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STAINED GLASS LAST SUPPER
Columnists, Word To Enkindle

My ideal translation of this phrase would be “Give us our ‘supersubstantial’ bread today.” That would sound gloriously awkward at Mass, and ‘supersubstantial’ would be a liturgical tongue twister for children trying to say the word quickly five times in a row. That translation, though, grants immediate access to the mystery at work in the first petition of the Our Father prayer.

A man picks numbers for the "SuperEnalotto" state lottery at a betting shop Milan, Italy, Aug. 6. As Italy’s national lottery jackpot reached a record level of $183 million, Bishop Domenico Sigalini of Palestrina warned that the gambling fever was a form of "idolatry."  (CNS photo/Stefano Rellandini, Reuters) (Aug. 11, 2009) See LOTTERY-BISHOP Aug. 11, 2009.
Father Bayer: Freedom and the rise of contemporary gambling

Gambling is growing in our country — and quickly. My impression is that we have work to do to be informed about what is happening and to let ourselves be formed by what the Church teaches, lest so much happen without the constructive engagement of Catholics and of anyone else concerned about social justice.

A statue of St. Peter, created by Lorenzo Lotti in 1534,  is seen in front of Sant'Angelo Castle in Rome May 3, 2023. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)
Father Dankasa: When grace meets guilt

Oh, how I love Peter! Not because he was perfect or always got things right, but because he was human — flawed, impulsive, emotional, and yet so deeply faithful.

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Farewell to a father

My wife Karoline and I had planned to be in Rome for a celebration — a “sposi novelli” (newlywed couples) blessing, the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, and a final trip before we welcome our first child this fall. But everything changed on Easter Monday, when the news broke that Pope Francis had died.

Pope Leo XIV, on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, leads the midday recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer for the first time May 11, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Father Fry: In the shadow of lions, Pope Leo XIV

As the Holy Father stepped onto the central loggia above St. Peter’s Square on May 8, I was overcome with emotion and pride, swept up in the historical significance of the moment. Like many around the world, I was intrigued — and excited — by his decision to take the name Leo XIV.