Catholic Café

In chapter 6 of the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of Saint Stephen and six of his companions being called to a special vocation of service to the Church. These seven men would be the first Deacons of the Catholic Church, called to service to the Word, Altar, and Charity. 2000 years later, God still calls men to the vocation of the Diaconate.

Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is when the Universal Church celebrates our shepherds, the priests, bishops, and pope who all act in the person of the One Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God the Father knew we would need Shepherds like Jesus and His priests in order to help us get to heaven.

In the well known biblical account that takes place on the Road to Emmaus, sometimes people overlook the detail when Jesus shares the meal with Cleopus and his traveling companion. The story tells us that Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Perhaps there is more to the story.

When we are attached to certain kinds of sins, it is hard for us to love like God loves. He loves us unconditionally and wants us to be free to love Him in that way as well.

It is certainly not uncommon that kids tend to go astray at some point in their young lives. And it is also not uncommon for parents to pray that they return. This Easter, as our families gather, perhaps we should think about what exactly we are asking for in our prayers.

The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. And if we are all sinners, then we are are doomed to die a spiritual death. That is why the Church wants us to take note of the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. His real life resurrection teaches us of us that even if we are four days dead and things seem hopeless, we can still be saved.

Having a home that is a Domestic Church essentially means making your home into a Church, a mirror of the Church proper. Here are ten very easy and practical ways in which any family can make their home into a Domestic Church and live more like the Holy Family.

Many Catholics see the Church primarily in a real, physical, and hierarchical sense. They see it as a place they go on Sundays to worship. If you ask about the Domestic Church, they look a little confused and ask what that is. The Domestic Church is an important teaching of our Catholic Faith that points us to the family as the first place for faith formation.

Every year, the Holy Father offers a message to his flock to assist them in enhancing the spiritual benefits they receive during the Lenten season. In 2026, Pope Leo offered his message for Lent and focused on the concepts of listening and fasting.

When it comes to practicing our Catholic faith, none of us should be aiming for the bottom. And yet, so many of us are most concerned with what the bare minimum the Church asks us to do. Perhaps the season of Lent is a good time to go all in on our faith, and to aim to be an all in Catholic.

There are only a few days until the season of Lent begins. Maybe this year, we should start sooner and actually think a bit more about what we will do for Lent this year - what we will give up, sacrifice, act upon - to help us grow closer to Christ and get more out of our Easter experience.

For some it may be confusing when Jesus tells us that he is the light of the world, but then also says that we are the light of the world. It makes us wonder how both can be true. Both theologically, and practically, it is actually quite easy to explain when you look at it through a Catholic lens.

Thanks to Saint Justin Martyr and a document nearly 1900 years old, we can clearly see that Christian worship of God in Rome is exactly what we as Catholics are still doing today in Holy Mass.

Whenever we read the Gospel account of the gathering of the Apostles, we should be challenged. When Jesus asks these men to follow him, he does not tell them to carefully consider his request. Jesus just asks. And the future Apostles just drop everything and immediately follow him. We should ask ourselves if we would be so willing and trusting.

BEHOLD is a word we do not use a lot in our modern use of the English language. However, if we look closely at that word, we realize it has a specific and profound meaning for us. Every Mass we attend we hear it in reference to the Eucharist just confected by the priest. Maybe we should examine how we respond to that word, and ultimately, that reality.

Many may wonder to themselves whether they would prefer to die suddenly and unexpectedly, or die over a longer period of time. There may be perceived positives and negatives for each reality, but maybe that is not the proper question. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if, at this moment in our lives, we are prepared to meet our Maker.

We all routinely make New Years resolutions each year, some are inspired, some not so inspired. Perhaps this year we should make a resolution that goes directly to the heart of our faith life, and all resolve to love…and read…the Scriptures more.

Deacon Jeff and friends discuss the Feast of the Holy Family.

While the Fourth Sunday of Advent is still Advent, we at The Catholic Cafe think it is certainly time to start thinking of, and watching, Christmas movies. Here we discuss our favorites.

Once we understand the true character of Advent...anticipation, judgment, and penitence...it opens up for us the opportunity to receive the great blessing of Joy that God intends for each of His faithful children.

When we view Advent as merely a time of waiting until Christmas, we can easily miss the spiritual benefits that the season has to offer us. We can best prepare to receive the Christ when we contemplate deeply the characteristics of anticipation, judgment, and penitence during Advent.

As we enter the Advent Season, it is common to wonder just how Christmas preparation is appropriate so that we do not ignore the spiritually valuable character of Advent. There must be a good balance between the secular and spiritual aspects of holiday seasons. 

If you have ever wondered why the Church keeps an annual liturgical calendar of feasts and celebrations, you are not alone...Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Triduum, Easter, Ordinary Time. This cycle that seems to be on permanent repeat each and every year is actually a great gift that the Church bestows upon us.

It seems to be a common occurrence in families that one of the kids, or maybe even one of the spouses or other family members, has wandered away from Holy Communion with the Church. People seem desperate for answers about what do do and how to convince them to return. The answers are usually not that simple. But, there are some simple places to start, like prayer and personal witness.

Most of us are quite familiar with the biblical story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. No business allowed. Only worship. This is certainly true, but there is also another interesting perspective that relates to the prophesy of the Church found in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel. The free flowing of grace from the Church is vital to the transmission and transformation of life.