Grace Notes columns

Except for somewhere around 60 minutes (or more if you are a daily Mass-goer) on a Sunday, we live our lives out in time, in Chronos. But as soon as we begin to celebrate Mass, we enter into a different kind of time. And this time, called Kairos, is very different from Chronos.

A house divided: Why does the devil try so hard to divide us? Grace Notes column by Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT.

Column by Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT The “heart” speaks to the deepest core of the person, the place where we think, choose, desire, remember and love. It is the place where the state of our relationship with God is revealed. Sins of the heart, therefore, are more about interior thoughts, desires, intentions and attitudes that turn us away from God, even if we have not acted on those desires, etc., yet.

Stories of apparitions, healings, and other extraordinary events have always stirred the imagination of believers and non-believers alike. Many people feel both drawn to these accounts and unsure how to respond. Why does the church seem so careful — sometimes even skeptical — about such things, if she truly believes in miracles? The church’s caution is not a denial of God’s power. It stems from a conviction that faith is grounded in Jesus Christ and the revelation already given, not in a constant stream of spectacular signs. Miracles have a real place in Catholic life, but it is limited and specific.