In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke tells a number of stories about how unbelievers joined the early church. For the first few centuries, the typical process was threefold: evangelization, followed by conversion, and then baptism. More »

I was born on September 14, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Perhaps this is what drew me to reflect on the cross from an early age. More »

Who can forget the events of September 11, 2001? They are stamped into our memories, and like other major events, they have played a part in shaping the way we view the world today. The anniversary of these terrorist attacks—and of the many others that have taken place around the world since then—is an opportunity to reflect on our reactions and response to any kind of threat or danger that seems to loom large. More »

The events surrounding our trip home on that hot, humid August morning have become blurred over time. But while so many of the particulars have faded, our conversation during that thirty-minute car ride remains fixed in my mind and my heart. More »

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died on September 5, 1997, was one of the greatest spiritual “overachievers” of our time. She accomplished so much, that we might think she rarely took a break from tending to the human misery that surrounded her. More »

By any account, 590 was a disastrous year in Rome. Plague had struck, sweeping through the homes of poor and wealthy alike. Even the pope was carried away by the fearsome disease. The spring floods were the worst in memory; the Tiber broke through its retaining walls, causing enormous damage. More »

Let us join with Christians around the world in praying for these special intentions: More »

It was an adolescent prank—pears stolen from a neighbor’s tree. But as Augustine looked back on the incident many years later, it seemed reprehensible to him. More »