For February 1, February 8, February 15, and February 22 (First Sunday of Lent), as well as the Feast of the Presentation (February 2) and Ash Wednesday (February 18) Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – February 1, 2026 Readings: Ze … [Read more...]
Magazine
Rebuilding the Church, Within the Church
An Editorial on Pope Leo XIV’s Declaration of the Year of Saint Francis (2026)
I begin with an admission that may surprise some readers. When I was discerning my vocation, Franciscanism never appealed to me. I never quite got it. To my young clerical imagination, Saint Francis of Assisi was a kind of “hippie saint,” al … [Read more...]
A Marian Response to Mater Populi Fidelis
Tribute to God’s Perfect Cooperator
Mater Populi Fidelis has pushed Catholic households, parishes, and dioceses to deeply contemplate the nature and role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The title of Mary as “Co-redemptrix,” which was an honest theological debate up until the Dic … [Read more...]
“Love One Another”: Synodality and Diocesan Life
Part One: Why Do We Need Synodality? Last June, the General Secretariat of the Synod published the “Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod.” This document, which the Holy Father Leo XIV approved, invites all local Chu … [Read more...]
Preaching Repentance as Participation
There is a legend that I once heard that tells of a mystical vision of the great translator of the Bible, St. Jerome. Visited by the Lord one night in prayer, the Lord asked St. Jerome to give to him a gift. Jerome, perplexed yet honored by … [Read more...]
Theosis: Becoming Gods in This Life
In a previous article published at HPR, I wrote about moral perfection in this life, but I focused on contrasting mortal and venial sins for the purposes of helping us to remove sin from our lives and to grow in holiness.[1. Nate Guyear, … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – February 2026
Who Are the Doctors of the Church? Question One: Last November, Saint John Henry Newman was named a Doctor of the Church. How does one become a Doctor of the Church? Answer: The title of Doctor of the Church is among the highest honors … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – February 2026
AI Snake Oil: What AI Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference. By Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor. Reviewed by Christopher M. Reilly. (skip to review) AI and Sin: How Today’s Technology Motivates Evil. By Christopher M. R … [Read more...]
Homilies for January 2026
For the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, the Epiphany of the Lord, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Second Sunday and Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Solemnity of Mary Mother of God – January 1, 2026 Readings: Numbers 6:22–27 • Psalm 67:2– … [Read more...]
The Logic of “Encounter” at the Synod on Synodality and Veritatis Splendor
Over the next three years (2025–2028), the Church is undergoing a three-year implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality. The Holy See has cited a variety of goals for this phase, but the following is a general summary: “The imp … [Read more...]
In the One, We Are One: Papal Primacy and the Gift of Authority
Since its foundation, the Church has grappled with the nature and exercise of hierarchical authority, especially in relation to the Petrine office. Though much has been articulated about apostolic succession and the primacy of Peter, it is … [Read more...]
The Witness of the Teacher: Gravissimum Educationis at 60
The year 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of a number of documents from the Second Vatican Council. While Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, and Dei Verbum (and even Dignitatis Humanae) often take the spotlight (for very good reasons) when … [Read more...]
Interreligious Dialogue: A Brief Reflection on What Is at Stake
Interreligious Dialogue: Between Religious Studies and Syncretism Thich Nhat Hahn, besides being one of the major spiritual and intellectual leaders of Zen Buddhism in Southeast Asia, one of the popularizers of Buddhism in the West, and … [Read more...]
The Value of Literature to Priests
Among the thousands upon thousands of words written after the Easter Monday passing of Pope Francis, there were a few mentions of his thoughtful reflection in July 2024 on the role of literature in the formation of priests — and its broader … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – January 2026
St. Paul and “Completing the Sufferings of Christ” Question: Dear Fr. Cush, how should we interpret the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Colossians 1:24. It appears as if he says that by what he suffers he completes what is lacking in … [Read more...]
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