I was scrolling the other day—harmless, idle browsing. The kind of scroll I do when I have some time to myself, and I’m not looking for anything in particular. And hopefully, I’ve finished some chores. But something strange happened. I stopped, not because of the content, but because I realized I was no longer sure […]

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting across the table at lunch with two of my spiritual priest-sons/spiritual fathers. We were discussing a Mass they were going to celebrate later in the day that they invited my daughter and me to (my husband unfortunately had to work). I mentioned that I would like to […]

God is love, and He pours out His love on all His creatures.  But among all His earthly creatures, man is the best receptacle for His love.  A city has a water supply.  Whenever a person drinks from the tap, he is drinking from that source.  Similarly, whenever a person loves another, his love is […]

St. Josemaría Escrivá was born in 1902 in Barbastro, Spain. From a young age, he sensed a call to do something great for God in ordinary life. Ordained a priest in 1925, he soon founded Opus Dei—an organization within the Church dedicated to helping lay people live holiness in their everyday work, family life, and […]

When I began writing for Catholic Exchange two years ago, I was launching my career. At the time an undergraduate at Florida International University in Miami, I needed writing gigs that came with a degree of flexibility. Freelance writing was my best option—but any writer can tell you that connections are crucial, and you need […]

Religious beliefs need to be changed.    The odds-on favorite to win the 2016 election for United States President said that to a crowd of abortion supporters in the run up to the election.  Many people no doubt thought nothing of it. But coming from a secular leader running for the nation’s highest office, it begged […]

Lifting His eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed: “Holy Father, keep them in your name . . . that they may be one, just as we are one . . . I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the Evil One . . . Consecrate […]

St. William of Vercelli was born in 1085 in Vercelli, Italy. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by relatives and developed a deep desire for a life devoted to God. As a young man, he undertook a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and afterward, chose a life of solitude and penance in the […]

Learning about the lives of holy men and women is a common and helpful spiritual practice. But while we might take some time to consider saints in their historical contexts, it’s easy to look past the ways their lives and actions influence our own present culture. Saints are made within specific cultural, historical circumstances and, […]

The Feast of Corpus Christi, celebrating the Eucharist as the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, invites profound reflection on the sanctity of life, especially in light of contemporary discussions surrounding abortion, what many call the “anti-sacrament” of what we consider the “source and summit” of the spiritual life of the Church (Lumen […]