Chris Sparks

Saint Patrick (feast day: March 17) brought Jesus to pagan Ireland and transformed it into the land of saints and scholars. Let's follow his example and bring Jesus, the Divine Mercy, to an increasingly pagan world.

Bethlehem means “House of Bread” in Hebrew, and “House of Flesh” in Arabic. And of course, “mangia” in Italian means “to eat.” And so, Chris Sparks notes, the Child in the manger, Jesus Christ, was born to become food.

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, let's honor the service of those who've served our country in the military — and pray for peace.

As we mourn the tragedy in Minneapolis, we think also of our brethren, Catholic and Orthodox, who remain in harm’s way, as are our Muslim and Jewish brethren, in Gaza and Israel. With some, we are brethren in Christ; with others, we are brethren in Adam, and even by blood, notes Chris Sparks.

The Rosary, given by Our Lady to St. Dominic (feast day: Aug. 8) in a time of heresy, violence, and confusion, is one of Heaven’s mightiest tools, handed to us as a sword and a shield, as a way to plow and till the ground that we scatter the seed of the Word over; as a fishing hook when we serve as fishers of men; as a net to capture those souls who would fly away from the great tree that grew from the mustard seed, the Church.

It’s natural for there to be a ton of interest and excitement about the new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in the United States. At the same time, all the attention can sometimes distract us from the truly important thing we need to do in response to his election: Pray for him.

"I grew up loving James Bond," says Chris Sparks. " I loved the movies. I loved the books. And yet in college, I eventually came to the realization that Ian Fleming, the author of the Bond novels, was right."

These days, a vitally important sort of mercy is remembering that people in person are often wildly different than the same people online, observes Chris Sparks.

This Saturday, Aug. 3, is a First Saturday. It’s the sort of devotion that we need to keep promoting, and reminding ourselves to make, as well. Christ and His Church face many foes today, and the Mother of God has given us the remedy to defeating the greater part of these enemies strength. 

As we celebrate Father’s Day, let us remember the Father who is in Heaven from whom all fatherhood takes its name, says Chris Sparks. Let us remember that God the Father is rich in mercy, and that St. Joseph, model of earthly fatherhood, is most remembered for his silence, not his dominance; for his wife and Son, whom he tended with such effective love and dedication, not for his earthly power.