Biggest and Best List of Confirmation Saints (for Guys and Girls)

by Rachel Penate

My Life — God’s Mosaic

by Emily Chandley

(Don’t) Look at Me!: The Art of Humility

by Mark Hart

102 Things You Should Really Give Up For Lent

by Christina Mead

Daily Readings

Daily Inspiration

Daily LOL

Saint of the Day St. Casimir of Poland

Reading 1 Is 1:10, 16-20

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

Responsorial Psalm PS 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Verse Before the Gospel Ez 18:31

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Gospel Mt 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Read today's Mass Readings

Lent: 40 Mini-Crucifixions

by Faith Noah | March 3, 2015

Lent is a time to remember Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the desert, to place ourselves in His shoes, and to realize that each temptation we face over these next 40 days is a dying to oneself. Each temptation is a mini crucifixion that, although painful, leads us one step closer to the glory of Resurrection.

God Delights in Me: What I’ve Learned as a Gay Catholic

by Eve Tushnet | March 2, 2015

Slowly I’ve realized that gay Christian life—like every Christian life—is primarily about finding and living out your vocations. I use “vocations” here to mean: the ways in which God is calling you to give and receive love.

The God of Sticky Notes

by Emily Pellarin | February 26, 2015

Two weeks ago, I woke up to no less than nine sticky notes posted in the bathroom. Each of them, brightly colored, framed the mirror above my sink. It took me a moment to realize they were even there (I am not a morning person) and another couple of minutes to take in the messages […]

The Best Part of My Day: Mass

by Jasmine Qronfleh | February 25, 2015

Lent is here! This past Ash Wednesday marked my one year anniversary with attending daily mass! For Lent last year I decided to stray away from my traditional “giving up” of a loved worldly item, like eating out or going on Facebook. (One year I gave up all junk food, sweets, and soda. My diet […]

How To Make A Good Confession

by Maddy Bernero | February 24, 2015

The other day I was getting ready to go on a date with my boyfriend and as I was thinking about what I was going to wear and how I was going to do my hair, I realized Lent is less than 10 days away. I felt a little bad that in my last 10 […]

Biggest and Best List of Confirmation Saints (for Guys and Girls)

by Rachel Penate | February 23, 2015

The following list is for you to use as a starting point in your journey to decide whom your “Confirmation saint-buddy” will be. Pick a saint who speaks to you somehow. Know their story. But, mostly know the power of their prayer. Ask for their intercession like you would ask for the prayers of your friends. Saying “yes” to a Confirmation saint is like saying “yes, you may always pray for my poor and weary soul.”

My Life — God’s Mosaic

by Emily Chandley | February 20, 2015

I was given an assignment for my theology class to create a mosaic. We had to recreate the icon of our choice. I instantly knew that I wanted to do Saint André. He is my patron saint and affects my daily life. As I was doing this project, which took all day to complete, I […]

Catholic Movie Reviews: McFarland, USA

by Ryan O'Connell |

The most poignant message is about empathy. There is real compassion for each character and their respective situations that undergirds the drama. Nobody feels like a cheap tool to advance the plot or proselytize a viewpoint. By providing an avenue for real success, Coach White offers his athletes a way out of the poverty cycle. But it is his athletes who inspire him with their incredible work ethic and family-first mentality.

(Don’t) Look at Me!: The Art of Humility

by Mark Hart | February 16, 2015

It’s with this in mind that Ash Wednesday might seem paradoxical and contradictory, too. For right after we hear a Gospel telling us not to do anything outward for others to see… we have ashes smeared all over our foreheads.

How’s that for irony?

Be Epic: A Dude’s Guide to Valentine’s Day

by Joel Stepanek | February 13, 2015

Nay, my brothers – I submit to you a better way. After all, as Christian men we don’t need a day to fight for and stand up in support of true love – but since the world has given us one anyway, we should make the most of it. Whether you are single, dating, engaged to be engaged, or planning a video game marathon this weekend – here is your bro approved guide to Valentine’s Day:

When All the Feels Aren’t Enough

by Leah Murphy |

This one’s for all you ladies — I have a hunch some of you can relate to an experience of mine… Once upon a time, I kinda had a crush on a boy. And once upon a time, said boy kinda didn’t necessarily have a crush on me. And so I wallowed in my sadness […]

Dear Future Husband…

by Marisa Helms | February 12, 2015

When a man loves a woman he doesn’t just say it. He proves it. I want you to know future husband that I pray for you everyday. It’s very hard for me to be a godly woman in this society, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it is for you to be a godly man in this society. When I pray for you I ask that Jesus will help you become the man of God that he has created you to be, then I pray that your guardian angel will protect your eyes, ears, mouth from sin and anything that might dim the luster of your heart that must mirror only Christ-like purity.

50 Shades of Marian Blue

by Daniel Glaze | February 10, 2015

(Please read in movie trailer voice…) In a world, where fictional characters and fictional relationships show how superficial “love” can be… Where being abused and degraded is something people like to read about in poorly written “novels”… From the Producer of Creation and Director of Salvation History, In Association with On Fire Films… Comes a […]

The Many Hazards of a Co-Ed Sleepover

by Alison Blanchet | February 9, 2015

So you’ve decided you’re not going to have sex until you get married. You’ve heard the reasons and agree with God’s plan for your body and soul. Good call. However, unless you live under a rock, you know that this is an easy decision to make and a much more challenging one to keep. Dating, […]

You Look at Me: Advice for Facing Your Dragons

by Ray Bosch | February 5, 2015

Have you ever been so overwhelmed in your life that you felt hopeless, or like you were at the end of your rope? For sure life is a beautiful gift, but one of the things that make it so beautiful is the transitions from one point to another. Its where the depths of our lows […]

Is it Okay to Date a Non-Catholic?

by Courtney Kissinger | February 4, 2015

Before I met my husband Brian, I dated guys all over the faith-spectrum – from Catholic gone atheist, to non-practicing Protestant, to Catholic-ish, to Evangelical, and some in between. During this time I realized how much faith affects our life, from the little things (the sign of the cross before meals) to the big things (sex before marriage).

#ShareJesus: A Social Media Challenge for Lent

by Brian Kissinger | February 3, 2015

So what’s it going to be this year? Chocolate? Coffee? Twitter? Hopefully you’re giving up something good this year for Lent. Maybe it’s creative, or maybe it’s the thing you give up every year. Lent is a time of removing distractions as we clear out space in our lives and hearts for Jesus. I want […]

Setting Captives Free: What You Can Do About Sex Trafficking

by Rachel Allen | February 2, 2015

A teen girl led a Life Night on a Sunday night at our parish, and a room full of people learned more about an issue they hadn’t know much about before. Then those people went home, learned more, spread the word, and prayed.

And in the middle of the week that followed, that same teen girl got a message from a missionary named Ebie, working in the Philippines, who said that a local pimp had a change of heart for no apparent reason, and hand delivered three young girls to the doorstep of their mission house.

Why Do Catholics Believe Abortion is Wrong?

by Christina Mead | January 29, 2015

Read More Here: Is Abortion Okay in the Case of Rape? Pro-life Answer to the Rape Question Abortion Facts The Choice I Made: A Post-Abortive Man Looks Back What Does the Bible Say About Abortion? I Was Nearly Aborted How to Be Pro-life Every Day of the Year It’s My Body: How to Respond to […]

What Does the Bible Say About Abortion?

by Michelle Neitzke |

The Catholic Church is known for it’s stance on abortion. We strongly believe that every life should be protected, from conception to natural death. “But where in the Bible does it say that?” Classic question. I know. We want to know where we can find the answer to church teachings, in the book that is […]