It’s no surprise that Jennifer Hudson can sing the heck out of the song “And I am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the movie “Dreamgirls,” which won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. However, the fact that a 12-year-old can match her vocal abilities and make the song that much better might be unexpected. But that’s exactly what happened when “America’s Got Talent” contestant Quintavious Johnson dueted with Hudson on Wednesday night’s finale. Quintavious – who sings at his... Read more
“The dark makes the light stuff brighter.” Not only is that a comment made by a character in Dean Koontz’s latest novel “The City,” it’s a truth that the author learned first-hand while growing up. In “The City,” eight-year-old African-American musical prodigy Jonah Kirk is blessed with a mother and grandparents who selflessly love and support him. His father Tilton, however, epitomizes the adult who never grows up, who never accepts responsibility for anyone or anything other than the pursuit... Read more
At various points in our lives, we all endure periods of deep sadness and depression. That state of being can leave us feeling spiritually empty and disconnected from God and our faith. In some cases, it may get so bad that it requires professional help. In the video below, Father Jonathan Morris offers advice on dealing with these periods in our lives. He readily admits that he is approaching this topic not as a psychologist, but as a priest. However,... Read more
Over at “America” magazine, Kerry Weber shares a powerful, deeply personal reflection about her niece Marian Elizabeth, who lived only a few hours after birth. Kerry’s article, called “A Complicated Grief,” walks readers through the complexity of life and faith and doubt that we endure during tragic situations – and explores her heart and soul as she seeks to draw meaning out of suffering. It’s a must-read piece for anyone who has endured a loss of any kind, so here... Read more
(The following post was originally written in 2008. An update appears at the end of the story.) Within a few weeks of her birth in 1990, Shannon Hickey was diagnosed with a life-threatening liver disease. Doctors predicted she wouldn’t live past the age of two. Shannon’s mother Kelly found support in family friend Father Mychal Judge who called her frequently to pray with her and reassure her that everything would be okay. Those prayers were answered when Kelly discovered, and... Read more
In Father Jonathan Morris’s last reflection on humility, he said that we should look at this virtue as “a recognition of who we are in relationship to God and others.” He also pointed out that humility is a grace, a gift from God. This week, Father Jonathan offers advice on how we can prepare ourselves to receive this gift, grounding it in a valuable insight from author and theologian C.S. Lewis. Read more
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who dedicated her life to serving Christ by ministering to the poorest of the poor, shared the following advice in her book “No Greater Love”: “One thing will always secure heaven for us: the acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives. We will never know how much good just a simple smile can do. We tell people how kind, forgiving, and understanding God is, but are we the living proof?... Read more
Most people don’t confront their own mortality until they’re in their 30s or 40s. For Jennifer Fulwiler, it happened at age 11 – and it seriously unnerved her for many years, especially because she wasn’t raised to believe in God or an afterlife. The incident that set off Jennifer’s crisis occurred during a fossil-finding trip with her father near her grandparent’s farm in central Texas. She came across the remains of an ammonite, a sea creature that has been extinct... Read more
The following is the text of the Christopher News Note “Building an Active Prayer Life.” If you’d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post: Prayer seems like it should be easy. We say some tried-and-true words, and voilà, we’re praying. But as anyone who tries to pray with regularity knows, prayer is not for the faint of heart. We can say the words but not feel a connection. We can sit in silence and hear... Read more
As Father Jonathan Morris acknowledges in this video reflection, people often misunderstand what the virtue of humility is all about. “It’s not about weakness,” he says. “It’s not about being quiet and over in the corner. It has to do with living in the truth of who we are in relationship to God and to others.” So what are the first steps we can take in order to accept God’s gift of humility into our hearts? Here is Father Jonathan’s... Read more
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