NOTE: This pastoral letter (Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, t. 2, Lugduni, 1683, 916-917) was taken from a reading in iBreviary, also available as an app. Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the... Continue reading→

This year we made November a special month of thanksgiving, thanking God for all those who have gone before us and who have impacted our lives, celebrating All Saints and All Souls Day. Then we thanked God for the many the living who, in quiet or profound ways, have accompanied, shaped, and helped us grow.... Continue reading→

November should be a month and season of thanksgiving that culminates on Thanksgiving Day. We are grateful to God for those saints and sinners who are now with our Lord and who have enriched our lives. We wouldn’t be here without them. We also should be grateful to God for the various family, friends, fellow... Continue reading→

Before my assignment at Relevant Radio, I did youth ministry – broadly speaking – for thirty-three years. Among other things, I served as Chaplain of Embers Elementary School in the Chicago area; and one day, speaking to second graders about just how wonderful heaven will be – the joy, the wonder, Jesus, Mary and Joseph,...

There are just two days left in our Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Every day I have been sending you these brief articles on these themes because the more you know about your Faith, the more you will love it, and the more likely you will be to practice it. Every day we have... Continue reading→

If you thought death and taxes were unpleasant topics, just try thinking about hell. Is hell for real? Yes, it is, because Jesus told us about it many times in the New Testament. Who is in hell? The souls of the damned, that is, Lucifer and his minions. Other than that, we don’t know for... Continue reading→

Advent is a season of anticipation, a sacred time when we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas. As the world around us rushes into materialistic pursuits, the Church invites us to slow down, reflect, and enter into a time of waiting and preparation. Through prayer, reflection, and acts of kindness, Advent... Continue reading→

When we die we will be immediately judged by Jesus. If we are in the state of grace, we go to heaven, perhaps spending some time in purgatory first. If we have unrepented mortal sin on our soul, we have already made our choice to flee from God’s love and will spend eternity in Hell.... Continue reading→

Death is an unpleasant topic. So are taxes. Both are inevitable, so we better be prepared. Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell are known as the four Last Things. In Theology, the study of the four Last Things is a course called “Eschatology,” an English derivation of the Greek word that means the “study of the last things.” Jesus Christ’s... Continue reading→

St. Padre Pio, the humble Capuchin friar, captured the hearts of millions through his extraordinary spiritual gifts and unwavering devotion to Christ. Known for his deep love for God and compassionate intercessions, Padre Pio’s life was one of surrender to the Holy Spirit, allowing this divine presence to guide him through both joy and suffering.... Continue reading→

Did you know that you can gain a plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory if you visit a cemetery during the “Octave” of All Saints Day? That’s right. Let me explain. First, what’s an “octave”? An ‘octave’ is a one-week celebration of a feast day in the Church. We have ‘octaves’ for Christmas, Easter,... Continue reading→