Would Pope Jesus be better than Ascending Jesus?
Tomorrow is Ascension Thursday, reminding us that we have ten final days of the Easter season to enjoy before Pentecost Sunday. On Ascension…
Tomorrow is Ascension Thursday, reminding us that we have ten final days of the Easter season to enjoy before Pentecost Sunday. On Ascension…
“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known, that thou art…
We think of St. Joseph working as a carpenter. Still, what did it really mean? To understand, we need to briefly go back to where it all beganIn…
At 21 years old, I sat in a train car on a warm August afternoon that was winding its way through the mountainous French countryside on my way…
In some ways, the question seems to have such an obvious answer that it may seem strange to even ask. What more is there to say except that freedom…
Now that we have completed our Lenten journey (hopefully a challenging one), we can relax and enjoy the delights of the Easter season. Chocolate…
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Alleluia!We are in the midst of the Octave of Easter. Like Christmas, Easter Sunday does not last…
“It’s like theatre!” my mom once exclaimed when explaining what she loves so much about the liturgies of Holy Week. When a worshipping community…
Tomorrow the Church celebrates the moment of the Incarnation, wrought in God’s infinite love from eternity and brought to time by the simple…
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the…
Fr. Bruno Cadoré, former Master of the Order of Preachers, during his canonical visits, usually asked the friars, “What is your identity?” “What…
Before entering the Dominicans, I attended a diocesan seminary run by Benedictine Monks, one of whom was my spiritual director. He gave me a…
Lent is not only a time of bodily affliction and psychological combat; it is a time of continual victory for those who hold onto the victorious…
In the office of Readings for Ash Wednesday, St. Clement I, the bishop of Rome in the late first century, exhorts the Christian people to fix…
Our life on this side of death is marked by a deep and insatiable desire. Human persons, strange creatures that we are, live constantly on the…
It seems a certain nastiness is becoming increasingly common in the way we deal with those who are not our closest friends. From public figures…
Have you ever felt bored on the spiritual journey and wanted to give up? Have you ever felt that the spiritual life is such an unbearable burden…
On January 22nd, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, we Catholics have the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, and in California,…
I remember once when I was a teenager, a family member was driving me somewhere on the freeway. And suddenly, the truck in front of us began…
In August, along with a number of my fellow student brothers, I had the opportunity to go on a three-night, four-day backpacking trip through…
No doubt that the year 2020 has been a year of tremendous hardship. As we reach the last days of this year, we look forward to 2021 with great…
One prominent theme of the season of Advent is the virtue of hope. In preparing for Christmas, we foster hopeful expectation for the coming Messiah.…
The season of Advent is here, and now that we’re getting some cold weather, it’s finally starting to feel like winter! For me, this weather gets…
We live in perhaps one of the most divided eras of our nation’s history. While the dust is beginning to settle from this rough year, it still…
The Jesus PrayerOne of the most well-known and beloved prayers in Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches is the Jesus Prayer. There are…
Harvest festivals, like our American Thanksgiving, are found all over the world. From Korean Chuseok to Jewish Succoth, many farming societies…
All men are dust and to dust they shall return. This is a seemingly grim statement, yet it is also one imbued with humility. What is man, whose…
Why does the Church focus on death? In his monastic rule St. Benedict tells his monks to “keep death daily before your eyes.” St. Jerome is famously…
By the grace of God, I was ordained to the diaconate this past month, and I have had the privilege to serve at Mass as a deacon.Part of the petition…
I spent several years discerning my vocation before I joined the Order. Despite the stress and uncertainty, the process of discernment was incredibly…
Our common life as Dominicans follows a daily schedule of prayer and meals called an horarium, but that still leaves us with a lot of time left…
“And the angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning,…
St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the intellectual luminaries of our Order, is a model thinker. He integrated the thought of diverse intellectuals in…
I was so happy to see hundreds of you join me for the Rosary last Saturday. We've now planned to livestream another Rosary tomorrow at the same…
The Dominican Friars of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesusjoyfully announce the First Profession of their BrothersMichael Thomas CainXavier…
The Dominican Friarsof the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesusjoyfully announce theSolemn Profession of their Brother John Winkowitsch,…
I love the vow of chastity! Yes, you heard me right. I, a twenty-four-year-old male, who grew up in the hyper-sexualized culture of twenty-first…
Psalm 130:6-7 “My soul looks for the Lordmore than sentinels for daybreak.More than sentinels for daybreak,let Israel hope in the Lord,For with…
Today marks the 103rd anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima. All such apparitions are judged the way we judge any private revelation, namely,…
Readings: John 12: 24-26 | Phil 3: 8-14There was a morbid custom in parts of the American prison system before the 1960s: as a man condemned…
I am always fascinated by flying. It is remarkable how many people and systems have to work together in order to allow travelers to go from one…
When I was growing up, my family kept a garden. There would be a certain day in the mid-spring, a warm and dry day, when we’d start the work…
There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic is a global tragedy. It has been heartbreaking to hear news of many dying weekly. However, I…
This has certainly been a strange and disturbing few weeks we have lived through, with practically our entire world going into shelter-in-place…
With many facing limited or no access to the Eucharist, the practice of making a Spiritual Communion is becoming increasingly known. But what…
A few people have told me that it’s easier for them to pray in the dark than in the light. So why is that? C.S. Lewis inquires, “Why must holy…
Throughout the world people are on lockdown, confined to their homes, with their lives put on hold until the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Along with…
When illness or plague struck Christian or Jewish people in the past, their two-pronged reaction was 1) to cure or flee from it, and 2) to repent…
The Catholic Church has a very exalted view of human nature. The creation narrative in the book of Genesis reveals the powerful Word with which…
St. Paul famously likens perseverance in the ‘race’ towards heavenly glory to athletes who train their bodies for competitions in his 1st letter…
The season of Lent is underway! This time of preparation for Easter gives us an opportunity to reexamine and refocus our spiritual lives. We…
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit originate from the Latin Vulgate of Isaiah 11:2-3, where the prophet lists the qualities of the “Spirit of…
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.” (Ps 89:15)You don’t need special training to…
Tomorrow is the feast of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, the second Master of the Order of Preachers and the successor of our Holy Father St. Dominic.…
I recently recovered from a cold. It began gradually. I noticed that my throat hurt a little with every swallow. I thought to myself, “I’ve had…
“Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”…
I have been thinking about mercy lately. Mercy is something so fundamental to our Christian faith, and yet it seems to be so elusive. It’s not…
At the beginning of this year, over twenty musicians — including Dominican friars from three different provinces — convened at Blessed Sacrament…
They shall bring gold and frankincense,and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD. (Is 60:6)This verse is found at the end of our first reading…
When will I die, and how? Will it be at the ripe old age of ninety after I’ve lived a full life? Will it be painless? What if I die tomorrow…
It’s fitting that we celebrate January 1st as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. In her essay The Mystery of Christmas, the philosopher and…
On my first visit to New York City, I had the pleasure of being among the many tourists who flock to Manhattan for the holiday season. New York…
Today, the Church begins to sing the seven, so-called “O Antiphons.” Dating from the early Church, these antiphons are sung at Mass and Evening…
I vaguely remember, as a child, being so proud of the fact that I could tie my shoes. I consciously thought through what my fingers were doing…
Advent has begun!We’ve entered into a pregnant pause. The hope of the world—of our lives—is imminent ! The canticles of Zechariah, Simeon, and…
While millions of Americans gather to give thanks to God for blessings given throughout the year, to many of us, it might be a difficult time…
Every year several young men from all over the country visit St. Albert’s Priory for a Come and See weekend. I will never forget my first visit…
St. Cyril of Alexandria lived between c. 378-444 AD and was the Patriarch (Archbishop) of Alexandria during a very turbulent time in the Church.…
What are comforting words you would give to a couple burying their only child? How would you explain why—after trying to have children for many…
In contemporary public discourse we hear much about “fear,” often with a negative connotation. We hear about “fear based politics,” “fear-mongering,”…
We Catholics praise God. We, as His creatures praise God for many reasons. We praise God to thank Him, to adore Him, and to glorify Him. Praise…
One day, during my childhood, my mother and I were attending daily Mass. During the Gospel reading the priest proclaimed a passage from Matthew…
Introduction: In July 2019, the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) held a General Chapter in Vietnam. A very democratic process, a General Chapter…
Theology can seem far removed from our spiritual life—a cold, dry, clinical exercise—like studying botany textbooks compared to gardening. Theologians…
The diaconate is one of the most ancient offices of the Church, dating all the way back to the time of the Apostles. The Church has always recognized…
One of the biggest difficulties about wearing a white habit is that it is absolutely impossible to keep spotless. In a way, being a sinful, concupiscent…
Here at the house of studies, St. Albert’s Priory, we have started another academic year! Late summer and early fall are always times of transition…
On Thursday August 29th at 7:30pm, in a beautiful ceremony called Vestition, the four young men below will join the Dominicans; receiving the…
Matthew 25:1-12 tells the parable of the ten bridesmaids who went to meet the bridegroom’s wedding feast. Five wise virgins brought extra oil…
At this point in the academic year, I am finishing my year of ‘residency.’ This year – typically a student brother’s fourth year of formation…
When it comes to leisure, many of us tend to associate it with time spent not working or studying, doing what we enjoy. In other words, leisure…
“Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” As Dominicans, we pray these words quite frequently, after every Rosary…
When we meditate upon the fourth glorious mystery, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we should be meditating upon love; namely, the…
In the Third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary we contemplate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles at Pentecost. Our meditation on this…
As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us meditate on the Second Glorious mystery, Christ’s Ascension into…
Exult, let them exult! Having been baptized during an Easter Vigil, these opening words from the Exsultet have a special place in my memory of…
Today, we are entering into the mystery of Holy Week, the most significant week in the liturgical year, the week in which God shows his ineffable…
After meditating on the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, and the Carrying of the Cross, with the Fifth…
Among the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, this is arguably the only one that focuses on Christ’s active role in His Passion. Christ…
And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe upon Him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand.…
One of the first challenges that we face when meditating on the Second Sorrowful Mystery is that the Gospels only provide a minimal amount of…
We easily see that the Church is wise in her establishment of Lent. We are sinners – selfish, carnal, and earthly-minded – and so it is no surprise…
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen 3:19).Most everyone agrees with this sentence irrespective of their views or religious beliefs.…
Christians throughout the ages have undertaken strenuous journeys to shrines far and near. Early pilgrimages focused on the Holy Land, on the…
As we draw near to the feast of The Chair of St. Peter it is worth reflecting on what papal infallibility is and is not. People often think this…
Recently, in one of my Scripture classes, we addressed the similarities and differences between St. Paul and the Greek philosophers. The philosophers…
When I say the word morality, what do you think of? Your first thought may be of rules, duties, and obligations - dos and don'ts of what is acceptable…
Dominicans are not especially zealous in promoting the veneration of our saints, a tendency that goes all the way back to our beginnings and…
Every single person is called to love. If we do not experience love, life remains incomprehensible to us. But if we do experience love, then…
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”…