Am I Called To Be a Contemplative?

The Dignity and Destiny of Every Man According to St. Teresa of Avila

In a world of distraction and dispersion, modern man is distraught, thirsting for peace in a troubled world. The dream of humanity sufficing in itself by its enlightened thought and conscientious humanitarian charity has met the sad reality … [Read more...]

Mystical and Motherly

Mystical wisdom played a key role in the contributions of the four women honored as Doctors of the Church. They demonstrate on a limited scale the primacy of contemplative prayer in the work of evangelization. None of the women who bear … [Read more...]

The Our Father: Ladder to the Heavens

In my article previously published in HPR, “Overlooked and Underprayed: the Our Father,”[1. hprweb.com/2015/11/overlooked-and-under-prayed-the-our-father/] I tried to point out several unique and important characteristics of the prayer, the … [Read more...]

Overlooked and Under-Prayed: The Our Father

The Our Father is simple, easy to memorize and recite, and is thus, easily and often, very poorly prayed. I would say it is abused, is misused, and even is, shamefully, to the point of dishonoring the Lord, who personally gave this prayer … [Read more...]

Why Me?

“I am the potter, you are the clay.” An American couple who like to shop for antiques entered a store in England. They spotted an exceptional tea cup. As the clerk handed them the cup, it suddenly spoke up, “I haven’t always been a tea cup. … [Read more...]

The Glory of the Mass

Obviously, the Mass is a glorious thing. It is the way God continues to feed his people; it is the way Jesus Christ—God made flesh—keeps his promise never to leave us orphans. Those who attend daily Mass have been given an unmatchable gra … [Read more...]

Knowing Enough History to Defend It: Catholic History and Apologetics

The Church is distinctive among institutions in the history of mankind: it is human and yet divine; perfect, yet in need of reform; holy, yet made up of sinners; infallible, yet led by fallen, fallible humans. While many seem to … [Read more...]

A “Sharing between Friends”: The Art of Mental Prayer

Mental prayer is simply spending time in the presence of God, talking with him about absolutely anything, even about our lack of knowing exactly what to say. It is dealing with our Lord as a close, intimate friend.    When speaking to the … [Read more...]

The Interior Life

The interior life for a Catholic means finding God in all things, leading to a life of contemplation in action. Faith in Jesus Christ has consequences.  A devout Catholic, who takes his faith seriously, will live in way that is in … [Read more...]