St. Matthew, Child of God
Karla Bellinger, of the Marten Program, gives a homily for the Feast of St. Matthew for the McGrath Institute for Church Life's monthly Vespers.
September 2016
Effective Catholic Preaching--Part 1
Michael Connors, C.S.C. invites comments on what makes effective Catholic preaching in preparation of the Marten Program's sixth major conference
"A Good Catholic Meddles in Politics"
Mike Jordan Laskey offers sound advice to Catholics about engaging in political life before, during, and especially after the upcoming election.
God's Patience and the Bible
How do we teach our students the virtue of patience? John Paul Manfredi suggests that this education can take place through forming our students to read the Scriptures.
10 Books for Adult Faith Formation: Part 1
As a follow-up to her essay "Forming Adults in Faith through Fiction," Mary Ann Wilson provides a list of 50 recommended titles. Here are books 1–10.
How to Become a Catechist
Trention Mattingly, an Echo 13 apprentice, discusses what he's learned about being a catechetical leader in the Diocese of St. Augustine.
Why Chant is Good for Children
My three year old son is a regular Mass-goer. Aware of his very short attention span, we make sure to sit in the front each and every Sunday. He loves when there is singing, especially chant. He loves elaborate processions. He loves ince...
An Invitation to Vespers
What is Vespers? Why should we pray it? Carolyn Pirtle invites you to rediscover this ancient form of prayer and join us for Vespers on September 21 at 5:15pm in Geddes Hall.
Liturgy and Evangelization: The Data and the Task
Recent statistics of Mass attendance indicate a need to renew the proclamation of the Good News as an antidote to today's secular, individualistic culture.
Forming Adults in Faith Through Fiction
Can reading a novel really help a person grow in faith? Mary Ann Wilson answers yes, arguing that literature can play a key role in adult faith formation.
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Timothy P. O'Malley on how Mary's suffering, contemplated on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, is redemptive. Mary's pain makes our pain meaningful.
The Politics of Gratitude
What can break the cycle of poverty? Only the grateful recognition that all is gift, and that all have a responsibility to share their goods with others.
Song of the Sorrowful Mother
Commemorate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows through Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's stunning musical setting of the ancient sequence, Stabat Mater Dolorosa.
The Excellence of the Cross
This piece examines what the feast of the Holy Cross reveals about the purpose of Catholic higher education in the world today. It's about cruciform excellence.
Answering Questions that Matter: Authority as Accompaniment
Amid a society increasingly suspicious of authority, Stephen Adubato finds in servant leadership and self-giving love a model of true authority.
"Single by Default" by Jessica Keating
Jessica Keating's recent article in America Magazine helps single men and women consider the universal call to holiness. Even when, like her, they're single by default.
Disability and Inclusion in the Archdiocese of Chicago: Assessing Full Participation within Places of Worship
A study of liturgical accessibility for those with disabilities in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Essential reading for liturgists & catechists alike.
What's New in the Marriage Rite?
Looking for an overview of changes in the Order of Celebrating Matrimony? Brian MacMichael of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend gives 5 key changes.
Three 'Single' Thoughts on Marriage
Thinking about marriage is not simply something that married people can do. Here, a single woman reflects on the gift of marriage through her own vocation.
Accompanying Fellow Disciples
What does it mean to accompany someone in music, and how can this help us think about what it means to accompany someone on the journey of faith?
Don't Ban Art: 'This is a Bad Idea'
A Catholic school, rather than promote artistic expression discourages it in a less than tactful way. Here's how the parent made sense of this ban.
St. Teresa of Kolkata: Icon of Human Dignity
I first “met” Mother Teresa when I was about eight years old passing countless times by a small magazine clipping posted on our fridge. On it was one of those striking photographs of her holding a small child, the lines deep ...
What You Should Say to Parents at First Communion
Talking to First Communion parents soon? Dr. Timothy O'Malley suggests a way to speak to parents about the gift of First Communion for the entire family.
