Personal Witness: Encountering the Lateran Basilica Earlier this year, I was in Rome for the funeral rites of Pope Francis, and one of the profound moments during that pilgrimage was visiting the Lateran Basilica —the Mother and Head of all churches in the world. I was struck by its beauty, its history, and its sacred atmosphere. Today’s feast is a reminder that the Church is not just a building—it’s us . The Lateran Basilica is the Mother Church because it symbolizes the un

Today, we gather in prayerful remembrance of all the faithful departed. The Church, in her maternal wisdom, pauses to intercede for souls who have gone before us, trusting in the boundless mercy of God. It can be asked whether All Souls’ Day is a day of despair, of mourning, or of grief for those who have died. Rather, it is a day of hope — a hope anchored in Christ’s victory over death and His promise of eternal life. My personal feeling is that All Souls offers me some hope

Self-Worth, Not Self-Worship: Understanding Narcissism The word “narcissism” has become popular in modern society—typically in a negative sense. It originates from the Greek myth when Narcissus falls in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Narcissism is an exaggerated obsession with self, often at the expense of others. In today’s gospel, Jesus uses the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to expose this kind of spiritual narcissism. The Pharisee exalts h