There is a door we keep closed without knowing it. It is not a door of wood or iron. It is a door in the heart. And behind it are all the people we have decided to do not belong. The ones we have judged unworthy of our attention. The ones we have dismissed as unimportant. The ones we have quietly excluded from our circle, our conversation, our concern.
Jesus tells this parable in response to Peter, who asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Peter likely thought he was being generous. But Jesus invited him to go far beyond what he imagined, responding, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”
When someone sins against us, especially in a grievous way, anger and condemnation can quickly arise as strong temptations. Our natural sense of justice often takes over, and we may find ourselves rationalizing a response rooted in judgment rather than compassion. In today’s Gospel, however, Jesus offers the much better path—to seek reconciliation, not division.
Back to school, back to work. Stressful situations inevitably arise, and though we often foresee them, our hearts are still easily shaken and our minds left without peace. We turn to prayer, yet find ourselves unable to focus because unresolved problems weigh heavily upon us. Today, we look at a few of St. Teresa of Avila’s letters to shed light on how spirituality can help with de-stressing.
The miracle of Jesus walking on the water, recorded in three of the Gospels (Matthew 14:22–36; Mark 6:45–56; John 6:16–21), came on the heels of His miraculous feeding of the 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:17). But it was the miracle of Jesus walking on the water that, more than any other, convinced Jesus’ disciples that He was indeed the Son of God (Matthew 14:32–33).
In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, there are two distinct miraculous feedings of large crowds. Today’s Gospel depicts the first one, given primarily to Jewish people near the Sea of Galilee. Five thousand men (not counting women and children) were fed from five loaves and two fish, resulting in twelve baskets left over. This feeding of the five thousand is notably the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels, underscoring its significance. Matthew and Mark also recount a second miraculous feeding—this time of four thousand people—in the largely pagan region of the Decapolis, using seven loaves and a few fish, with seven baskets left over.
In the first parable above, a person unexpectedly discovers a treasure buried in a field. Imagine that you take a metal detector with you while on a hike, simply curious about what might lie beneath the soil. Suddenly, the detector gives a strong signal. Expecting perhaps a rusted can or an old nail, you begin to dig. But as your shovel strikes something solid, you uncover an old chest. With growing anticipation, you lift it from the earth and open it—only to find it brimming with ancient and priceless jewels, gold and silver coins, and other precious items of immense worth.
Yeast is small—invisible once it is worked into the dough. And yet, its influence is pervasive and powerful. This simple image—yeast worked into three measures of flour, causing it to slowly rise—reveals that the Kingdom of Heaven is built quietly, almost imperceptibly, from within.
Elizabeth was the daughter of King Peter III of Aragon and of the saintly Constancia. She was born in 1271, and named after the holy landgravine of Thuringia, the sister of her grandmother. An angel of peace seemed to have come to the family with the birth of the child, because great joy over her birth reconciled her father and her grandfather, who had been living at variance with each other.
Every July 16, Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This date recalls Mary’s gift of the scapular to St. Simon Stock and renews the faithful’s devotion to her care. Parishes often hold enrolments on this day, marking the scapular not just as a personal devotion but also as an outward sign of the Faith and a symbol of communion in the mystical body of Christ, the Church.
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the sower to the crowd. Jesus was clearly concerned about how people are being affected and how they regard Scriptures. Jesus mentioned at least four situations using the fate of the seed after a sower sowed them. The growth of the seed depends so much on where it is sown. If it lands on path, rocky ground, or among the thorns, it will either not grow at all or will not reach its full growth or potential.
Mexico exited the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a fiery game against England at the Azteca Stadium. But beyond this epic match, the team has captured the attention of many Catholic soccer fans not only for their skills but for their profound.
St. Teresa of Avila is most renowned for her mystical experience and her teaching on prayer and spiritual life. One might easily be misled into thinking that the saint lived and promotes a life distancing itself from the world, something like a “forever retreat” in our time. In fact…..
these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me
One of the nicest things in life is to meet an open, friendly, hospitable person. You can usually tell from the quality of the handshake if you are dealing with such a person. He or she not only makes you feel welcome, but makes you feel that it is good to be you. Hospitality is the hallmark of a true follower of Christ.
Residing in a neighborhood where “Calçada Portuguesa” is part of the ambience, every day, as I walk through these streets, I notice the patterns—above all, the waves—which gently remind me: “I am a descendant of the sailors, that I can live a life with the same courage as them.” My heart is always moved when I read the early life of Saint Josemaria Escrivá—the way he dealt with all the difficulties, misunderstanding and doubts from others while living the Will of God faithfully through his life and actions.
When you pray, does God “whisper” to you? Do you sense His presence? Has He convicted your heart about Himself and all that He has revealed? Most likely He has, in His own silent way. God rarely speaks to us in visions or by audibly hearing His voice. Though He has done so….
As Jesus went “to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness” (Matthew 9:35), He was moved with deep compassion for the crowds.
Zechariah 12–13 is part of a larger section of the prophet’s book that speaks of God’s action in history. It begins with a reminder that God is Creator and unfolds around the phrase “on that day,” which signals a decisive moment in salvation history. Within this framework, three themes stand out: a) The nations fighting against Jerusalem b) The mourning for the one who is pierced c) The purification of God’s people
A discussion of Carmelite spirituality would be incomplete without St. Teresa of Avila, the Doctor of the Church. She is most notable for her mystical visions and teachings on prayer.
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi places before us a body. Not an idea. Not a memory. A body. Flesh. Blood. Bread. Wine. The evangelist John, in the sixth chapter, does not give us the institution narrative at the Last Supper. Instead, he gives us a long discourse in which Jesus insists: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” The crowd is shocked.
Pope Leo XIV recently gifted the Church with the deeply moving encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. At the center of this letter is a breathtaking reminder of our divine origins.
Sister Lúcia dos Santos, the last living witness of the 1917 apparitions at Fátima, died at the age of 97 on February 13, 2005. She passed away quietly in the Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal. The same hidden place where she spent decades praying…
One of the most fiercely debated dogmas of our faith in the early centuries of the Church was on the nature of the Most Holy Trinity. Today’s solemnity did not enter the General Roman Calendar until the fourteenth century, partly because we are called to honor and worship the Most Holy Trinity every day and in every liturgy.