Dear Friends,What a day! I’d been with a crowd of people all afternoon. I was exhausted! My disciples and I got into a boat to cross the lake. I soon fell asleep. Suddenly I was shaken out of my sleep. A terrible windstorm had blown up. The waves were high. My disciples were panicked. I got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. My friends were surprised. Didn’t they realize yet that I am the Son of God?   When you are having problems, you may think that yo...

There are times—when we’re lucky—when praying feels easy, and natural, and even wonderful. The truth is that while those times are uplifting, they’re also not the norm. For many of us, prayer can often be difficult, either to get started or to keep on. But what can you do about it? Read the psalms. You’ll be surprised at how much of these songs and prayers and verses will sound familiar to you. They have served as an inspiration to Christians for centuries, and they...

Between the years 1642 and 1649, Saint Isaac Jogues and the North American martyrs came from France. They were killed while evangelizing the Indians. Ten years after the death of Saint Isaac Jogues, Kateri Tekakwitha was born in the same village where he had died. (We celebrate the feast of Saint Isaac and the North American Martyrs on October 19.)Kateri means Katherine. Kateri was born in Auriesville, New York, in 1656. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin. Her father was a non-C...

It’s a wide world out there, filled with people who are very different from us. There are a couple of ways of dealing with our differences, ranging from friendship on one end to war on the other. But what does Jesus call us to do? He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And St. Paul in his letter to the Church in Rome writes, “If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if thirsty, something to drink. By this, you will be heaping red-hot...

Although not one of the original twelve apostles, Barnabas is called an apostle by Saint Luke in his Acts of the Apostles. This is because, like Paul the Apostle, Barnabas received a special mission from God. He was a Jew born on the island of Cyprus. His name was Joseph, but the apostles changed it to Barnabas. This name means “son of consolation.”As soon as he became a Christian, Saint Barnabas sold all he owned and gave the money to the apostles. He was a good, kind-hear...

We know that seasons change, and just as natural seasons change, we can also see the changing of seasons in our lives. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season for everything, and adds, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time.”If you are going through a difficult season in your life, here are some ways to cope with it: The dry season: You feel uninspired, and your prayer life seems empty. Remind yourself that you’re not the first person to feel this ...

Sometimes it’s easy to wonder! Things can go terribly wrong in our lives, often through events or circumstances outside of our control. The world can feel like an unfriendly place. Where is God in it all? How do I know he loves me? Look around you. We generally see what we want to see. If you expect to see bad things, you will. But if you expect to look around yourself and see God’s presence and love, even in small things, then you will see that, too. The gift of such a crazy be...

Dear Friends,There is a town, not far from Jerusalem, called Emmaus. On Easter Sunday, two of my friends were on their way there. They didn’t know that my resurrection had taken place, and they were so depressed and sad! But I had a surprise for them. Suddenly, I approached them and began walking with them. They didn’t recognize me, but began to share with me their disappointment. I listened, and then filled in some important information for them—predictions of the prophets tha...

Saint Hugh was born in 1052 in France. He grew up to be tall and handsome, gentle and courteous. Although he always wanted to live for God as a monk, he was given important positions instead. He was ordained a priest and then a bishop.As bishop, Hugh began at once to correct the sinful customs of some people in his diocese. He made wise plans, but that was not all he did. To draw God’s mercy upon his people, Saint Hugh prayed with his whole heart. He practiced hard penances. In a...

Saint Frances of Rome was born in 1384. Her parents were wealthy, but they taught Frances to be concerned about people and to live a good Christian life. She was an intelligent little girl. Frances informed her parents when she was eleven that she had made up her mind to be a nun. Her parents encouraged her to think of marriage instead. As was the custom, they selected a good young man to be Frances’ husband. The bride was just thirteen.        ...