Fr. Gabriel Gillen, OP

Letter to a hospital patient… To my brother or sister in Christ, St. Paul wrote with affection to the Christians in Philippi: “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict which you saw Read more…

A few months ago, thirteen friars, including myself, made solemn vows. We offered everything to God, including all our possessions. But before the big day, a few friends and family members made some startling suggestions. Some counseled me to keep money stored away, just in case. Others asked about possible escape routes, again, just in Read more…

Ever wonder why you sleep poorly on your first night away from home? Neuroscience has the answer, and it has to do with ducks. A mallard duck can rest one half of its brain at a time. According to an ornithological study, when a duck sleeps in a hostile environment, it keeps one eye open Read more…

In light of the recent abuse and cover-up crisis, Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, wrote a letter to the “Pilgrim People of God in Chile.” He acknowledges the grievous sins of certain members of the Church, encourages Christians to hope in Christ’s forgiveness, and exhorts all the faithful to participate in the ever-needed conversion which Read more…

No generation passes without affording us some deeper insight into what it is to be human. Professors opine, poets and songwriters construe their craft, and politicians enact laws all to enlarge our experience of life, even if at the end of the day more mystery remains. Of course, the best (even if the most elusive!) Read more…

The Church is a Mother. We are her children. As with our earthly mothers, some of us stay near and devoted to our Mother, the Church. Others keep their distance. For those Catholics struggling to love the Church as their Mother, it’s good to ponder the natural relationship between a mother and child and how Read more…

Editor’s note: This is the thirteenth and final post in our newest series, reflecting on the Hillbilly Thomists’ recent, self-titled album. The series has run throughout the Easter season. Read the whole series here. This post concerns the song “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” which you can listen to here. “Just a closer walk Read more…

Theodore is in a dilemma. Over the past few months, he has fallen head-over-heels in love with Barb. She is the woman of his dreams: beautiful, affectionate, gentle, and compassionate. Whenever he treads in Barb’s presence, Theodore’s heart is close to bursting within him. Never before has he loved such a woman as this. The Read more…

Fr. Michael Mary Dosch, O.P., is the novice master for the Province of St. Joseph and the spiritual director for the annual U.S. National Rosary Pilgrimage to Lourdes. He entered the Dominican Order in 1998 and was ordained a priest in 2005. Originally from the coastal town of Margate, New Jersey, where he grew up Read more…

Faith in the Last Judgment is first and foremost hope. — Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI In Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI proposes the Last Judgment as “not primarily an image of terror, but an image of hope; for us it may even be the decisive image of hope.” It seems shocking. Most associate the Read more…

“All men by nature desire to know.” Aristotle’s opening line of the Metaphysics was true of humans then and is true of humans now.

Editor’s note: This is the sixth post in our newest series, reflecting on the Hillbilly Thomists’ recent, self-titled album. The series will run each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the Easter season. Read the whole series here. This post concerns the song “Amazing Grace,” which you can listen to here. Amazing grace (how sweet the sound) Read more…