February 22, 2026

Devotions, Explained!
Fasting

Mini Explanation
Fasting was practiced by righteous men and women of the Old Testament and later by Christ himself. It remains an important part of the Christian devotional life today, being most strongly associated with the penitential season of Lent.

Fasting, Explained
The practice of fasting predates Christianity. The Old Testament is full of examples of righteous men and women mortifying their flesh for the purpose of making atonement or simply to grow closer to God. Jesus himself fasted for forty days and forty nights in preparation for the beginning of his public ministry, and we see his disciples following his example in the Acts of the Apostles.

Fasting continues to be an important part of Christian devotional life today. Many people feel the practice of fasting enhances their prayer and helps them fulfill St. Paul’s advice to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13) to grow in the Spirit. Most Catholics will associate fasting with the liturgical season of Lent, which begins and ends with obligatory fasting for all members of the Latin Catholic Church between ages 18 and 59.

February 22, 2026

Virtues, Explained!

Understanding

Mini Explanation

Understanding is the “food” of faith. “I believe, in order to understand,” said St. Augustine. We must constantly ask the Holy Spirit for greater and more profound understanding, for though understanding proceeds from faith, it in turn nourishes that faith.

Understanding, Explained!

“I believe, in order to understand,” said St. Augustine. “And I understand, the better to believe.”

The virtue of understanding, which is a gift conferred by the Holy Spirit, shows us that there is no such thing as “blind faith.” Faith, by its very nature, seeks to better understand the object of that faith.

It is important to know that understanding is a process — the Holy Spirit is always willing to give a gift over and over again! “The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that Revelation may be more and more profoundly understood,” we read in Dei verbum, the dogmatic constitution on divine revelation.

Understanding is the “food” of faith. We must constantly ask the Holy Spirit for greater and more profound understanding, for though understanding proceeds from faith, it in turn nourishes that faith. “A more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love,” says the Catechism (CCC 158).

February 15, 2026

Devotions, Explained!
Stations of the Cross            

Mini Explanation
Since the earliest days of the church, Christians have meditated upon Christ’s passion and death. Over the centuries, the Stations of the Cross was popularized as a devotional means to experience the places and moments central to the story of Holy Week.

Stations of the Cross, Explained
In the earliest years of Christianity, the locations central to the story of Holy Week — the Garden of Gethsemane, Calvary, the Holy Sepulcher, and more — were destinations for pilgrims who wanted to experience Christ's sacrificial love for us in a physical way. In the years after the Crusades, pilgrimage to the Holy Land became impossible for most Christians, and the Stations of the Cross was popularized as a devotional means to pray through the passion and death of Christ.

Throughout history the number of stations has varied, with different traditions focusing on different events. In the 18th century, the number was officially fixed at 14 by Pope Clement XII. These stations are taken from the Gospel accounts of Christ’s passion and death, though there are several which are derived from tradition and apocryphal sources, such as the meeting of Mother and Son and St. Veronica wiping the face of Christ. 

February 15, 2026

Virtues, Explained!

Gentleness

Mini Explanation

Gentleness disposes us to receive the inspirations of the Spirit, who “reveals to men who Jesus is” (CCC 152). In cultivating a spirit of gentleness, we more closely resemble Christ, who was unfailingly gentle, even in the face of violence and death.

Gentleness, Explained!

As followers of Christ, we are commanded to “always be prepared to offer an explanation … to justify the hope that is in you.”

But the success of that evangelism hinges entirely on the very next instructions this passage contains: “However, do so with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

The word “gentleness” has come to be associated with softness and fragility — but there is no virtue that requires greater strength. As one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, gentleness disposes us to receive the inspirations of the Spirit, who “reveals to men who Jesus is” (CCC 152). In cultivating a spirit of gentleness, we more closely resemble Christ, who was unfailingly gentle, even in the face of violence and death.

“Every virtue is a good thing, but most of all gentleness and meekness,” said St. John Chrysostom. “This shows us men; this makes us to differ from wild beasts; this fits us to vie with Angels.”

February 8, 2026

Devotions, Explained!

Prayer to St. Joseph

Mini Explanation
For centuries, Christians have relied on the intercessory prayers of Joseph, earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster father of Christ. One particular novena prayer to St. Joseph is often called “the unfailing prayer to St. Joseph.”

Prayer to St. Joseph, Explained
For centuries, Christians have relied on the intercessory prayers of Joseph, earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster father of Christ, who was obedient to the will of God in all things.

One particular novena prayer to St. Joseph is often called “the unfailing prayer to St. Joseph.” It is thought to have originated in the first century A.D. and was sent by the pope to Emperor Charles as he went into battle. It is said that those who recite this prayer will not suffer a sudden death and will likewise be protected from drowning, the effects of poison and fire, falling into the hands of the enemy or being overpowered in battle.

February 8, 2026

Virtues, Explained!

Goodness

Mini Explanation

In baptism, the Holy Spirit gives us the sanctifying grace of justification — the ability to grow in goodness through an increase in moral virtue (CCC 1266). Baptism, therefore, disposes us toward goodness.

Goodness, Explained!

In the beginning, goodness was all there was. And in the end, only goodness will remain.

The word “good” is repeated so often in the first verses of Genesis that it has become almost cliché. God sees what He has made, and He calls all of it “good” (Genesis 1:31). Likewise, on the very first page of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read that God created man “in a plan of sheer goodness … to make him share in his own blessed life.” (CCC 1). When we see goodness, we cannot help but think of God (Wisdom 13:1).

In baptism, the Holy Spirit gives us the sanctifying grace of justification, which is, among other things, the ability to grow in goodness through an increase in moral virtue (CCC 1266). Baptism, therefore, disposes us toward goodness, and the more we ask the Holy Spirit for goodness, the more it will be possible for us.

February 1, 2026

Devotions, Explained!
St. Blaise Blessing of the Throat

Mini Explanation
Catholics traditionally receive a blessing of the throat on the feast day of St. Blaise (Feb. 3), who was a bishop and martyr of fourth-century Armenia. During the blessing, a cross is formed from two blessed candles that are held over the throat.

St. Blaise Blessing of the Throat, Explained
Perhaps it’s an example of divine providence that the feast of St. Blaise falls on Feb. 3 — right in the middle of cold and flu season! This fourth-century Armenian saint was a bishop and martyr and is venerated as the patron of those who suffer from illnesses of the throat.

On his feast day, Catholics traditionally receive a blessing of the throat. This blessing is administered by a priest, deacon or a lay minister who follows the rites and prayers designated for a layperson. During the blessing, the minister takes two candles that were blessed on the feast of the Presentation and makes a cross in front of the throat, saying “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness.” A priest or deacon will then make the sign of the cross.

February 1, 2026

Virtues, Explained!

Kindness

Mini Explanation — Great for social media or in your bulletin

Also known as benevolence or beneficence and derived from the theological virtue of charity, kindness is a way of seeing others through the eyes of God, who has adopted us as His own.

Kindness, Explained!

In the modern lexicon, the quality of “kindness” is often equated with politeness — but real, virtuous kindness is so much more. Virtuous kindness is a way of seeing others through the eyes of God.

God is not polite — God is kind, and His kindness is abundantly evident in all of creation. It was suspicion of this divine kindness that precipitated the fall of Adam and Eve (CCC 214), and it was this unfailing kindness that facilitated our own adoption as God’s children, conformed to the image of His son (CCC 257).

Also known as benevolence or beneficence and derived from the theological virtue of charity, kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and is a central theme in the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. In practicing kindness and seeking the good of another without prejudice or condition, the Samaritan reflects God’s own plan of loving kindness for us.