Articles by Dr. R. Jared Staudt

Why does the Church celebrate Jubilee years? The concept comes from the Old Testament, marking the completion of seven cycles of sabbath years, a time of rest given to the land every seven years. In […]

God has appointed us to bear fruit. In the spiritual life, it can be hard to judge whether we are blossoming or wilting, so often trapped in isolated thoughts and feelings. Jesus, however, stands as our […]

Lent shouldn’t be necessary. That’s what St. Benedict of Nursia, the great father of monks, thought, at least. Jesus commanded us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. In response, Benedict thought the […]

We often ask what God wants for us. Even if he doesn’t often tell us the details, we can be sure, whatever our vocation, location, time in history, personality and gifts, that he desires us […]

In his Rule, St. Benedict remarks that a monastery is never without guests. Though he wrote this line 1,500 years ago, the monastery remains alluring even for modern visitors. The monks leave the normal course of […]

Jesus told us we must “seek first the kingdom,” but where should we find it? In the ancient world, St. Antony the Great inspired thousands to follow him into the desert, seeking solitude to focus […]

We keep things in discreet categories in our culture. Religion too often remains within the church’s walls, kept apart from the forces that drive society. That’s a large reason why we have secularized the festivity […]

Where would we be now without the first Christmas? 2025 years ago, God became man, and it changed everything. We take the beloved manger scene for granted, but what if there was no creche with […]