The chill of autumn clung to the air on October 13, 1917, as more t

Fr. Scott A. Haynes Healing the royal official’s son by Joseph-Marie Vien, 1752. A Meditation on St. John 4:46-53 At that time, there was a certain royal official whose son was lying sick at Capharnaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and besought Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe. The royal official said to Him, Sir,

The Gospel for this Sunday tells of a king who prepares a wedding feast for his son. The invited guests refuse to come; some mock the messengers, others go about their business.

Learn more of the history of this ancient basilica dedicated to St. Michael.

Fr. Scott Haynes “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.”— Job 1:21 There are words of faith that come easily when life is peaceful, when our prayers seem to be answered, when those whom we love remain close to us, and when the future appears secure. There are other words, however, that can be spoken only after the heart has been wounded and the soul has discovered that faith means trusting God

Stones can be gathered for building. They can become the walls of a home, the boundaries of a vineyard, or the foundation upon which something enduring will stand. Yet there are also moments when stones must be scattered, when what has accumulated must be cleared away so that the ground can be cultivated again. The same stones that serve a purpose in one place can become an obstacle in another. So it is with the interior life.

Before speaking, reacting, complaining, defending myself, judging another person, or surrendering to resentment, I can pause for a moment and ask one simple question: “What would the mind of Christ look like here?”

Fr. Scott Haynes A Meditation on Isaiah 55:6–9: “Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found: call upon him, while he is near.” — Isaiah 55:6 There are moments when God comes very near to the soul. A word of Scripture suddenly pierces us. A sermon unsettles us. A death reminds us that our own life is passing. An old sin troubles the conscience again. We feel an unexpected desire to pray, to confess, to begin again. We should not waste such moments. “Seek ye the Lord, while he m

Fr. Scott Haynes A Meditation on Romans 8:12-17 and Luke 16:1–9 Brethren: We are debtors, not to the flesh, that we should live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live. For whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Now you have not received a spirit of bondage so as to be again in fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons, by vi

Fr. Scott A. Haynes A Meditation on Luke 14:1-11 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Luke 14:3) This is the question Jesus asks of the lawyers and Pharisees, and the answer would seem to be self-evident. But the lawyers and Pharisees hold their tongues and remain silent; they, in effect, refuse to answer Jesus. They know that mercy on the Sabbath is never illegal, but they choke on their own pride which will not allow them to admit it. Their desire is “to go around

Saint Augustine found another beautiful mystery in Paul's words. When he heard of the “breadth, and length, and height, and depth,” he saw the shape of the Cross.

Twenty-five years ago today, on September 11, 2001, an ordinary Tuesday morning suddenly became a day of unimaginable suffering. Men and women went to work. Travelers boarded airplanes. Firefighters reported to their stations. Police officers began their shifts. Families said goodbye without knowing that, for thousands of them, those ordinary words would be their last words on earth. Today the words of the Psalm seem to carry a particular weight: “My soul longeth and faintet

Fr. Scott Haynes A Meditation on Luke 7:11–16 Luke 7:11–16 is one of the most tender scenes in the Gospel, but the Fathers also saw in it a profound revelation of who Christ is. It is simultaneously a historical miracle, a revelation of His divine power over death, a sign of the future resurrection, and an image of the way Christ restores souls that have been spiritually deadened by sin. Luke 7:11–16 “And it came to pass afterwards, that he went into a city that is called Nai

The life of Saint Augustine offers one of the clearest examples of what Saint Paul means when he warns that we reap according to what we sow.

The lilies represent those who have humility in their hearts, those who try to conquer pride with humility.

Fr. Scott A. Haynes A Scriptural Reflection on the Healing of the Ten Lepers The Gospel of Luke presents us with a powerful and humbling story of gratitude, or rather, the lack thereof, in the account of the healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). As Jesus makes His way toward Jerusalem, He enters a village where He is met by ten lepers, who stand at a distance and cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13). These men, isolated by their affliction, are fully

After healing ten lepers, the Lord sends them to the priests. So, we who need Christ's healing show our hearts to the priest in Confession.

St. Augustine explains the lesson of the Good Samaritan and how Jesus ministers to us by the Sacraments.

The amazing story of a mother's intercession.

A meditation for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost.