Soul

St Paul urges Christians to glory in suffering. Far from masochism, this call points to a deeper truth about perseverance, grace and human resilience

Once mocked as outdated, chastity is re-emerging in online culture and personal testimony as a foundation for lasting marriage

Fr Patrick Pullicino argues that the precise measurements recorded in Ezekiel reveal how scientific method and spiritual insight can work together in the search for truth

St John Chrysostom’s homily on the temptation of Jesus, taken from his Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew

Giving up meat, dairy and a little pride may do more for the soul than vague good intentions

A reader asks whether she can marry a good man who does not share her faith. One of the Herald’s chaplains explains the Church’s teaching and offers guidance on discernment

An enlightening explanation of the Church’s Ember Days by the liturgical scholar Dr Joseph Shaw

In this Lenten exhortation, St Francis de Sales reflects on the true meaning of fasting, urging Christians to practise an interior as well as exterior fast, marked by humility, charity and wholehearted devotion to God

St Leo the Great, the 5th-century pope and theologian whose teaching helped define orthodox Christology, reflects on Lent as a call to interior conversion and love of neighbour

Lent is not merely a season of restraint but a summons to spiritual combat, in which the Christian, following Christ into the wilderness, learns discipline and self-mastery

John the Baptist’s stark warning about judgement reveals that the Gospel is good news only because it first confronts us with the truth about sin

In his exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, St Augustine explains that Christ deepens the commandment against killing by condemning unjust anger, revealing a moral progression from interior resentment to outward condemnation, and warning of corresponding degrees of divine judgment

The 40 days of Lent echo the Flood, Sinai and the wilderness. In Christ, that ancient pattern of testing becomes our participation in His victory

In this passage from his Theology of the Body, Pope St John Paul II affirms the goodness of marriage while explaining how continence for the kingdom of heaven flows from the same truth about human love, self-gift and communion rooted in God’s design

As artificial intelligence companions become more sophisticated and emotionally convincing, the Church offers clear teaching on why authentic human relationships cannot be replaced by technology

As Lent approaches, Catholics are reminded that fasting is not merely an obligation but a vital spiritual discipline at the heart of Christian life

A new exhibition in Cardiff places Gwen John’s Catholic faith at the centre of her art, showing how her conversion shaped both her style and her vision

The Doctor of Grace reflects on the Beatitudes in this Sunday’s Gospel

Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Fr Columba Jordan has partnered with Ascension to launch Crux, a new Lenten programme combining prayer, fasting, exercise and spiritual reflection to help participants prepare for Easter.

Peter Thiel’s strange theology of technology recasts scientific progress as the West’s last defence against tyranny and world government