Joseph Nolla, SJ

Not enough people talking about the fact that the Vatican just approved the public devotion of another Marian apparition. This time it’s the apparitions at Mt. Zvir in Slovakia between 1990 and 1995.

Mary Magdalene’s most painful moment was at the empty tomb, wondering where Jesus was. Yet he was with her. Even though she didn’t recognize him at first, that doesn’t change the fact that he was still there. In your worst times, even if you don’t realize it, he’s with you too.

Herod: Great dancing, Salome!! Wow! You can have whatever you want. Salome: Give me the John the Baptist’s head on a platter. … Herod: See what you did there? See how you just killed the mood, Salome, you creepy sicko?

I can’t emphasize enough how good it is to name your kids after saints and Biblical figures. You don’t just honor the saint, you give your child an ally and patron. If I’m praying for Paul, I’m gonna ask St. Paul to pray for him too. Now two are gathered in Jesus’ name.

Jesus isn’t mad that people asked for a sign so much as he’s mad that no sign would be good enough for them. After all his miracles, they STILL refused to believe him. Jesus is already active in our lives. May we see and gratefully accept what he does. May we believe in him.

Pro tip: after “hello” and “thank you”, “delicious” is the next most important word to learn in a language. There is no easier way to honor the country you visit than to compliment their food in their own language.

Pope Leo urging us to prioritize our relationship with God, and to make time for silence, prayer, and meditation on the Scriptures. Our responsibilities and duties will be better off for it.

Cardinal Pizzaballa goes to Gaza, risking his life just to care for his flock. I really wish that was the approach of more pastors during the pandemic. We need to let the love for Jesus and his people fuel a personal bravery, even at the risk of being labeled reckless by some.

“No possibility that Confession will return to its former prominence.” Younger priests: “Challenge accepted.”

I will be praying a Novena, for my son-in-law’s healing, to St Charbel starting tomorrow, and culminating on his feast day, July 24th. Who’s with me?! DAY ONE God, infinitely Holy and glorified in your saints, who inspired the monk and hermit St. Charbel to live and die in a…

To condemn Israel’s excesses in Gaza is no more anti-Semitic than condemning Dresden is anti-British or condemning Hiroshima is anti-American. On the contrary, genuine love for a nation and its people can be (and ought to be) what motivates criticism of it when it acts unjustly

Cardinal Pizzaballa showing solidarity with all the victims of the IDF in Gaza, not just the Catholics who had their parish “mistakenly” hit.

Cardinal Pizzaballa: “What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church” Images of the only Catholic Church in Gaza before and after today’s attack.

She was the one who told me God wanted me to become a priest. The Marian connection between priesthood and devotion checks out in my book.

Today at the migrant shelter, a little girl noticed that her friend wasn’t at Mass. So she ran off to the tents and came back a few moments later with her friend We should want our friends to go to Mass. I get that some people are scared to ask friends to Mass, but take the risk

As we celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel, may God bless the Carmelites with many vocations and may we take Mary as our model of complete fidelity to the Lord.

Seeing a lot of “No more lay apologists” over the Voice of Reason scandal. Not only is it possible for clerics to be abusers, but this line of reasoning effectively blames the lay state. In fact, we NEED the laity to evangelize the world. We don’t need fewer lay apologists; we…

Pope Leo saying that every relationship that God enjoys becomes a gift to us. When the Son becomes our brother, his Father becomes our Father and the Holy Spirit which unites them comes to live in our hearts. Even Jesus’ mother, Mary, becomes our mother. God always gives to us.

Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Mary of Egypt enter the chat…

I once saw a very disabled woman and her caretaker waiting for Communion. The caretaker gently caressed the woman’s head. There was such loving tenderness in that caress that I imagined the woman greeting her caretaker in Heaven, thanking her for all the love she had shown her.