Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell — and great was its fall! (Matthew 7:24-27)So there aren’t actually any pigs or a big bad wolf or talk of anyone’s “chiny chin chin,” but at its core, it’s the same story. You have poorly-built houses getting blown to the ground and well-built houses enduring no matter how much huffing and puffing comes their way. Now in the “Pigs” version, the problem comes from the building materials. The wolf can blow down the houses made of sticks and straw, but upon reaching one made of brick, it just can’t blow the house down. The tale that Jesus offers, while similar, has a slightly different focus, concentrating not on the materials used to build these homes but on the groundwork, on their very foundations. He speaks of the need to have a home built on the sturdiness of rock and the imprudence of believing you can successfully build on the unsteadiness of sand.
For the Jubilee of Hope, there are designated local pilgrimage sites in every country, and Canada is no exception. How is a local pilgrimage site determined? The local bishop can designate any parish, shrine, or basilica in his territory as a Jubilee Year pilgrimage site.
Fashion and clothing designed to draw people closer to God can inspire and even sanctify others. Nate Nagello, the CEO and owner of the Toronto-based Sanctified Collective, hopes the clothing he creates can provide opportunities for conversation, engagement, and evangelization.
The Rosary is powerful: many graces can be bestowed upon those who pray it, and it can also offer special protection. Reciting the Rosary aloud in church and praying for the pope’s intentions can grant the supplicant a plenary indulgence.
This month on Behold, we have a special Lives Lived for Life episode featuring the stories of various pro-life advocates and individuals.
September, 2024 saw two key "signposts" on the pilgrimage to World Youth Day Seoul 2027: the announcement of the theme and revealing of the logo.