News

By Joseph Reciniello, Catholic Exchange - Fasting, like all other religious practices, can turn into an idol if we are not mindful of this temptation. God is not impressed with our fasting—He is God! God wants us to use our fasting to temper our secular worldview, to cling to heavenly pursuits, to sharpen our prayer, and to bring to our attention our great need for divine assistance. This is the purpose of fasting, and this will open us up to God’s grace... But the devil is shrewd; he works in our lives subtly. Radical fasting, especially when we accomplish what we set out to fast from, can easily feed our pride ....

By Kenneth Craycraft, Catholic World Report - The three pillars of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—must always be our primary focus during these forty days. The purpose—or end—of these disciplines is to grow closer to God through spiritual and corporal works... While we should never shun or even diminish those essential elements of Lent, some adjunct activities may both subsidize traditional Lenten disciplines and serve the purpose of spiritual development. Lent can be a time to grow in our understanding and appreciation of the three transcendentals of truth, beauty, and goodness. ...

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture - When the Lord caught Adam and Eve red-handed after their deal with the Devil, Adam explained, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” So much for marital bliss. Adam implies that God was responsible for the woman who successfully tempted him to sin. Adam used the very gift God had given him to evade personal responsibility—and subtly to indict God Himself... In turn, Eve offered her own deflection. “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.”