April Parker: See the blind beggar in your own prayers

A beggar on the street corner is not a new sight for most of us. We might look away, pity them or even say a prayer for them. Deep inside, though, aren’t we all just a little bit like beggars ourselves? Don’t we all beg throughout our everyday lives? Whether it be in prayer or just in the unceasing chaos of our own endless thoughts, each day we constantly ask God for things.

Vicente Del Real: Young Latino Catholics tell their stories, renew the Church

Every Lent, the Church invites us to return to the Lord. We fast, we pray, we share our gifts. But this year, 40 young Latino Catholics are also doing something simple and deeply transformative: They are telling their stories on how God is working in their lives.

Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski: Caring for creation this Lent

Lent is about changing the trajectory of our lives. We try to nudge our life toward God – toward love, kindness and generosity. In Scripture, we repeatedly see tax collectors and sinners offered the chance to repent and change their ways. There’s truth in the old saying “It doesn’t matter where you’ve been, only where you’re going.” The question is not: What did I accomplish yesterday? Rather: What is the Lord asking of me today?

Maria De Ugarte: Art has the power to connect and inspire

I had the privilege of attending Opera Carolina’s recent production of “Suor Angelica” by Giacomo Puccini, and I now understand why Puccini’s life changed after he saw his first opera. This is an art form that touches the soul and makes you feel alive.

Blessed-to-be Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: The great evangelizer

The history of the Church in the United States is a chronicle of evangelization.

Kenneth Craycraft: All sin is personal, but all sin is social, too

In my adult lifetime, I don’t think there’s ever been a time when we the people have been more in need of repenting our collective sins.

This is not to suggest that it’s the most morally corrupt era in U.S. history. Surely nothing can compete with the onerous institution of chattel slavery that prevailed for some 250 years. But, with this exception, we may be living in the most morally corrupt era in U.S. history. And if we do not repent of our sins, our lives together will continue to be degraded into warring sects and factions.

Michael R. Heinlein: Jesus prayed for His followers to be unified

It’s natural to think of the institution of the Eucharist when the Last Supper comes to mind. The sacramental memorial of Christ’s paschal mystery is, after all, as the Vatican II document “Lumen Gentium” says, “the source and summit of the entire Christian life.”

Laura Kelly Fanucci: How to get more comfortable with being less comfortable

Picture your favorite place to sit. A cozy recliner near the TV, a reading spot on your couch or your usual chair at the kitchen table. Remember how your body sinks into that space without a second thought. After a long day, there’s nothing better than settling in where we feel most at home.

Now picture the place where you usually sit at Mass. You might have a regular pew, a certain side of the church you love or the same exact seat every Sunday. Why do you pick this spot?