Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic

mystery

Select a Category abortion Abuse Advent America American Christianity angel angels Annunciation Appalachia apparition apparition chaser apparition chasers apparition culture art art review babies baby baby Jesus Bad Lip Reading bad statue contest bath beauty Bible story blog blogkeeping blood book review Brandon Sanderson breastfeeding bus Catholic catholic conspiracy alarmism Catholic Oppositional Disorder Charismatic Renewal Charlie the Cat chastity Christ Christian idenitity Christianity and Judaism Chronic Illness clean clothing COD piece comedy compassion conscience conspiracy theory conversion cop-on-black violence Crucifixion cry of the poor culture Daesh Daily Saints death death penalty devotional diaconate diaper diapers dirty disability Donald Trump Dorothy Day dream drugs Eastern Catholicism Eastern Christianity education election election update Elsewhere on Patheos empathy environment Fear feminism film review fish flashback fluffy buns food Franciscan University of Steubenville Friendship Room fun Gabriel gardening gospel hair-splitting Heaven hell heresy Hillary Clinton history Holly the Witch Holy Spirit holy war Homeschooling homosexuality horror human dignity humor Icon idol immigrants infection inter-religious dialogue Interpretation of Scripture Islam Jesus Jihad Joseph joy laity and lay vocations lamb dinner laundry lent lgbtq literature love manners Mary Medicine and Science Meditation mercy mess milk misogyny Missouri monasticism monster motherhood mourn with those mourn movies movis music mystery nature neurodiversity New Pro-Life Movement news nonsense nostalgia O antiphons obituary objectification Ohio Valley Ordinary Time ordination Ordo Amoris parable paradox Passover peanut butter personal beliefs pets philosophy Planet Charismatic poetry politics polls poop Pope Francis Pope Leo power in the Church prayer prayer request prayers preferential option for non-violence president presidential election priest primary private revelation pro-life prophecy Public face of Catholicism Pure Flix Q and A race racism random rape rape. sexuality reader's request Reckoners refugee religious trauma ressurrection Right to life Saints saints and celebrations same-sex same-sex marriage satire scandal secular feasts seder Seven Joys Seven Last Words sex sexual ethics sexuality silencing six months skid row slavery social justice Speculative fiction spiritual abuse spoon stain story suffering suffrage suffragette Sunday Gospel temple Tenebrae Responsories Terror the exorcist The Friendship Room The New Pro-Life Movement Things I Learned on the Internet tin cup traffic true story tv review Uncategorized USCCB vice and temptation violence Virtue virtue and vice war Way of the Cross whimsy whole life women's ordination work of mercy Year A

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

March 2018

March 24, 2018

Failing and Winning at Lent

This hasn't been much of a Lent. It never is, but this one was...

March 22, 2018

I Don’t Care Why White Men Are Angry

I'm likely going to get a lot of flack for writing this, but it...

March 20, 2018

Seven Last Words: It Is Consummated

After He had drunk the wine, Jesus said, "It is consummated." It was just one...

March 13, 2018

Seven Last Words: I Thirst

He thirsts. Knowing that everything had been accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,...

March 08, 2018

A Mid-Lent Whiteout

It has been a bad Lent, so far. I resolved to abstain on the proper...

March 06, 2018

Seven Last Words: My God, My God, Why Have You Abandoned Me?

No one could understand what the dying man was saying. They thought He...

March 02, 2018

The Problem of the Invisible Illness

(Author's note: This is a piece I wrote for Rare Disease Day, which...

February 2018

February 27, 2018

Seven Last Words: Behold Your Son, Behold Your Mother

When Jesus saw His mother standing there, He said "Woman, behold thy son." He said...

February 25, 2018

Do you See A Hero or a Suicide Attempt?

I saw a video today, of an attempted suicide. That isn't what I was...

February 14, 2018

Thoughts on Today’s Valentine’s-Ash Wednesday Mashup

It may have come to your attention that today is Ash Wednesday, and also Valentine's...

February 13, 2018

I Confess I’m Unimpressed

A respected apologist recently shared a short comic strip that had me scratching my head....

February 12, 2018

Seven Last Words: Father, Forgive Them

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." What could that possibly mean?...

February 10, 2018

As The Snow

Readers of my blog sometimes tell me I'm brave, but I'm actually not. I'm...

January 2018

January 25, 2018

What is the real “Destructive Culture?”

I keep thinking about that nonsense paragraph from Dreher that I tore apart yesterday. One...

January 23, 2018

That Bickering Body

What's on my mind, Facebook? Well, it's a little too long for a status. My...

December 2017

December 26, 2017

Most Worshipful

My daughter, Rosie, is well aware by now that there are different rites in...

December 24, 2017

Revelation Times

I missed the elusive Saturday bus and had to walk to the store. The...

December 22, 2017

Seven Sorrows and a Franciscan Crown

I want to thank everyone for joining Steel Magnificat in our advent series of...

December 22, 2017

The Seventh Joy of Mary: The Assumption and Crowning

Who is she that comes forth as the daybreak? Who is this queen, most...

December 21, 2017

The Sixth Joy of Mary: The Resurrection

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went...

December 18, 2017

The Seventh Sorrow of Mary: Christ is Laid in the Tomb

Darkness covered the land, when Christ gave up the Ghost. Darkness was coming...

December 18, 2017

The Sixth Sorrow Of Mary: The Lamentation

A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children...

December 16, 2017

The Fifth Sorrow of Mary: The Crucifixion and death of Christ

The first time she beheld Him, He was naked, soaked in her amniotic fluid...

December 11, 2017

Santa Claus and the Broken Gift

I never knew how I'd broach the truth about Santa to my daughter, Rosie....

December 06, 2017

The Places You Meet Jesus

Rosie and I went to the Friendship Room with our widow's mite. There had been...

December 04, 2017

The Fourth Joy of Mary: The Adoration of the Magi

Miriam was still living in the cave. There was nowhere else to stay...

December 02, 2017

The Third Joy of Mary: The Birth of Christ

He is here. The Lord of Heaven and Earth is here. Miriam sees Him,...

November 2017

November 29, 2017

What Does it Take for a Victim to be Believed?

By Donna Provencher I mulled a few hours too long about an uncomfortable Facebook message...

November 25, 2017

The Second Sorrow of Mary: The Flight into Egypt

Imagine her terror. Things were bad enough before. She came to Bethlehem in the...

November 24, 2017

The Second Joy of Mary: The Visitation

(Note: most Seven Joys devotions skip over the Visitation and count the Nativity of Christ...