Reflections on life, meaning and purpose

ADVENTCAzT 2023 – 09 – Monday 2nd Week of Advent: Joseph

A series of 5 minute daily podcasts for Advent and Christmas 2023. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf · ADVENTCAzT 2023 – 09 – Monday 2nd Week of Advent: Joseph Today, we hear about St Joseph’s choice about Mary: Send her away? Fulton … Read More →

Preaching about joy starts with paying attention to life’s difficulties

This week on ‘Preach,’ the script is flipped: Ricardo da Silva, S.J., the regular host, becomes the guest preacher, and Maggi Van Dorn, a usual producer, takes the mic as the host. Ricardo invites listeners to identify where they have experienced joy, even as he admits that we live in a world where joy is […]

Nebraska priest dies after attack during apparent rectory break-in

OMAHA, Neb. (OSV News) — A Nebraska priest has died after being attacked in the rectory of his parish in the early morning of the Second Sunday of Advent. Father Stephen Gutgsell was found “suffering from injuries sustained during an assault” Dec. 10 at the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort […]

Hearing the Pope’s Confession: Vatican Confessor Reflects on Sacrament

Pope Francis confessing in St. Peter’s Basilica. / L’Osservatore Romano CNA Newsroom, Dec 10, 2023 / 11:15 am (CNA). A 91-year-old Franciscan has spoken about his time as confessor to Pope Francis and stressed the enduring and essential role of the sacrament of reconciliation. Brother Otmar Egloff served for several years as chief confessor at […]

Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 2nd Sunday of Advent 2023

It’s the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation? Share the good stuff.  Quite a few people are forced to sit through really bad preaching.  Even … Read More →

At Least On Sunday – 2nd Sunday of Advent: From outside and from inside

We might be tempted to ask rhetorically if there was ever a time in the Church when divisions in factions, disagreements between groups was ever so bad as now? On the 2nd Sunday of Advent we hear from Paul’s letter to the Romans. There had been sizeable Jewish community in Rome because of both 2nd […]

Hearing the Pope’s Confession: Vatican Confessor Reflects on Sacrament

Pope Francis confessing in St. Peter’s Basilica. / L’Osservatore Romano CNA Newsroom, Dec 10, 2023 / 11:15 am (CNA). A 91-year-old Franciscan has spoken about his time as confessor to Pope Francis and stressed the enduring and essential role of the sacrament of reconciliation. Brother Otmar Egloff served for several years as chief confessor at […]

Orphan rescued by Mother Teresa promotes cause of Minnesota nun 

Patrick Norton stands near Sister Annella Zervas’ grave, October 2022. / Credit: Patti Armstrong St. Paul, Minn., Dec 10, 2023 / 06:00 am (CNA). Pointing toward the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at the Saint Benedict Monastery cemetery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, 61-year-old Patrick Norton recounts the day 13 years ago when he was painting […]