Focus on Faith

The more we come to know Christ, the more we recognize that all we are, all we have and all we will be is purely a gift from God. Our response to this generosity, as we follow in Christ’s footsteps, is to give freely and generously to others.

With the ceremonial opening of doors at the new chapel at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, hundreds got their first look at the place where 92 men from 16 dioceses across eight states will pray daily both to encounter Christ and discern their vocational calling.

Kamil Cierniak lived with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a terminal illness, for 26 years. Despite the disease, he studied in multiple departments of Krakow’s universities in Poland. In 2015 Kamil was asked to become a director of the documentary on the international pilgrimage of the Order of Malta to Lourdes sanctuary.

Nestled in the arms of Bernini’s colonnade around St. Peter’s Square, 26 photos of women and girls make up an art exhibit meant to open people’s eyes and hearts to the suffering and resilience of women.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

First reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Second reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25
Gospel: Jn 10:1-10

Change awakens our trust in divine providence. St. Paul assures us that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Rom 8:28). Can we trust that God will make everything right? Can we believe that something good can come from this?

When he grows up, third-grader Teddy Howell, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Newport, and wants to be a podcaster and a priest. At 9 years old, he already has achieved one of those goals with the recent launch of his podcast: “Kid’s Bible In A Year with Teddy.”

The Eucharist is the summit of our faith, in which the entire story of our salvation is made real in a miraculous and powerful way.