There are hidden harmonies in the four Gospels...
Jimmy Akin
When evaluating testimony, lawyers (and juries!) look for signs of credibility in the testimony of the witnesses. One sign of credibility is when tiny details do line up, but they’re the kind of details that the witnesses would not have thought to conspire about. At first, these details don’t leap out at you.

The urgency of infant Baptism...
R. Jared Staudt
I recently wrote of one of my newborn son’s namesakes, Bl. Columba Marmion. My son, Colum, was baptized five days after birth (it would have been three except for the priest’s sickness), which is fast these days. In the old days it would have happened sooner. Pope Benedict XVI, for instance, was baptized on the day of his birth!

10 things you need to know today: March 6, 2014...

House of Cards on an Ash Wednesday...

Good news from Canada: Quebec euthanasia bill dies as government calls April election...

Mystery solved. Now we know why Fort Worth's Bishop Olson had to intervene at Fisher More College...
Mark Shea
The pride and arrogance of reactionaries is resiliently unteachable. They may be massively wrong and deeply destructive of the Church and of innocent people, but like Buzz Lightyear, they are always sure. It goes with being the best, purest, most awesome and perfect Catholics on the planet.

The 8 types of ashes you might get on Ash Wednesday...

Here are some highlights from the Pope's new interview with Corriere della Sera...
John Thavis
Pope Francis’ latest interview, published today by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, featured more of his characteristic pastoral populism and a tolerant tone on several moral issues. His defensive comments on clerical sex abuse will no doubt raise the question: Does the pope think this issue is really behind us? Here are some highlights...

"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth": An eye-opening chart of earth's land mammals by weight...

In latest interview, Pope Francis praises Humanae Vitae, lauds Pope Benedict’s efforts against sexual abuse...

There's only one problem with Ash Wednesday: the sermon. It's always the sermon...
Elizabeth Scalia
The Ash Wednesday wake-up call is the start of a spiritual spring-cleaning I always love, even when the spiritual work is heavy and messy. I love the Mass readings. I love the sense of ancient tribalism that accompanies the smearing of ashes onto foreheads — this outward sign of penance, of belonging, and self-revelation: I belong to Christ...

Ash Wednesday 2014: "Give thanks to God for the mystery of His crucified love"

The annual Lent mega-post...
Marcel LeJeune
While we are not required to “give something up” we are required to do something penitential. Lent is a great time to break a bad habit and give it to the Lord. These sins and vices we should not take back after Lent. It is also a time to give something up that is good during this season. This is why people give up something they enjoy.

"Remember you are dust": Lenten lessons from a monastic funeral...

Allow me to inspire you this Lent...
Simcha Fisher
Our college chaplain used to encourage us to take on thoughtful penances for Lent -- but not to tell everyone what we had chosen. "It's not . . . " he would say, carefully, screwing up his cherubic face (and we knew he was going to bring out the big guns). . . "It's not helpful." And he is right.

God moves in a mysterious way...

'Son of God' opens with $26.5 million at box office, far more than experts had expected...

Get this entire Catholic website on CD-ROM...
The full contents of the New Advent website are available on CD-ROM. It includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — and it's only $19.99...