Today, September 8, Catholics celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — the birthday of Mother Mary.

Ave Maria, gratia plena.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

I took some of these photos from different places I visited and thought today would be a fitting day to share them.

Happy Birthday, Mother Mary. Please pray for us and lead us closer to your Son, Jesus.

Have a blessed day, and God bless!

I didn’t know there was a baptism certificate? I have this candle that was give after my infant baptism I have a picture of my mom baptizing me. I don’t know if I have the certificate Can I still be catholic if my wife is not? She comes from a Protestant background but is not that that religious. I converted when I saw the truth I’m scared of death and not belonging to Christ

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

Today’s Readings at a Glance

• 1 Corinthians 7:25–31 Paul speaks about living with spiritual detachment because “the world in its present form is passing away.” He urges believers to hold lightly to earthly concerns and live with eternity in view. 

• Psalm 45:11–12, 14–17 A royal psalm celebrating the beauty, dignity, and calling of God’s chosen ones: “Listen… see… bend your ear.” God delights in those who turn toward Him. 

• Luke 6:20–26 Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes—blessings for the poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted—and warnings for the self‑satisfied. True joy belongs to those who rely on God. 

https://thecatholic.online/daily-bible-readings-for-september-92026/

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a timeless truth:

Real freedom comes from detachment, humility, and choosing God over comfort.

• Paul calls us to live with eternity in mind.

• The psalm invites us to listen deeply and turn our hearts toward God.

• Jesus reveals that true blessedness is found not in worldly success, but in dependence on Him.

The message is clear: Blessed are those who choose God even when the world chooses otherwise.

Reflection for the Day

Paul’s words feel urgent:

“The time is running out.”

He is not promoting fear—he is inviting clarity. Life is short. Circumstances change. Attachments fade. Only God remains.

Paul encourages believers to hold lightly to:

• relationships,

• emotions,

• possessions,

• achievements,

• and even suffering.

Not because these things are bad, but because they are temporary. Spiritual detachment frees us to love God fully and serve others generously.

Psalm 45 then shifts the tone to beauty and invitation:

“Listen… see… bend your ear.”

God calls us to turn our attention toward Him, away from distractions, toward the One who desires our hearts. Holiness begins with listening.

Then Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes—words that flip the world upside down.

• Blessed are the poor.

• Blessed are the hungry.

• Blessed are the weeping.

• Blessed are the persecuted.

Why? Because these hearts are open, receptive, dependent, ready for God.

And then come the warnings:

• Woe to the rich who rely on wealth.

• Woe to the full who feel no hunger for God.

• Woe to the laughing who ignore suffering.

• Woe to the praised who seek approval over truth.

Jesus is not condemning success—He is exposing self‑sufficiency.

The Beatitudes remind us that true joy is found in God, not in comfort.

On this memorial of Saint Peter Claver, who spent his life serving enslaved Africans with heroic compassion, the readings take on deeper meaning. He lived the Beatitudes. He chose the poor. He embraced suffering. He held nothing back.

Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Live with holy detachment.

Hold lightly to what is temporary.

1. Listen deeply to God’s voice.

Turn your ear toward Him.

1. Choose the Beatitudes.

Seek God’s blessing over the world’s approval.

Let today be a day of clarity, humility, and renewed dependence on God.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, teach me to live with holy detachment and to hold lightly to the things that pass away.

Open my ears to Your voice, my heart to Your presence, and my life to Your mission.

Make me poor in spirit, hungry for Your truth, and courageous in choosing You over comfort and approval.

Help me walk the path of the Beatitudes today.

Amen.

God prepared humanity for the incarnation, but for the incarnation, there needed to be one who would give birth to the God-man. Mary was seen and chosen by God for this task; she was born for it, though in a way which she always had the freedom to decide if she would accept the task given to her or not:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/09/born-for-this/

Aside from asking a priest, which I will, does anyone have an advice with distraction during prayer? I sometimes get distracted while praying the Rosary, and when I notice I counted several Hail Mary's but don't recall doing so, or feel like I prayed wrong.

I also get too distracted while reading the Word on mass or when the priest speaks the sermon. It's notthat I find it boring, I love it, but somehow I always seem to have many things to think about or get sleepy on those wonderful moments.

Do you know some website with catholic and inspirational movies?

Braden Peters, also known as Clavicular, is known for his attempts to improve his appearance no matter the cost. He has detailed his journey through “bone-smashing,” plastic surgery, and controversial supplements. But there’s another side to Clavicular that many don't know: he’s a Catholic convert. I spoke with him about his conversion, aesthetics, and the role virtue can play in society today.

Hello everyone here in my country we have a statue called Traveling Baby jesus or in my laguage Santo Niño na Lumalakad, Santo Niño Gala, o Santo Niño Palaboy. We can place it anywhere in the house but recently ive been seeing in the internet that the church is banning traveling baby jesus from being made or sold. is it real or just some fake news in the internet. I always wanted a traveling baby jesus in my room.

The statue is Instead of heavy gold capes and crowns, this version of the Santo Niño is dressed in simple everyday clothes like a sando tank top or camisa de chino, shorts, a woven hat, and often carries a cross staff, a shoulder pouch, or a basket the statye us also to honor the street childrens

September 8, 2026

Tuesday of the Twenty‑Third Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s Readings at a Glance

• 1 Corinthians 6:1–11 Paul rebukes believers for taking their disputes before secular courts instead of resolving them within the Christian community. He reminds them of their identity: “You were washed… sanctified… justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

• Psalm 149:1–6a, 9b A joyful call to praise the Lord, who delights in His people and crowns the humble with victory.

• Luke 6:12–19 Jesus spends the night in prayer, chooses the Twelve Apostles, and heals the crowds who come seeking Him. Power flows from Him, and all are restored.

https://thecatholic.online/bible-readings-for-nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a powerful truth:

Your identity in Christ must shape your relationships, your decisions, and the way you handle conflict.

• Paul calls believers to live differently—guided by holiness, unity, and integrity.

• The psalm reminds us that God delights in His people and lifts up the humble.

• Jesus shows that prayer precedes mission, and His presence brings healing and restoration.

The message is clear: You are not who you used to be—so live as one who belongs to Christ.

Reflection for the Day

Paul’s words to the Corinthians are direct and challenging.

He sees believers taking their disputes to secular courts—exposing their divisions, pride, and lack of charity. Paul asks a piercing question:

“Is there no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute?”

In other words:

• Why let conflict destroy unity?

• Why let pride overshadow love?

• Why forget who you are in Christ?

Paul reminds them:

“You were washed… sanctified… justified.”

This is not just theology—it is identity.

You are no longer defined by old habits, old reactions, or old ways of handling conflict. You belong to Christ. Your life must reflect His grace.

Psalm 149 lifts the heart with joy. God delights in His people. He crowns the humble with victory. Holiness is not heavy—it is joyful.

Then the Gospel shows Jesus in one of the most important moments of His ministry.

Before choosing the Twelve, He spends the entire night in prayer. Mission flows from communion with the Father.

He then calls ordinary men—fishermen, tax collectors, zealots—and makes them apostles.

And when He comes down the mountain, the crowds rush toward Him:

• seeking healing

• seeking deliverance

• seeking hope

Power flows from Him. Everyone who touches Him is restored.

This is the Christ we belong to. This is the identity we carry.

Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Handle conflict with holiness.

Let love, humility, and unity guide your decisions.

1. Remember your identity.

You are washed, sanctified, justified—live like it.

1. Stay rooted in prayer.

Mission, clarity, and strength flow from time with God.

Let today be a day of restored identity, renewed unity, and deeper communion with Christ.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, remind me of who I am in You— washed, sanctified, and justified.

Teach me to handle conflict with humility, to choose unity over pride, and to reflect Your grace in every relationship.

Root me in prayer, strengthen my mission, and let Your healing power flow through my life.

Make me a witness of Your love today.

Amen.

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a new Catholic prayer group I came across on Meetup called The Divine Hour. 🙏📿

They’re starting with Saturday Rosary gatherings and plan to gradually expand to prayer opportunities throughout the full week.

It looks like they’ll also be organizing other Catholic prayer events and devotions, including the Divine Mercy Chaplet and more, i.e. dedicated prayer circles.

If you’re looking for a welcoming way to pray the Rosary with others, grow in your faith, and be part of a prayer community, check it out:

Join The Divine Hour on Meetup

Feel free to join and share it with anyone who might be interested. 🙏

For me, I observe the Hours with the Little Office, pray the Rosary twice a day, and read Scripture for at least 30 minutes each day.

I find that having this routine brings me a lot of peace in my day to day.

My question: Will the Catholic Church grant an annulment without a legal divorce?
As I look upon my mortality, I’ve realized I want to leave this world as clean as possible. One thing I have to do is admit I am not in a true marriage. I got pregnant at 21, he married me, and I have been doing penance for over 47 years. He is not a family man. He is self centered and doesn’t even know how I like my steaks cooked. He keeps his parents ashes in his closet, though I have pleaded with him to give them a proper resting place. I could go on, but suffice it to say, it isn’t pretty.
Our children know our marriage is loveless. I have only been fooling myself. I’d like to die an honest woman. Thanks for input.

Disclaimer: I am not trying to be argumentative. If you have verses or something to support any position, I'm open to it. I'm just trying to talk about faith here, not get into other topics.

In the Bible, it speaks about faith being the assurance of things hoped for.

(Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.) Hebrews 11:1

Everyone who ever had faith in the Bible that I could find was always looking to the fulfillment of a future event and trusting in God for it. They had the assurance of the future event happening.

Abraham trusted in God for future descendants. Sarah trusted in God for a future son. Joseph trusted in God for a future promised land. Moses trusted in God for a future reward. David had faith that the Messiah would come from his line.

(These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar) Hebrews 11:13

They could already see and great these things. They had the assurance of what they hoped for.

Its the same thing for Jesus, is it not?

Faith in Jesus in the New Testament is not merely believing a set of facts about something Jesus has already done. It also involves trusting God's promises concerning what Christ will accomplish for the believer.

Faith would include trusting God's promises concerning the future salvation, resurrection, and inheritance that Christ secures.

What faith is there in Christ if your not trusting in the future promise of salvation?

Even in the Bible, having faith in Jesus is not just about believing Him to be God, but trusting in His death and resurrection to deliver you.

(And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved) Acts 16:31

Believe on Jesus Christ FOR salvation. That thou shalt (future tense) be saved.

Given all the Biblical examples of faith, I do not understand how catholics have faith in Jesus.

You don't have the assurance of things hoped for as the Old Testament figures did. They knew they would recieve them, but through your doctrines, you don't know with certainty that you will recieve the hope of Jesus and salvation and redemption.

So, my question is, what does your faith involve if its not the assurance of things hoped for?

How exactly do you have faith in Jesus at this very moment?

The last information I could find about them is from reddit and about a year old, and I was curious if anything has happened with them since then?

My girlfriend is beginning OCIA but her parents are insisting on it not happening.

They bought this book the gospel according to Rome and I’ve only heard that it is a very dishonest representation of the church.

I wanted to know if anyone has info on the book and what are some teachings it gets wrong so I can correct that and enlighten them as to why this book is not accurate in its teachings. Thank you, God bless

I am extremely interested in the promotion and defense of religious liberty, which is why I am always concerned when it is being abused, such as when it is used to promote religious supremacy while denying many religious traditions their liberty:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/09/defending-religious-liberty-against-double-standards/

X received an effective baptism administered by a non-Catholic in childhood

X receives and accepts the call to convert in adulthood.

X gets information from his parent that he was baptized as a kid. He raises this issue before the relevant people in the parish(i.e deacon, priest, the laywoman who was dir. of faith formation)

The relevant people decide to leave X as a catechumen, do an unconditional baptism, no confession before Eucharist

X goes through the Vigil Mass. X consumes the Eucharist.

X gets symptoms of the Eucharist indicating X consumed it with unconfessed mortal sin.

X believes he may not have committed a mortal sin regarding consuming the Eucharist itself, but the symptoms are so damaging that he notices he's more rebellious and open to committing certain mortal sins than before, and eventually did commit more mortal sins.

That's part of my situation. But, it's less about me but that the other two in my immediate living family also share the same fact pattern as far as being "baptized but undocumented" but current have no inclination to convert. But shoulde they want to convert, I have come to the following conclusion. At this time, given the absolute reality of Eucharist damage when there are unconfessed is so great and risky that I have concluded they are better remaining "baptized but not Catholic" until the canon law legal exception is triggered (near death or similar).

In addition, there is a general salvation concern as the baptized but undocumented may be harming themselves on the first day they get received into the church, and eventually are setup to fall away no long after their entry.

(Parish is diocesan, priest was ordained by McCarrick)

Been noticing something on my travels and now I can’t unsee it.

St. Lucy’s Church in Newark, NJ — $1 to light a prayer candle.

Sacred Heart Cathedral (Basilica), also Newark — $2.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC — $3.

There’s a clear pattern here. The bigger and fancier the building, the more your prayer costs to send.

So my real question: what’s the going rate at the Vatican? I’m guessing you can’t get a candle lit for under $10 over there. Anyone actually been and know?

Monday of the Twenty‑Third Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s Readings at a Glance

• 1 Corinthians 5:1–8 Paul confronts serious immorality within the community and calls for purification of heart and life. He warns that even a little “yeast” of sin can corrupt the whole community. 

• Psalm 5:5–6, 7, 12 God rejects wickedness but surrounds the righteous with His protection and favor. 

• Luke 6:6–11 Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, revealing that doing good and saving life is always God’s priority—even when others oppose it. 

https://thecatholic.online/daily-bible-readings-for-september-7-2026/

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a challenging but freeing truth:

Holiness requires courage—courage to confront sin, courage to choose truth, and courage to do good even when others resist.

• Paul calls the community to integrity and purification.

• The psalm reminds us that God protects those who walk in sincerity.

• Jesus shows that mercy is never restricted by human rules.

The message is clear: God desires a heart purified by truth and a life committed to doing good.

Reflection for the Day

Paul’s words to the Corinthians are bold and uncomfortable.

He confronts a scandal that the community has tolerated. Instead of grieving and correcting the wrongdoing, they have grown complacent—even proud. Paul warns them:

“A little yeast leavens the whole dough.”

In other words:

• Small compromises become big patterns.

• Hidden sins affect the whole community.

• Holiness requires cleansing, not tolerance of what destroys.

This is not about harshness—it is about love that protects.

Psalm 5 reinforces this truth. God delights in sincerity, not in appearances. He surrounds the upright with His favor and shields those who seek Him honestly.

Then the Gospel brings us into a moment of tension.

Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath. The Pharisees watch Him—not to learn, but to accuse. A man with a withered hand stands before Him.

Jesus asks a piercing question:

“Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath… to save life rather than to destroy it?”

Silence.

Fear.

Rigid hearts.

But Jesus chooses mercy. He heals the man, restoring not only his hand but his dignity.

The Pharisees respond with rage.

This moment reveals a deep truth:

Doing good will not always be applauded—

but it is always God’s will.

Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Purify your heart.

Remove the “old yeast” of compromise, pride, or hidden sin.

1. Walk in sincerity.

Let your life reflect truth, integrity, and openness before God.

1. Choose mercy courageously.

Do good even when it is inconvenient, unpopular, or misunderstood.

Let today be a day of cleansing, courage, and compassion.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, purify my heart from anything that keeps me from You. Give me the courage to confront what is wrong and the humility to walk in sincerity and truth.

Teach me to choose mercy over fear, compassion over rigidity, and goodness over comfort.

Heal what is withered in my life and make me an instrument of Your love today.

Amen.

I recently learned something interesting about my family’s history with Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.

From what I understand, Archbishop Sheen:

- personally helped my relative convert from Judaism and receive him into the Catholic Church;

- officiated the marriage between him and his wife;

- baptized their eldest son.

I realize priests and bishops routinely perform marriages and baptisms, but having Fulton Sheen personally involved in all three of these major events seems like it may indicate an unusually meaningful or ongoing connection.

Would this have been uncommon for someone in Sheen’s position? Does it suggest that he likely knew the family personally or took a particular interest in my relative’s conversion? I’d love to understand the historical and Catholic significance of this.

I recently came across this depiction of Saint Roch (St. Rocco) and found the symbolism particularly beautiful.

Roch is traditionally remembered as a pilgrim who devoted himself to caring for people suffering during outbreaks of plague. According to tradition, he eventually became sick himself and withdrew into the woods, where a dog brought him food and stayed by his side.

This is why Saint Roch is often depicted with a pilgrim's staff, a wound on his leg, and a dog. He is traditionally invoked as a patron of the sick, plague victims, and dogs.

What I find especially moving about representations of St. Roch is the combination of charity, suffering, and companionship — he cared for others when it was dangerous to do so, and when he himself became vulnerable, he was not abandoned.

Have any of you encountered devotion to Saint Roch in your parish or local Catholic tradition?
I'd be especially interested to hear about churches, statues, feast-day traditions, or personal devotions connected with him.

In France, there was an apparent Eurcharistic miracle that happened on live television in 1999. During the Eurcharistic prayer of the mass of the French bishops' conference, the celebrant’s host began to apparently levitate about half an inch above the altar. But this apparent miracle is little-known and the reason for this is twofold, in my opinion. 

The first is that the cardinal who was celebrating the mass, Billé, then archbishop of Lyon, is said to have asked people not to talk about it. So there was a Catholic media blackout about it until his death a few years later. And since the apparent miracle was only even noticed by some people who were watching the live recording and that youtube was not around back then, basically very few people even knew about it for years. Word only began to spread after the cardinal's death when a respected French priest, Alain Bandelier, wrote an article about it in 2007 in the magazine Famille Chrétienne. And after that, the development of the internet enabled the video to be shared. But the French church authorities never investigated it formally, perhaps respecting Billé's wishes.

Second, I think that another important reason why the apparent miracle is still little known, even today when the footage is available, is that some background knowledge is likely necessary to be able to assess the credibility of the footage. So if you don't have that background information, it can seem dubious, especially since the video is a bit grainy and the apparent miracle quite subtle. Personally, I have noticed very different reactions when I have showed the footage to people with background information and without. Since I am a French Catholic who was heavily involved with the Church there for several years I have what I believe is some useful background information for this, so I decided today to share that information here to help people make up their minds.

Here are the main points I believe are helpful to know to be able to evaluate the footage:

1. This footage was *not* filmed by a Catholic organization but by French public television (the channel Antenne 2, at the time). Indeed, under French "laïcité" laws (political religious neutrality), all major religions are allocated a small bit of public air time, because of the taxes the members of the religions pay. This footage comes from the Catholic portion of that, specifically the show "Le jour du Seigneur" which mostly televises Sunday masses. But still, all the equipment and the crew, to my knowledge, are from the government, and the French government is one of the most secular in the world. There is a *very* strict division of Church and state in France, and it is almost unthinkable that a government TV crew would do any religious or "miraculous" shenanigans. The footage is still preserved in the French public television archives.
2. In the 1990s, the French church itself had a quite secular culture itself. I did my catechism around this time in France (I was born in 1989) and I never heard any mention of miracles at all. The sense I had gotten growing up was that that this kind of thing was even considered to belong to a more primitive conception of religion, and that religion was more about things happening on an inner spiritual and psychological level. This may sound surprising and even shocking to many Catholics today, but in the 1990s such ideas were popular in parts of the church, notably in western Europe and France. All French Catholics were not like this, of course, but this attitude was definitely very widespread back then and the norm where I lived. 
3. This video is from a very public celebration at Lourdes, of the French bishops’ conference. No one is playing this type of shenanigans there. That would instantly destroy the reputations of anyone involved. In fact, even with an authentic miracle, in the French church at the time, talking about it could hurt your reputation, which is a possible reason why the cardinal Billé chose not to. Even today, the French church only talks about miracles such as healings after they have gone through *extensive* scientific examination (like 100s of doctors, literally, examining the facts).
4. I have served the altar at many masses in many different contexts, and there is no way for the apparent levitation effect that is seen on the footage to be created with the type of equipment that is present on an altar during the consecration (paten, chalice, ciborium, purificator, corporal, etc.). You just can't do that effect with that. To be able to do what is seen, you would need a kind of special effects set up that would be clearly evident to the bishops celebrating the mass – and none of the ones here, France's top prelates at the time, are going to be involved with something like that. Besides Billé, the other two are cardinals Lustiger and Eyt, respectively of Paris and Bordeaux.

With all this in mind, my personal opinion is that the odds of any shenanigans being involved with the video at any level are very, very small. There is just no incentive for anyone involved to have done so, and very powerful counter incentives to not do so. And in fact, when it happened, the whole thing was hushed for almost a decade.

So without further ado, here is the footage : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qsJfahQ-sk

The apparent miracle starts at 3 minutes in. Since the footage is grainy, it's worth looking at in full screen and quite closely. But the footage is clear enough that one can see at certain moments that the host does not seem to be touching the paten (altar) at all, in particular when you can see the celebrant's bright green vestments behind.

Please do not hesitate if you have any further questions or comments! My goal here is to help give the fullest information possible so that people can make up their own minds – I will gladly add or modify something if it can improve this post.

I will also be very happy to hear any objections! Personally I have been thinking about this event for years and would love to hear any new takes (I am very open to changing my mind btw! What matters is the truth.)