BLOG: Julian Paparella
Saint John Paul II would often say that “the Church must breathe with her two lungs!” (Ut Unum Sint #54) ...read more
On June 20, 2023, the Working Document (commonly known as the Instrumentum Laboris or “IL”) was published for the Synodal Assembly taking place in Rome this October. This Assembly will be the first of two sessions bringing the Synod on Synodality to fruition at the level of the universal Church. ...read more
Who is Paul VI and why is he important for us today? He was elected 60 years ago this week, on June 21, 1963. This was right in the midst of the Second Vatican Council, ...read more
Why do we receive the Eucharist? Is it simply part of a religious ritual for us? Is it a moment of intimacy with God, who gives Himself to us? ...read more
Have you ever asked yourself the question: who did Jesus go to see first after rising from the dead? We know that when the disciples arrived at the tomb first thing on Easter morning, Jesus was not there. Where did He go? Saints over the centuries have said that He probably went to see His ...read more
Have you ever imagined the moment when Jesus rose from the dead? The Gospels don’t tell us anything about the actual moment of the resurrection. We know the disciples found the tomb empty on Easter Sunday. But what must it have been like the moment Jesus came back to life, when His body went from ...read more
Have you ever felt stuck in the dark, longing for some new light to shine in your life? Jesus knows what it’s like to feel trapped in the darkness. That’s what He experienced on the night of Holy Thursday, as he waited to be put on trial and condemned. So too, Jesus comes to sit ...read more
What is the resurrection? Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the resurrection of Jesus, three days after his death. This is what we celebrate every year at Easter. It is also what we celebrate every Sunday, the day of the resurrection! ...read more
What do we celebrate at Easter? The whole mystery of Easter can be summarized in a simple phrase: God stretches out his hands. God stretches out His hands between the Cross and the Resurrection, between death and life, between heaven and earth, uniting all of humanity with Himself.  ...read more
What is the connection between synodality, Lent, and Easter? In what sense is our journey through Lent and Easter synodal? The answer can be summarized by two key ideas: “walking together” and “transformation.”  ...read more