Eight centuries before Christ, that part of the kingdom where the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali lived was attacked by the Assyrians, and the tribes were hauled off into captivity. It marked the beginning of the kingdom’s end. The Davidic empire finally crumbled in the sixth century BC, when Jerusalem was seized by Babylon and the remaining tribes were driven into exile...

Hans Egede was born in January 1686, and baptized a Lutheran, possibly at a medieval stone church at Trondenes, Norway, or in another nearby local parish church. Don’t hold it against him that Hans was baptized a Lutheran — he was only an infant, you see, plus, his grandfather was a Lutheran cleric and his uncle was too...

In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul provides a blueprint for assenting to a new life wholly dedicated to Christ. He prefaces his proposal by telling us that if we have been raised by Christ, then we must seek the things from above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He confirms his position by reminding us to set our minds on things that are above, not in things that are on earth...

As the nation erupts in civil unrest, the Church gives us St. Sebastian’s feast day on Jan. 20, celebrating the young man who stood up to the wicked emperor Diocletian, and praying that we will each be more like him: “O Lord, grant us the spirit of fortitude, so that guided by the example of the martyr St. Sebastian, we may learn to bear witness to the Christian faith.” We need a model like St. Sebastian to show us the right kind of witness right now...

The Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, which begins Jan. 18, takes place each year in the days leading up to the celebration of the Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25, when the Pope travels to the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome to pray with other Christian leaders for what Jesus prayed during the Last Supper: that we might be truly one.

I don’t know how it came to happen that I, of all people, ended up with a daughter as biddable and sweet natured as I did. It’s not genetic, that’s for sure. She’s universally doted upon, to be sure, especially since we waited more than a decade — I won’t say always patiently, though usually prayerfully — for her arrival. Being a beloved and indulged only child has to...

The wind howled and the snow began to fall more heavily as nightfall gathered itself around the young priest. Though he had been riding since early afternoon, there were several miles yet to go before he would reach his destination. He kept to the path as best he could, but the drifting snow made it difficult for the horse to go much faster than a walk.

Pope Leo XIV offered prayers for the victims and his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those affected by a train collision in southern Spain on Sunday, January 18, 2026, which caused at least 39 deaths and dozens of injuries. In a telegram released on January 19, written in Spanish and signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin...

She has become ubiquitous on social media platforms: the middle class woman who is nearly spitting with unsuppressed rage and seemingly gleeful that she has the means to showcase it. The woman is one of an uncountable number who display septum rings and tattoos as they set their camera phones to “record” and then deliver spit-inflected diatribes, or scream in indignation...

Christmas is the season of pondering the paradox of the Incarnation itself. What was found in the stable at Bethlehem was far greater than everything outside. This is no mere poetic exaggeration. The infinite God assumed a finite human nature. What was in this child, no bigger than a breadbox at first but soon to grow in wisdom and stature...