The Power of Beauty, Return of 3 Hour Eucharistic Fast?, Skip Prayer for Spirituality?, and More!

The Best in Catholic Blogging

The Power of Beauty – Sarah Babbs, Ignitum Today

Putting The Genie Back In The Bottle: Three Hour Eucharistic Fast – Mac McLernon, Mulier Fortis

Should I Set Aside My Meditation and Vocal Prayer for My Spiritual Life? – Dan Burke, Catholic Spiritual Direction

Refilling Empty Pews: Can NFP Course be Agent of Evangelization? – John F. Kippley PhD, Homiletic & Pastoral Review

Values, Virtues, and Your Daughter’s Date – Leila Miller, Catholic Lane

11-year-old Christian Girl with Down’s Syndrome Violates Blasphemy Law – William Oddie, Catholic Herald

The Silence of the Pulpits by Bill Warner – Big ulpit

Five Habits of a Successful Catholic Student – Brad Noel, Southern Fried Catholicism

Did Pius XII Teach that the Virgin Mary Died? Yes – Dr. Taylor Marshall, Canterbury Tales

Post-Christian America Needs to be Catholic to Survive – Fr. C. John McCloskey III, The Catholic Thing

In Our Life, Justice and Mercy Should be United – New Catholic, Rorate Cæli

Why Is the Immaculate Conception Important? – Jimmy Akin, JimmyAkin.com

Paul Ryan, the USCCB and the Poor – Donald R. McClarey, The American Catholic

An Outline of a Secular Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage – Anthony S. Layne, Outside the Asylum

For the latest on the best punditry, analysis, and news in the Catholic blogosphere click on Big ulpit.

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31, amid the ongoing battles Israel and the Hamas militant group.

People Explain ‘Why I Go to Mass’

‘Why go to Mass on Sundays? It is not enough to answer that it is a precept of the Church. … We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses.’ —Pope Francis