, […]
If you’re Catholic, you’ve probably heard at least once in your life that you should pray, fast, and give alms. These are the three traditional acts of piety that the Church encourages above all others, especially during Lent (although we are supposed to practice them all year round). There are several reasons why these practices […]
There’s probably a good chance there are others, like me, who get bogged down in their everyday attempts to pray. But not giving up on prayer when the going gets tough is the only real solution to overcoming dryness in prayer. Everyone who prays regularly probably goes through dry periods in their prayer life. I […]
I was so sorry to hear that my boyhood hero died recently. His name was Roger Bannister, or Sir Roger Bannister as he became later. I had seen him run several times, but sadly I wasn’t present to see him break the record by becoming the first man to run a mile in under four […]
The America I Remember Still Exists Frequently, I feel as if I had been born as the Wisconsin Glacier retreated from New England. In reality, of course, it was not quite that long ago. At the time of my birth in America, World War II had ended, the Korean Conflict had not yet begun, television sets were the […]
Praying the rosary is a devotional practice by which the faithful meditate on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. In purposefully slowing down our pace by means of this prayer, we become open to what our Lady and our Lord have to say to us during the prayer, as well as in […]
Many years ago, I attended a retreat given by Fr Michael Hollings, who was in great demand as a fearless and outspoken preacher. The retreat was for religious from many different orders. After joining the community for the communal recitation of the divine office, Fr Hollings began his first lecture with a tirade that reminded […]
The other night, I woke to a phone call around midnight and then I couldn’t get back to sleep. This could have been due to the humidity, which isn’t yet bad enough to warrant turning on the A/C unit, but is to the point where even having several fans going doesn’t really make a dent. […]
When people hear the term Kung Fu they probably think of the martial arts and guys like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, or even the 1970s TV show Kung Fu. But expertise in the martial arts is apparently only one kind of Kung Fu. The term Kung Fu translates as an acquired skill, work performed, […]
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times. He broke down and wept. ( Mark 14: 72) This verse from the Passion narrative of St. Mark’s Gospel reminds us of God’s rich mercy. In that short passage, we understand how Jesus is […]
Sometimes when something comes easy, we become complacent and start taking it for granted. But if that thing that we are taking for granted is a God-given talent, not developing it can lead to a life that is not being lived according to His plan for us. When I was in grade school and high […]
Over the Easter weekend, my family and I traveled to a local mountain resort to get away from the city. We also thought it would be the perfect setting to celebrate Easter. The weather cooperated, but this is Southern California so it usually does. The road up to the resort allowed us to take in […]
I have recently purchased a preschool curriculum that is all about “sensory play”. Let them get dirty, “say yes” to the mess, let them explore through their senses is the idea. If you look up “sensory play” on Pinterest, you will see that this is a trending idea. In fact, there are studies that show […]
This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord, the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then […]
In 1992, my husband and I told my parents we were expecting an addition to the family. They responded with excitement. Mom expressed how happy she was that I was going to experience the joy of being a mother. Her words revealed much about herself, and the joy in her heart. It was a beautiful […]
Ask Tony: Did the CCC 2267 Rescript Change Catholic Doctrine?
Many people argue that the rescript issued on August 2, which changed Paragraph 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to call the death penalty “inadmissible,” was a change of doctrine. In fact, some have gone so far as to treat it as a heresy on a level with denying the divinity of Christ. […]
I’m angry. I’m disgusted. And I don’t like being played for a sucker. The Requirements I Must Meet As a Catholic school teacher, I’ve been required to take several “safe touching” classes. I’ve had to sign document after document in which I agree to abide by Church teaching. I am prohibited from being in a […]
Wisdom from an Existential Jewish Mystic
I don’t think Mr. Hogg would have been employed in the first place had his predecessor not suddenly dropped dead on his way to school. Mr. Hogg was what was called in those days a ‘hippy’ and would not, in the normal way of things have been accepted as a suitable candidate to teach English […]
Mt. Tabor Moments- It Is Good That We Are Here!
After roughly three years of public ministry, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain and revealed His glory to them. They had spent day after day with Jesus as He walked from town to town, preaching the Gospel and calling sinners to repent. He told them many stories, spoke numerous parables, and worked […]
Dr. Taylor Marshall had a recent post on the state of the priesthood by the numbers. The “priest to Catholics” ratio (taken from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown) indicates that in 1950 there was one priest to every 652 Catholics in the United States. In 2016 that ratio had dropped […]
CURRENT RECRUITMENT STATUS: Thank you for your interest in Catholic Stand. However, at this time, we are not accepting inquiries for columnist positions. Who are we? Catholic Stand, an online publication presenting essays, offering substantive resources with thoughtful ...read more.
Connect
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.