Catholic Halos
By Catholic Halos
Catholic HalosMar 22, 2024
How the Stations of the Cross Help us to Imitate Christ
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the Way of the Cross and how meditating on Christ's Passion and Death help us to face suffering in our own lives.
Fertility and the Culture of Death
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the ways that practices such as IVF, surrogacy and Down Syndrome prenatal testing constitute an attack on human life and dignity.
Entering into the 2024 Year of Prayer
Pope Francis has asked Catholics around the world to observe 2024 as a Year of Prayer. Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss ways to improve and deepen one's prayer life.
Strong Catholicism: The Church and Women in the Middle Ages
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss common misconceptions about the Catholic Church's views and treatment of women in the Middle Ages.
How to Watch Movies Like a Catholic
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss criteria we can use to discern whether to watch movies.
Trends in Consecrated Life
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss recent studies on men and women entering religious orders in the U.S. The statistics show a downtrend, but is there more to the story?
The Lenten Practice of Almsgiving
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul continue their discussion of the three Lenten disciplines by talking about almsgiving.
The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the practice of fasting and how it helps us to grow closer to God.
Why Does the Catholic Church Invest in Beautiful Art and Architecture?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the relationship between artists and the Catholic faith, based on Pope John Paul II's 1999 Letter to Artists.
Keep the Christmas Celebration Going
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul answer the question, "When Does the Christmas Season Really End?"
Contemplating the Holy Family
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the Holy Family -- Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Were they real people just like us? What can their lives teach us about God's will for us?
Is Santa Claus Real?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the story of St. Nicholas of Bari, the fourth-century Catholic bishop who became known as Santa Claus.
Mary's Immaculate Conception
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the history and meaning of the Catholic Church's dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
The Story Behind the Miraculous Medal
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the Miraculous Medal given to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830.
A Catholic Perspective on Gratitude
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the virtue of gratitude in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Grieving the Losses We Live Through
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the topic of grief through the lens of Church teaching.
Why Do Catholics Venerate Relics?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the practice of venerating relics of the saints.
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of St. Therese of Lisieux
Deacon Patrick Jones, Donna Hessel and Veronica Ambuul discuss the life and spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux.
What does the Church teach about martyrdom?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the phenomenon of martyrdom. What does it mean and where is it occurring in the world today?
Refuting Half-Truths and Misconceptions about the Catholic Church's role in History
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Rob Rysavy and Veronica Ambuul discuss misconceptions about the Catholic Church's role in historical events, ranging from the Crusades to World War II.
What is Spiritual Direction?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the topic of spiritual direction -- what it is, what it isn't and how it is carried out.
Forming our Consciences: How and With Whom?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the process of forming our consciences according to the teaching of the Catholic Church.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sept. 15. What were the sorrows she experienced, and what can they teach us?
What Does the Catholic Church Say About Immigration?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the immigration crisis at the border in light of Catholic teaching.
Lessons Learned from Praying the Rosary
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the spiritual lessons and fruits they've derived from praying the rosary regularly.
Victories of the Rosary
In the first of a two-part series, Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss examples in history when praying the rosary helped to prevent war or led to a miraculous outcome.
The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul examine the August 1945 nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki through the lens of Catholic teaching.
Why Make a Pilgrimage?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the ancient Catholic tradition of making a pilgrimage. Why does the Church recommend this practice, and what are some practical ways of doing a pilgrimage?
Artificial Intelligence vs. Holy Imagination
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss a recent trend of using artificial intelligence to generate images of oneself in various scenarios. What are the pitfalls of this approach, and what is the Catholic understanding of imagination?
What do this summer's movies say about our culture?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul take a look at two current box office hits -- "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" -- and examine them through the lens of Catholic faith.
Protecting Innocence: "The Sound of Freedom" and Human Trafficking
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the new film "The Sound of Freedom" and its unexpected success. What can we learn from the film, and what efforts are being made locally to aid victims of human trafficking?
Priests Who Accompany Us in Our Darkest Hours
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul pay tribute to priests who put themselves in danger to minister to others in times of crisis, including military chaplains, hospital chaplains and others.
Harrison Butker's Advice to College Graduates
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the issues surrounding dating, courtship and marriage for young people in today's culture.
Preparing for a Happy Death
Deacon Doug Flinn, Donna Hessel, Deacon Patrick Jones and Veronica Ambuul discuss the Catholic Church's teaching on preparing for death. What does it mean to have a happy death?
Parental Choice in Education
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the Church's teaching that parents are the primary educators of their children. What are the practical implications of this teaching when it comes to issues such as tuition tax credits, vouchers, charter schools, etc.?
Evangelizing in Daily Life
Deacon Patrick Jones and Veronica Ambuul discuss ways to evangelize the people that we meet in day-to-day life -- at work, at the store, on a hike, etc.
Can Relocating Help Us to Grow Spiritually?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the lessons they've learned from their experiences with moving to a new state.
What Does It Mean to be a Servant Leader?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the concept of Servant Leadership. What does it mean, and how can we become servant leaders?
Laudato Si' Eight Years Later
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical letter "Laudato Si'" on care for the environment.
The truth about exorcism
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss recent films depicting demonic possession and exorcism and how they compare to the actual reality of these phenomena.
Politics and Our Catholic Faith
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the relationship of the Catholic faith to politics.
What does the Church teach about equality?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the concept of equality. Does the fact that the Church only ordains men mean that women are less important? What does it mean to say that men and women are complementary?
Easter math -- all about the Triduum and Easter Season
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the meaning behind terminology such as "Triduum," "Octave of Easter," and related concepts.
Private Revelation - Must We Believe?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the role of private revelation in the Catholic faith.
What is the marital debt and what does it mean for Catholic couples?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the concept of "the marital debt" that has appeared in recent articles on various websites. What does it mean and does it have a foundation in Catholic teaching?
In Darkness, Where Do We Turn?
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the upward trend in "deaths of despair" and the Catholic faith as a source of hope.
Headscratchin' Scripture - Jacob and Esau
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the story of Jacob and Esau in the Book of Genesis and answer the question: does God really approve of tricks and deception?
Headscratchin Scripture - The "Yoke" of Christ
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss Matthew 11:28-30, in which Christ states that his "yoke is easy" and his "burden is light." How does our faith help to relieve us of the burdens we carry?
Shepherding in the Midst of Confusion on Gender
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss the issue of Church teaching on transgenderism.
Church teaching on Same-Sex Attraction
Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul try to clarify the Church's teaching on homosexuality and people who experience same-sex attraction.