Every time we pray – whether it’s a simple whispering of “Jesus, help me” or something a little more formal like the Rosary – we’re doing more than just talking to God. We’re extending an invitation. And sometimes – without even realizing it – we’re praying something that can be a little dangerous and not…
Have you ever had an encounter with someone – whether that be with a friend, family member, coworker, classmate – where you just felt really encouraged? Like someone breathed new life into you? That’s kind of what Paul and Barnabas are doing in this reading from the Acts of the Apostles. After traveling, preaching, and…
Psychology teaches us that our memories can sometimes be very much connected to our senses. A smell, a sound, even the texture of something that we touch can suddenly unlock a long-forgotten memory. Sometimes those memories can be comforting and sometimes they’re a little bit more painful. The smell of freshly cut grass might take…
Today is the day that the Lord has made. This is the day death lost its sting, the day sin lost its grip, the day the tomb was emptied and the promise fulfilled. Jesus, our Savior, who suffered and died, who was buried in a stone-cold tomb… is now alive. And not just in our…
There are very few days on the liturgical calendar as hauntingly beautiful as today. The Church is stripped bare. There is no ornamentation around the altar. The music for today is subdued and glum. There is a silence settling over not just this place, but over the whole world. It’s meant to remind us of…
I want to point out something that’s a little unsettling in our Gospel today. At first, it might seem like this is just a story about some poor woman caught in a moment of deep sin – and that is certainly true. But if we look a little bit deeper, we realize: she wasn’t the…
Today, we hear the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It is one of the most well-known and, honestly, more powerful stories in all of Scripture. And at this point, most of us have heard it many times, and yet, there is always something really beautiful about it and we always take something fresh from it.…
Some of you might remember this, but just a couple of years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Portugal for World Youth Day with some of our young adults. Now, for context, at every major World Youth Day event, the closing Mass is the highlight of the week. But, that closing Mass is…
There’s something powerful about knowing where you belong. I remember the very first time that I went to Rome. I was in seminary and was traveling with a group of my closest friends. The second we walked into the arms of the portico that surrounds St. Peter’s Square, I instantly knew that I was home.…
Have you ever had a smudge on your face that really leaves a mark, like a smear of lipstick or marker from one of your children’s masterpieces? No matter how many times you wipe it away, it seems to just stay there. Even if you think it's gone, it leaves a trace – a reminder…
Fr. Tom Pringle 