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.

Combatting Temptation

May 15, 2023May 11, 2023 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Temptations are wonderful opportunities to manifest our love and deepen our relationship. The way we react to the temptation can and should affirm our love. One way to show our love is to avoid occasions of sin (persons, places, things that easily lead to sin). For example, if an alcoholic finds it impossible to resist […]

When is Sin not a Sin?

May 4, 2023May 2, 2023 Articles, Catechesis

Not everything unlawful is a sin, as Jesus clearly points out: “Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth… [as] what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, […]

Loss of the Sense of Sin

April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

Sin ruptures our relationship with Jesus Christ, the source of the freely given gift of grace and eternal beatitude. Sin is thus the principal obstacle to true happiness, as it hurts relationships key to that happiness. Recent popes have identified another obstacle to grace: “The greatest sin today is that men have lost the sense […]

Freedom of the Children of God

February 13, 2023February 10, 2023 Articles, Catechesis

Our human dignity consists in being loved as God’s own sons and daughters, free to love in return. As Fr. Fernando Ocáriz relates: Our divine filiation enables our freedom to expand with all the strength that God has bestowed on it. It is not by emancipating ourselves from the Father’s house that we become free, […]

Biblical Morality: A Story of Love and Mercy

February 6, 2023February 10, 2023 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

The Bible is a love story, the story of God’s love for man and of man’s response to that love. Man can embrace God’s love and be happy, or he can reject that love and so destroy his relationship with God, enslaving himself to selfishness and pride and damaging his relationship with others and with […]

St. Josemaría and Pope Francis: Holiness for All

January 26, 2023January 24, 2023 Articles, News and Culture

In his famous work, St. Josemaría says: You have the obligation to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks this is the exclusive concern of priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: ‘Be perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect’ (The Way 291). Pope Francis says the same in Gaudete et Exsultate: […]

Returning to Gaudete et Exsultate

January 17, 2023January 13, 2023 Articles, Catechesis

I thought it would be worthwhile to return to Pope Francis’ wonderful Apostolic Exhortation On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World—Gaudete et Exsultate, because this should be the goal of each one of us, as well as for the whole Church: holiness means the happiness that comes from union with God that reaches its […]

Thank You, Lord, for Pope Benedict XVI

January 10, 2023January 6, 2023 Articles, News and Culture

On the last day of 2022, Pope Benedict XVI, pope emeritus, died. Ten years ago, he made the difficult decision to resign, feeling that he lacked the physical strength needed to lead the Church. He did so after much prayer, a sign of the Pope’s great humility and courage. Eighteen years ago, Cardinal Ratzinger, then […]

A Eucharistic New Year’s Resolution

December 30, 2022December 28, 2022 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

We are beginning a new year, within the nationwide Eucharistic Revival initiated by the U.S. Catholic bishops that began on June 19, 2022, the Feast of Corpus Christi. As we consider our New Year’s Resolutions, perhaps we can make one of them Eucharistic, include an increase in our “diet” of the Bread From Heaven, Jesus […]

Contagious Gratitude for Holy Mass

December 14, 2022December 12, 2022 Articles, Faith and Spirituality

We are well into Advent, as the coming of the Christ-child is near. What a good time to find ways to bring joy and happiness to our family, friends, neighbors, and to all of Chicago. Last week we considered how to draw others to make a good Confession in preparation for Christmas by sharing with […]

Contagious Gratitude for Forgiveness

December 9, 2022December 7, 2022 Catechesis

As we live out this time of Advent and approach Christmas, we want to prepare ourselves and our family, friends, neighbors, and all of Chicago, for the coming of the child Jesus. The best way to be prepared for this great event is the way God prepared Mary: he freed her from all sin at […]

Christ the King Calls

November 25, 2022November 28, 2022 Articles, Family and Kids

Jesus Christ is our King, the “image of the invisible God,” who makes God’s presence visible to us while ruling the Catholic Church. Through our baptism and confirmation, we all share in Christ’s kingship, priesthood, and prophetic witness, but his sacred ministers do so in a special way. Christ came to rule his church, which […]

Bringing Christ to the world through the media

Latest Podcasts