Tag: Aleteia
Do you look at those around you with Godly eyes, or tempted ones?
The great Russian Orthodox monk and Metropolitan, Anthony Bloom, has left a wealth of wonderful spiritual reading — his book Beginning to Pray is one of those amazing, small books that has something worth underlining and taking to contemplation on every page — and his book Courage to Pray is a similarly illuminating, but brief, read…. Read More ›
5 Prayers for 2017 you might have forgotten, or never heard of at all
Classic prayers like the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and a handful of others from our youth are probably so deeply ingrained in our subconscious that it’s not hard to find ourselves turning to them now and then, particularly in a moment of emergency. These “typical” prayers are deeply powerful and undeniably helpful in… Read More ›
What is Christianity? It’s all about an Epiphany
The beauty of Christmas reflects this explosive revelation: the Son of God became a man that men might become sons of God. This past week, I stumbled on an interesting song by Declan McKenna, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from England, titled “Bethlehem.” A saccharine take on the birth of Christ, this was not; instead, McKenna (who, as… Read More ›
Try “The Yearly Examen”: A spiritual exercise for a better 2017
As the New Year approaches many of us will look forward with hope, convincing ourselves that “next year will be better.” The past year may not have gone exactly as we had wanted and our original “New Year’s Resolutions” may have only endured to the middle of January. Whatever may be the case, we look… Read More ›
Want to sleep peacefully? Pray this prayer of the night
My dear God in heaven, O Creator, O One who loved me into being… Now that the voices are silenced and the crowded world of projects and overwhelming noise is hushed, here, at my bed, I seek your consolation. My spirit roots for you, as an infant seeks out the breast, seeks you as a… Read More ›
Irish worker discovers ancient manuscript that links Irish church to Egypt
The conservator called the finding miraculous: “We never before had to deal with a manuscript recovered from a bog.” In 2006 an Irish worker discovered an amazing find while digging in a bog with his backhoe at Fadden More. Sticking out of the earth was an ancient manuscript, miraculously intact after more than a thousand… Read More ›
Why do holidays bring out the worst versions of ourselves?
3 Things to do to avoid conflicts and put yourself on the path to family peace during Thanksgiving and Christmas Question: Every year it seems that Thanksgiving and Christmas are filled with more drama than joy. I simply do not understand why this happens! No matter what I do, being around my extended family is… Read More ›
My mother’s daily conversation with God and His Blessed Mother
“It’s not the beads that matter; it’s the prayers,” she would say of her rosary. Mom always said the rosary, every single day. One of my earliest memories of her is how she would sit up in bed when she first woke up, taking her beads and silently reciting the prayers. I can’t remember thinking… Read More ›
Do ghosts really exist?
Aleteia: Odds are very likely that if someone sees a ghost or if they are involved with “ghost-hunting,” what they saw is actually a demon Around this time of year “ghosts” are everywhere. You can find them at school, on the doorsteps of homes and on the shelves of Wal-Mart. Most of the time, instead of looking… Read More ›
Francis, Fatima and the End of the World
Does the Holy Father know something we don’t? Aleteia. At the end of April it was confirmed that Pope Francis will travel to Fatima for the one hundredth anniversary of the Marian apparitions, and it is rumored that he will use the occasion to canonize the two youngest seers, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. This week,… Read More ›