Advent is a season of hope. It is the beginning of the liturgical year, and a time for us to reflect on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the long...
In the month ahead we will celebrate Advent and Christmas. As we chant “O Come, O Come Emanuel,” Advent days will teach us prayer and patience as we long for the coming of our Savior....
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” In his analysis of Ephesians 5:21-33, Pope St. John Paul II highlighted St. Paul’s use of...
At the time of this writing, my family of seven plus two mutts are in an Airbnb in our own town. Two weeks ago, a small leak in our bathroom turned into the space being...
In a visually saturated world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and become desensitized to beauty. Visio Divina, Latin for “divine seeing,” encourages us to slow down and engage in visual contemplation, using art as a...
Catholics engage with their faith in bodily and material ways—not just genuflecting, kneeling, and making the sign of the cross but thumbing rosary beads, collecting holy cards, and praying before statues and artwork. Unlike members...
Hope is a funny thing. Most people think of it like a wish… “I hope the traffic isn’t bad.” “I hope the Bengals win.” “I hope it doesn’t rain.” But real Christian hope isn’t a...
Even before you reach the end of this sentence, you will begin to hum in your head the tune of the silly little song, “High Hopes,” written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn and...
There’s always a blend of sadness and excitement when I leave Cincinnati to return to my studies in Rome. It’s tough to leave home: family, parishioners, Skyline Chili, and the Midwest’s iconic seasons, especially the...
Like many parents of young children, I prepare for Christmas in the weeks—or even months—before its arrival by keeping a list of my family’s wants and needs that can be wrapped and placed under the...
(Note: The first installment of this 3-part series can be found in the November 2025 issue.) Some heard it as a child. Others were well into adulthood amid a lucrative career and serious relationship. That...
Three years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While in Bethlehem, I was deeply moved by a reflection on Luke’s Gospel. Standing in the fields where...
As we enter Advent, a season of preparation and hope, then joyfully celebrate the birth of Christ, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains offers us a prayerful and beautiful setting to mark these...
As a worship leader, there’s no better moment than when the people I’m leading sing out so loudly that we don’t need the microphone. As a youth evangelist, there’s no better moment than when witnessing...
A symbol of Christ’s Resurrection often seen in Christian iconography is the mythical creature known as the phoenix. This legendary bird dies in a flurry of flames only to be reborn from the ashes. The...
Angel trembled with fear as she stood outside St. Vincent de Paul’s homeless shelter in Dayton. She wanted to turn around. She wished she had family members she could turn to who would help her....
When Kathy Bendall reflects on her life, she does so with a sense of gratitude, peace, and earnestness in her speech. Her story is not defined by her mistakes; rather, it is evidence that by...
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