Author: Fr. John Waiss

Fr. John Waiss

Father John Waiss is the pastor of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Chicago, Illinois. He is also a member of Opus Dei, the prelature founded by St. Josemaria Escriva.

Marital Lies and Mortal Sins

April 16, 2024April 25, 2024 Articles, Family and Kids

Married persons also need a pure heart to avoid sins against the sixth beatitude, by using marital relations in a disordered way by putting limits or conditions on their total, unconditional self-giving. This breaks and distorts the image of God’s total, unconditional self-giving in the Holy Trinity. The most common way is using contraception. What […]

Marital Love and Fidelity

April 9, 2024April 8, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Purity of heart is essential for a relationship with God, especially since the pure union of a man and woman in a lifelong marriage reflects God’s image and likeness as a Trinity of persons. All sinful lust distorts marriage and thus distorts God’s image and likeness; and we cannot see God through a distorted image. […]

Extramarital Lies

March 25, 2024March 25, 2024 Articles, Catechesis

NOTE: This article features some sensitive topics that may not be suitable for younger readers. Please use discretion. Often young people challenge the Church: “Why must we wait until we are married to have sex? When I hear such questions I like to ask: “Why would you want to?” The young people are taken aback […]

Eyes Ordered for Love

March 16, 2024March 18, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Our Lord links the beatitude, Blessed are the pure in heart, to the sixth and ninth commandments— Thou shalt not commit adultery nor covet thy neighbor’s wife. As Christ says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks lustfully at a […]

Blessed are the Pure of Heart

March 11, 2024March 8, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God (Matthew 5:18). Pope Francis notes: This Beatitude speaks of those whose hearts are simple, pure and undefiled, for a heart capable of love admits nothing that might harm, weaken or endanger that love. The Bible uses the heart to describe our real intentions, the […]

St. Josemaría’s Love for Freedom

March 5, 2024March 4, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of common good and public order (CCC 1738). St. Josemaría had a great love for freedom, while insisting […]

Religious Freedom and Obedience to the State

March 1, 2024February 26, 2024 Articles, News and Culture

The state has a duty to protect the private and public exercise of religion and each person’s right to religious freedom—no one should ever be forced to act against his conscience: In what way does a person exercise his or her proper right to worship God in truth and in freedom? Every person has the […]

Respecting Authority and Civic Laws

February 22, 2024February 21, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Jewish leaders often challenged Jesus, yet he encouraged us to respect all legitimate authority. For example, when the Scribes and Pharisees try to trap our Lord, dragging before him a woman they caught in adultery: should we obey the Law, which commands good Jews to stone such persons, or obey the Roman law, which forbids […]

Family (Social) Participation

February 11, 2024February 12, 2024 Articles, Family and Kids

Children often complain and criticize parents and their rules, especially when they don’t get to do what they want. Citizens often do the same with governmental leaders and laws. Yet our responsibility goes beyond obeying legitimate authorities and laws. As children grow they are called to take on more responsibility for the well-being of the […]

Mercy and Obedience

February 10, 2024February 7, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Often people reduce the Fourth Commandment, “Honor thy father and mother,” to a child’s obedience. Certainly, obedience is important, as a child honors his parents and God by obeying them and God’s law. Obedience is the child’s way of saying that he trusts that his parents know and want what is best for him and […]

Embracing the Power of Forgiveness

January 15, 2024January 16, 2024 Articles, Catechesis

Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of forgiving others: Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who plot revenge.” He calls “blessed” those who forgive and do so “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven. All of us have been looked upon with divine […]

Merciful Love is Hopeful

January 9, 2024January 8, 2024 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

The Incarnate Word was born not in a palace, mansion, or even in an ordinary home, but in a cave; he came into the world with nothing, except an earthly mother and father who loved him with all their heart. That was all Christ wanted, nothing else. What is truly valuable is not gold, fame, […]

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