No Ambition Except to Do Good: Mary, Mother of God and A New Year

January 1st begins the new calendar year and it also brings to an end the celebration of the Christmas Octave with the celebration of...

The Mighty Genius of Michelangelo, 1475-1564

The Italian sculptor and painter Michelangelo lived to be nearly ninety years old, fulfilling his own dictum: I am a poor man and of...

Pope Benedict and the Holy Family

  BENEDICT XVI   ANGELUS St Peter's Square Sunday, 31 December 2006   Dear Brothers and Sisters, On this last Sunday of the year we are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family...

The Hope of the Holy Innocents

The feast of the Holy Innocents, which we celebrate appropriately enough within the octave of Christmas, might seem a troubling commemoration at first glance....

Saint John, Son of Zebedee

Pope Benedict XVI offered three audiences on the Apostle John, back in 2006, and, concise as they are - a trait of the erudite...

Pope Benedict and Saint Stephen

BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Saint Peter's Square Wednesday, 2 May 2012 Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our recent Catecheses we have seen how through personal and community prayer the...

Christmas Urbi et Orbi

(Here is the Christmas address of Pope Saint John Paul II, from way back in 2002, and the needs for which he prayed eighteen...

On the Origins of Christmas

There is no shortage of nonsensical ideas circulating throughout both the web on social media and in the mainstream media, much of which does...

O Mary, Conceived Without Sin

(Father Marco Testa was planning to submit this reflection back on December 8th, but due to technical difficulties, the article could only be sent...

Preparing for Christmas

BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Paul VI Hall Wednesday, 22 December 2010   Dear Brothers and Sisters, With this last Audience before the Christmas celebrations, we approach with trepidation and wonder...