One of the number one questions I get asked is where to find a spiritual director. Despite the difficulty (for laity and clergy alike) due to a shortage of spiritual directors, the Lord provides for His people. Multiple books have been written, for example, offering spiritual wisdom and guidance to help readers grow in holiness. […]

St. Sixtus II was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 257 AD, during the turbulent times of the Roman Empire under Emperor Valerian. His papacy was marked by his efforts to restore peace and unity within the Church, which was suffering from internal strife and external persecution. St. Sixtus II is particularly remembered […]

ENCOUNTERING THE WORD — YOUR DAILY BIBLE VERSES “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” – Luke 2:14 Please help spread the Gospel. Share this verse with family and friends on Facebook and other social media. Thank you for your much needed financial support and […]

The post Your Daily Bible Verses — Luke 2:14 appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 16:16 pm (CNA).

About 120,000 young people from the Neocatechumenal Way participated in a gathering on Aug. 4, the feast day of the Curé of Ars, to consider their vocation.

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 16:16 pm (CNA).

About 120,000 young people from the Neocatechumenal Way participated in a gathering on Aug. 4, the feast day of the Curé of Ars, to consider what their vocation in life might be. 

In attendance were Kiko Argüello, one of the apostolate’s initiators, and two other members of the organization’s international team: Maria Ascensión and Father Mario Pezzi.

The meeting, held at Tor Vergata — the same place where Pope Leo XIV presided over the vigil and celebrated the closing Mass of the Jubilee of Youth with more than a million souls Aug. 3 — was presided over by Italian Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar for the Diocese of Rome. Also present were five other cardinals and some 30 bishops.

According to the Neocatechumenal Way website, the meeting took place in an atmosphere of celebration and communion, with young people from some 50 countries in Europe, 30 countries in the Americas, 11 countries in Africa, and 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania.

After Reina’s greeting, accompanied by 100 priests from Redemptoris Mater seminaries of the Neocatechumenal Way, an icon of the Virgin Mary was set up on the large stage along with a large crucifix to be the visual focal point of the gathering.

A photo of Carmen Hernández, the Spanish servant of God who was also an initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way, was also placed on the stage. The apostolate is now present in 138 countries around the world.

Ascensión then spoke about St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, before moving on to the day’s readings from the Gospel of St. Matthew (Mt 9:35-10:1) in which Jesus says “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Then Argüello addressed the young people, asking: “What is God’s deepest desire? To give you the gift of the Holy Spirit, of his life, of his happiness. But to give you this gift, God needs your freedom, because as St. Augustine reminds us: ‘God, who created you without you, will not save you without you.’”

Looking at the crucifix, Argüello then said: “I invite you to look at this cross: This is the image of freedom. The cross is the image of freedom. Here is a man who has given himself up for you, who will set you free to give yourself to others and stop offering yourselves only to yourselves. How can you receive the Holy Spirit today? If you accept that your self be crucified with Christ.”

The initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way then reflected on Jesus’ call to Peter, and Peter’s response to the Lord, to his love for the journey toward holiness.

The call to a vocation 

In these types of gatherings, Argüello encourages those who believe they may have a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life to come forward in what the Neocatechumenals call “the call to a vocation.”

“First the boys — 5,000 of them stood up! — and then the girls — 5,000 of them stood up! — and went to the stage to receive the blessing of the cardinals and bishops. For those who responded to this initial call, a process to discern and mature their vocation will then take place at the various vocational centers,” the Neocatechumenal Way website explains.

To conclude the event, which lasted approximately three hours, Reina told the young people present: “After accepting the kerygma, aspire to greater things, to holiness.”

“May this be the response to Pope Leo’s call. The Lord has addressed this invitation to us; the Lord calls all of us to holiness. Always leave room for the Word of God, because God takes nothing away from our happiness,” he added.

Finally, the cardinal emphasized that “for some of you today, a path to happiness is opening up, to a full life, full of God, full of happiness.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

CNA Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 14:55 pm (CNA).

A state appeals court in Texas this week affirmed that Attorney General Ken Paxton will not be permitted to question the leaders of a Catholic Charities affiliate at the U.S.-Mexico border amid an inquiry into illegal immigration.

The state 15th Court of Appeals said in an Aug. 4 ruling that Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley has cooperated sufficiently with the state’s investigation into the charity. Paxton’s office has been conducting broad inquiries into allegations that nonprofits have facilitated illegal immigration in the state.

Prosecutors were not entitled to a “pre-suit deposition” from charity leaders, including its executive director, Sister Norma Pimentel, the court ruled.

Rather than “an uncooperative or evasive organization,” the Catholic charity has been “responsive to [Paxton’s] requests,” up to and including extensive documentation and a sworn testimony from Pimentel, the appeals court said. 

Those responses “may not have provided all of the information or the narrative responses” sought by the attorney general’s office, the court said. But they “addressed the lion’s share of the issues” the state was investigating and allowed the attorney general’s office to decide whether or not to file an official lawsuit.

The prosecutor’s office was required to prove that “the benefits of forcing a pre-suit deposition outweigh the burdens to Catholic Charities.” But the charity’s high level of cooperation with the government meant Paxton’s office could not justify the deposition.

A representative with Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley did not immediately respond to a query on the ruling on Wednesday morning.

Following the lower court’s ruling last year, Pimentel said in a statement that the charity hoped to “put this behind us and focus our efforts on protecting and upholding the sanctity and dignity of all human lives while following the law.”

Paxton has challenged several Catholic organizations in the state in recent months, including Annunciation House in El Paso, which he attempted to shut down for allegedly facilitating “illegal border crossings.”

Earlier this year that charity, which operates a shelter network for “migrant, refugee, and economically vulnerable peoples,” argued in the state Supreme Court that though it does offer housing to immigrants in the country illegally, it is “not concealing anyone [or] hiding anyone from detection from law enforcement.”

First Liberty Institute, which advocates religious freedom, also filed a brief against a forced closure of Annunciation House, arguing that the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects the charity against “outright closure.”

CNA Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 14:55 pm (CNA).

A state appeals court in Texas this week affirmed that Attorney General Ken Paxton will not be permitted to question the leaders of a Catholic Charities affiliate at the U.S.-Mexico border amid an inquiry into illegal immigration.

The state 15th Court of Appeals said in an Aug. 4 ruling that Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley has cooperated sufficiently with the state’s investigation into the charity. Paxton’s office has been conducting broad inquiries into allegations that nonprofits have facilitated illegal immigration in the state.

Prosecutors were not entitled to a “pre-suit deposition” from charity leaders, including its executive director, Sister Norma Pimentel, the court ruled.

Rather than “an uncooperative or evasive organization,” the Catholic charity has been “responsive to [Paxton’s] requests,” up to and including extensive documentation and a sworn testimony from Pimentel, the appeals court said. 

Those responses “may not have provided all of the information or the narrative responses” sought by the attorney general’s office, the court said. But they “addressed the lion’s share of the issues” the state was investigating and allowed the attorney general’s office to decide whether or not to file an official lawsuit.

The prosecutor’s office was required to prove that “the benefits of forcing a pre-suit deposition outweigh the burdens to Catholic Charities.” But the charity’s high level of cooperation with the government meant Paxton’s office could not justify the deposition.

A representative with Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley did not immediately respond to a query on the ruling on Wednesday morning.

Following the lower court’s ruling last year, Pimentel said in a statement that the charity hoped to “put this behind us and focus our efforts on protecting and upholding the sanctity and dignity of all human lives while following the law.”

Paxton has challenged several Catholic organizations in the state in recent months, including Annunciation House in El Paso, which he attempted to shut down for allegedly facilitating “illegal border crossings.”

Earlier this year that charity, which operates a shelter network for “migrant, refugee, and economically vulnerable peoples,” argued in the state Supreme Court that though it does offer housing to immigrants in the country illegally, it is “not concealing anyone [or] hiding anyone from detection from law enforcement.”

First Liberty Institute, which advocates religious freedom, also filed a brief against a forced closure of Annunciation House, arguing that the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects the charity against “outright closure.”

CNA Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 14:17 pm (CNA).

Lionsgate has officially announced the release dates for Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated film “The Resurrection of the Christ.”

In an X post on Aug. 5, the film company announced that the film will be split into two parts and will be released starting Holy Week in 2027.

Part 1 of the film will be released on March 26, 2027, Good Friday, and Part 2 will be released several weeks later on May 6, which will fall on the feast of the Ascension. 

On May 15 it was announced that Lionsgate had been chosen as the studio partnering with Gibson’s Icon Productions on the upcoming film.

“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless,” Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a press release announcing the partnership.   

“Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’” Gibson said at the time.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Adam and the team several times over recent years. I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”

This upcoming film, the sequel to “The Passion of the Christ,” will once again feature Jim Caviezel in the role of Jesus. While not much is known about the details of the film, in an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Gibson said the film is “very ambitious” and the story follows “the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle.” 

He also shared that he plans to use “a few techniques,” such as CGI de-aging, on Caviezel due to the fact that over 20 years have passed since the first movie was released.

Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” vividly depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion. 

The film has been the subject of debate since its release. The graphic scenes of Christ’s scourging and crucifixion sparked controversy; some critics considered it excessively violent, while others praised it for its historical authenticity and its ability to realistically convey Christ’s suffering.

In January 2004, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, then the director of the Holy See Press Office, noted that Pope John Paul II had seen the film and gave it a positive review, describing it as “the cinematographic recounting of the historical fact of the passion of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel accounts.”

Despite controversies surrounding the film, it garnered a profit of $370 million domestically with many crediting it as having opened the door to faith-based media in Hollywood.

CNA Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 14:17 pm (CNA).

Lionsgate has officially announced the release dates for Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated film “The Resurrection of the Christ.”

In an X post on Aug. 5, the film company announced that the film will be split into two parts and will be released starting Holy Week in 2027.

Part 1 of the film will be released on March 26, 2027, Good Friday, and Part 2 will be released several weeks later on May 6, which will fall on the feast of the Ascension. 

On May 15 it was announced that Lionsgate had been chosen as the studio partnering with Gibson’s Icon Productions on the upcoming film.

“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless,” Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a press release announcing the partnership.   

“Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’” Gibson said at the time.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Adam and the team several times over recent years. I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”

This upcoming film, the sequel to “The Passion of the Christ,” will once again feature Jim Caviezel in the role of Jesus. While not much is known about the details of the film, in an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Gibson said the film is “very ambitious” and the story follows “the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle.” 

He also shared that he plans to use “a few techniques,” such as CGI de-aging, on Caviezel due to the fact that over 20 years have passed since the first movie was released.

Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” vividly depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion. 

The film has been the subject of debate since its release. The graphic scenes of Christ’s scourging and crucifixion sparked controversy; some critics considered it excessively violent, while others praised it for its historical authenticity and its ability to realistically convey Christ’s suffering.

In January 2004, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, then the director of the Holy See Press Office, noted that Pope John Paul II had seen the film and gave it a positive review, describing it as “the cinematographic recounting of the historical fact of the passion of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel accounts.”

Despite controversies surrounding the film, it garnered a profit of $370 million domestically with many crediting it as having opened the door to faith-based media in Hollywood.

Washington D.C., Aug 6, 2025 / 13:47 pm (CNA).

At the first Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention since Pope Francis’ death, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly offered a tribute to the former pontiff’s legacy and celebrated the growth of the organization and its charitable accomplishments over the past year.

The Knights of Columbus began their 143rd annual convention on Aug. 5 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where thousands of members of the organization — including Archbishop William Lori, the Knights’ supreme chaplain of 20 years — gathered for the occasion.

Kelly, who has served as supreme knight since 2021, remembered Pope Francis’ dedication to the most vulnerable — a hallmark of the Knights of Columbus’ global charity work — and the late pontiff’s close relationship with the fraternal organization.

“Pope Francis was a powerful witness to charity and when he summoned the Church to the peripheries, he led by example — like a good father,” Kelly said in his delivery of the annual report of the Knights’ charity work.

“His love for the poor and the sick was extraordinary,” he said. “Who can forget the moment, in the early days of his papacy, when he embraced a severely disfigured man in St. Peter’s Square or when he celebrated his 80th birthday by sharing breakfast with the homeless? He did what our world so often refuses to do. And the world watched, with admiration.”

Kelly said Francis was “a great friend of the Knights of Columbus” who “encouraged our charity around the world” and “especially praised our humanitarian work in Ukraine, as well as our efforts to combat human trafficking.” He also credited Francis with inspiring the organization to grow its outreach to the Indigenous people of the United States, Canada, and the Philippines.

Knights of Columbus’ global charity work and growth

During his address, Kelly also reported on the fraternal organization’s ongoing charity work globally and its growth.

The report noted that members of the Knights of Columbus collectively dedicated more than 48 million hours to service. The organization also broke its record for charitable donations, reaching about $197 million over the year.

According to the report, the Knights of Columbus surpassed 2.1 million members after more than 96,000 men joined the organization last year. The Knights of Columbus have also grown on college campuses with now 8,000 knights at 146 college councils.

Kelly noted that the Knights of Columbus is currently responding to the flash flood in Texas, where “hundreds of families lost their loved ones — and one brother knight tragically lost both his parents and his two young daughters.” The Knights also responded to floods in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida along with the wildfires in California.

The report stated that the Knights of Columbus have continued “bringing emergency supplies to refugees” in Ukraine with the organization’s Charity Convoys and serve people in the country through its Mercy Centers.

“We pray for an end to the war in Ukraine, but so long as the war continues, we’ll be there for those who suffer,” Kelly said.

Kelly reported on the growth of the Knights’ Global Wheelchair Mission, which has now donated more than 158,000 wheelchairs, including 19,000 last year. This includes 300 to Nigeria, which was provided to “Christians who have endured violence and persecution for their faith.”

The Knights of Columbus also set a new record for winter jackets delivered to children through its Coats for Kids initiative, which has now surpassed 1.6 million total jackets to children.

According to the report, the Knights’ program Aid and Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) provided pro-life pregnancy centers with $6 million last year and more than $17 million over the last three years. The Knights also surpassed more than 2,000 donated ultrasounds through its Ultrasound Initiative meant to “save lives by showing parents their unborn children.”

The Knights of Columbus also saw growth in its Cor program, which is a “small-group setting [that] gives men a place to embrace the mission for which they were made — the mission that God himself has uniquely given to them,” according to the report. In August 2024, Cor was active at 650 councils but has now expanded to more than 5,000 councils.

“Like every generation that came before us, we will move forward — in charity, unity, and fraternity,” Kelly said.

“We will serve Our Lord by serving others,” he added. “And we will sacrifice for them, like he did for us.”