Fr. Scott Haynes Lent does not begin in comfort. It begins in the desert. The ashes are still fresh upon our foreheads. The Alleluia has fallen silent. The Church leads us away from noise and into the wilderness with Christ. On this first Sunday, we stand beside Him in the desert wind, beneath a sky that burns by day and chills by night. Hunger sharpens the senses. Silence grows heavy. The tempter waits. And it is here, in this stark landscape, that we hear the promise: “He h

Composed in 1598 upon the death of Philip II, Versa est in luctum is a suitably majestic motet for six voices - the music conjuring the heavenly harps, organs and voices referred to in the text. Filmed at St Bartholomew the Great, London. My harp is turned to grieving and my flute to the voice of those who weep. Spare me, O Lord, for my days are as nothing.

On Fridays during Lent, there is a beautiful way to obtain a plenary indulgence: reciting the Prayer Before a Crucifix. The Prayer Before a Crucifix to Jesus Christ Crucified ( En ego, O bone et dulcissime Iesu ): Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, I pray and beseech thee that thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, with true contrition for my sin

To prepare for the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19), you are invited to pray the Novena to St. Joseph (March 11-19).

An Inuit hunter teaches a powerful lesson on lust.

Ash Wednesday calls us into that secret room of the heart, the holy place where God wants to dwell. The ashes placed upon our foreheads are visible, but their meaning is inward. They remind us that the Christian life is not about appearances. It is about conversion of heart.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the model penitent. As we follow Jesus into the desert for 40 days, let us pray, fast and give alms.

Fr. Scott Haynes A Shrove Tuesday Meditation A Shrove Tuesday Meditation Saint Paul tells us, “We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner, but then face to face.”   These words describe the whole of our earthly life. We know God, but imperfectly. We love Him, but not yet with a pure heart. We walk in faith, not yet in vision. How fitting that these words echo on the eve of Lent. Shrove Tuesday has always been a day of clearing the mirror. The word “shrove”  comes from t

The Solemn Days of Lent February 18 - April 4 From Ash Wednesday (February 18) through April 4 (Holy Saturday), we follow the Solemn Days of Lenten penance. You are welcome to enroll your prayer requests to be remembered in the Masses of the sacred season.   Daily meditations based on Scripture and the Lives of the Saints have been written to guide you each day, which are available here:  The Saints' Journey Through Lent by Fr. Scott Haynes. ​  ​ Submit Your Prayer Request D

As we begin the season of Lent, we begin with Ash Wednesday and the imposition of blessed ashes. We remember the account we must render.

Fr. Scott A. Haynes Septuagesmia Sunday unlined the virtue of faith; Sexagesmia focused on hope, and Quinquagesmia Sunday emphasizes charity. As we have been preparing for Lent these three weeks, St. Paul reminds us, “And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.” In other words our Lenten austerities, our fasting, abstinence, sacrifices, almsgiving, and prayers amount to nothing if we fail to intensify our love of God and

Bogoroditse Devo is the most well-known movement of Rachmaninov's exquisite Vespers, and for very good reason. It opens with beautifully contemplative, hymn-like phrases, before developing and giving way to the electric climax at the repetition of 'Rejoice, virgin mother of God'.

Beginning on February 14, join in the St. Valentine's novena to pray for your loved ones.

Noetic prayer is a type of prayer that is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is spiritual prayer or prayer of the heart.

Learn the story of how Padre Pio’s Hospital (The Home for the Relief of Suffering) began.

A man paralyzed in a train accident is miraculously cured at Lourdes by the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The "Beautiful Lady" at Lourdes met Bernadette Soubirous, in a series of 18 events, and said: “Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou.”

The Biblical themes of Sexagesima Sunday teach us lessons that are ever relevant.

Among the great saints who shine forth in the history of the Church, St. Scholastica stands as a beacon of purity, faith, and divine love.