We all grapple with spiritual discernment - how to tell if an inspiration is coming from God, ourselves, or the devil. But the spiritual masters claim it's not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, it all comes down to learning how to decipher a few telltale footprints.
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St. Joseph Oratory at Mount Royal (Image courtesy of Wikicommons Images, Dpalma01, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
by Theresa Cavicchio
Each year, two million visitors travel to Montreal to visit the Oratory of Saint Joseph at Mount Royal. The massive basilica and shrine occupy a place of prominence – the highest point, in fact – above the bustling Canadian metropolis below. It is the largest church and shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph in the world.
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by Theresa Cavicchio, OFS
Franciscans around the world – religious and lay – are celebrating the recent announcement of the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 – 1226 A.D.). This special time – from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, has been proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the death of the “Little Poor Man” later this year.
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by Theresa Cavicchio, OFS
The Memorial the Church presents to us on November 21st is not to be confused with the Feast we celebrate on February 2nd, the Presentation of Jesus. The Presentation of Mary at the Temple foreshadows that of the infant Son she would bring there years later with Joseph, her husband.
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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to explain to my children the meaning of the gospel reading for the day, Matthew 18:21. The gospel was the one where Peter asks the Lord how many times should we forgive our brother? 7 times? And the Lord responds, ‘not 7 times, 77 times.’ He continues to tell Peter and the disciples the story of the servant who begs his master to have pity on him when he is unable to pay his large debt.
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Blessed Bartolo Longo (1841-1926)
by Theresa Cavicchio
Sanctity can reveal itself in many ways, as evidenced by even a quick glance at the lives of the saints. The story of Blessed Bartolo Longo, who will be canonized on October 19th this year, is a case in point. It reveals not a straight path toward sainthood, but rather a circuitous route paved with inherently dangerous implications for the fate of his soul.
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by Theresa Cavicchio, OFS
During these early weeks following the death of Pope Francis, the May 1st Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker provides a particularly fitting opportunity this year to turn to the Holy Father’s own teaching on the beloved, saintly foster father of Jesus.
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Photo courtesy of Regina Freedman
by Regina Freedman, M.S.Ed., ACC
Five years ago, I saw the burning of Notre Dame Cathedral as a symbol of what was to come. It meant destruction, but not a total one. It was an injury that created sorrow on the streets of Paris and around the world.
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Let us all stop and pray to our Lord in heaven for protection from the upcoming storm.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for us!
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by Theresa Cavicchio, OFS
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world … for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.” (Gal 6:14 – 17)
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