Lent: A Time for Building Habits
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” ― Will Durant Thus Will Durant sums up Aristotle’s theory
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” ― Will Durant Thus Will Durant sums up Aristotle’s theory
The end is in sight! Some of us may have persevered relentlessly with our Lenten practices, and others may have struggled a bit here and
Newly-ordained Fr. Al Schwartz stepped off the train in Seoul, South Korea, into a zombie apocalypse. It was 1957, and the devastation wreaked by the
Easter is just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean these last weeks of Lent can’t be filled with even more intense prayer. One of my
The irony of love, people say, is that we ignore those who adore us and adore those who ignore us; we hurt those who love
What is the point of the Lenten sacrifices [1]? Why do we fast on some days, abstain from meat on others, and then also give
It struck me the other day that these First Readings during Lent all have a common theme: they tell the story of Salvation History through
Lent causes suffering. The small (perhaps large to us) sacrifices that we make are meant to bring us closer to the cross. They are meant
By now, you’ve probably been asked, “What are you doing for Lent?” And, whether you’re willing to share, you likely have an answer. You probably
Lent is one of my favorite times of the Church year. There is a lot of richness in these forty days, and so much opportunity for
During the Lenten season, we seek to turn back from sin and to God. Each of the practices of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—helps us to
This week, we are in the midst of the battle. Lent is a battle. It’s our “campaign of Christian service,” as the Ash Wednesday collect says. At
It’s two weeks now since Ash Wednesday, and most Catholics have given up some desirable thing as a sacrifice. For instance, most families I know
In Jesus’ day, the word “hypocrites” didn’t really have any bad connotations. Actually, it just meant an actor in a play. Hypocrite literally means “one
“Terminate torment Of love unsatisfied The greater torment Of love satisfied.” — T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednesday Can Catholics celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, considering that
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. —Psalm 51:19 The disciples of John
The celebration of Holy Week can do amazing things to prepare our souls for the grace and celebration of Easter Sunday.
Why did the people welcome Jesus on Palm Sunday and after only 6 days, decide to crucify Him? A few thoughts came to my mind.
Being in the thick of Lent, I’ve been reflecting on Lents past and how differently I approach Lent now. Lent the year I was sixteen
I felt like a petulant child during the homily at Mass several weeks ago. Father had mentioned that we ought to consider preparing for Lent,
Our first reading is such a great scene from the life of Abraham, but we often picture it wrongly. God promises him that he will