St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church

A chalk home blessing from the feast of the Epiphany. | Credit: A.Davey via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Jan 4, 2026 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Have you ever walked past a door and seen what appears to be random letters and numbers written at the top? These letters and numbers actually have a great significance.

Traditionally on the feast of Epiphany, Catholics bless their homes by writing the letters C, M, and B and the numbers of the year on either side — so this year it would look like “20+C+M+B+26.”

The letters stand for the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. They also represent the Latin blessing “Christus mansionem benedicat,” which means “May Christ bless this house.”

Many Catholic parishes will give their parishioners a piece of chalk, a small bottle of holy water, and the words for the house blessing so that each family can bless its home.

Epiphany, which is also known as “Little Christmas,” is the feast that celebrates the arrival of the three Magi who came to worship the child Jesus shortly after his birth. It is traditionally celebrated on Jan. 6. However, the Church in the United States celebrates it on the Sunday between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8. Many around the world celebrate this feast with as much pomp and circumstance as Christmas, including the exchanging of gifts.

The blessing, which is popular in Poland and other Slavic countries, has spread around the world and become increasingly popular in the United States.

How do you bless your home?

Begin by having all family members gather outside the front door. All make the sign of the cross. One person will then read this prayer:

Leader: Peace be to this house.

All: And to all who dwell herein.

Leader: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of his burial.

(Enter your home and read the Magnificat, the hymn of praise sung by the Blessed Virgin Mary in Luke’s Gospel after being greeted by Elizabeth. During this, sprinkle the area you are in with holy water. After that is complete, pray:)

All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of his burial.

Leader: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,

All: But deliver us from evil.

Leader: All they from Saba shall come

All: Bringing gold and frankincense.

Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.

All: And let my cry come unto thee.

Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know thee by faith may also attain the vision of thy glorious majesty. Through Christ, Our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee — Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.

All: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light and kings in the splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.

Leader: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness, and mercy, the fulfillment of thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ, Our Lord.

All: Amen.

After the prayers are recited, walk throughout your home sprinkling each room with holy water. Then write the initials of the Magi connected with crosses at the top of your front door. Then the numbers of the year. The numbers will be split so that they are on each side of the initials. You will write:

20 + C + M + B + 26

This is a special tradition at the beginning of each year, a way to invite God into your home and place your family under his protection.

This story was first published Jan. 6, 2022, and was updated Jan. 2, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus on Jan. 4, 2026. In his message after the prayer, the pope called for respecting Venezuela’s sovereignty and constitution following the capture by U.S. forces of the country’s President Nicolás Maduro. | Credit: Vatican Media / null

Vatican City, Jan 4, 2026 / 01:51 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the situation in Venezuela and called for the country’s national sovereignty to be fully respected one day after a U.S. operation ended with the capture and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

“With a heart full of concern I follow the evolution of the situation in Venezuela,” the pope said, underscoring that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration.”

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus, Leo XIV insisted on the need to “overcome violence” and called for “embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the country’s sovereignty.”

The Holy Father also pointed to the importance of “ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the constitution” and of “respecting the human and civil rights of each and every person.”

He further urged working together to “build a serene future of collaboration, stability, and concordia.”

The pontiff emphasized that this effort must be carried out “with special attention to the poorest, who suffer because of the difficult economic situation.”

Finally, the pope invited Catholics to unite in prayer for Venezuela, entrusting this intention “to the intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto and of Sts. José Gregorio Hernández and Sister Carmen Rendiles,” canonized last year.

The pope’s remarks come at a moment of maximum political and international tension for Venezuela following the capture of Maduro and his wife, and Maduro’s imminent prosecution on U.S. soil on drug trafficking charges.

Hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said a second wave of attacks was planned if forces in the country offered resistance. “We are going to govern Venezuela until there is a safe transition,” he said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice has ordered that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the presidency due to Maduro’s “forced absence.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

United Nations headquarters in New York City. | Credit: UN Photo/John Isaac

Jan 4, 2026 / 00:15 am (CNA).

The U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has drawn divergent international reactions, with European leaders calling for restraint ahead of an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Monday.

Pope Leo XIV has not yet commented on Saturday’s operation, though observers expect him to address the situation during his midday Angelus address Sunday. The pope warned in December against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, urging President Donald Trump to seek dialogue rather than force.

The Vatican’s daily newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, led its Saturday edition with coverage of the “sudden escalation,” describing the situation in Caracas as “highly volatile.”

European leaders stress international law

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said on X she spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU ambassador in Caracas. Acknowledging Maduro “lacks legitimacy,” she called for a peaceful transition while prioritizing EU citizens’ safety.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that Venezuelans “ could only rejoice” at ridding themselves of dictatorship. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez affirmed Spain never recognized Maduro but will not recognize “ an intervention that violates international law.”

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “ Britain was not involved” while posting on X that the U.K. “regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged Venezuela’s drug trafficking while confirming Germany had not recognized the Maduro regime as legitimate. He called for a transition toward a democratically elected government.

China, Russia condemn strikes

China’s Foreign Ministry expressed “deep shock” at the “blatant use of force,” noting its envoy met with Maduro hours before the operation.

Russia called the strikes “armed aggression,” saying “ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism.”

The U.N. Security Council will convene an emergency meeting at 10 a.m. Monday in New York after Colombia requested the session, backed by permanent members Russia and China.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he is “deeply alarmed,” describing the operation as “a dangerous precedent.”

Latin American responses divided sharply, with Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico condemning the strikes while Argentina’s Javier Milei praised the capture. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado declared “the hour of freedom has arrived.”

Maduro is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of Monday’s arraignment on narco-terrorism charges. Venezuelan bishops called for prayer and national unity.

Father Robert Spitzer, SJ, speaks on faith, miracles and science at SEEK 2026, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026

Jan 3, 2026 / 20:45 pm (CNA).

As the SEEK Conference continues this week in Columbus, Ohio — one of three locations alongside Denver and Fort Worth — college students selecting from dozens of breakout sessions packed a hall to hear Father Robert Spitzer, SJ, examine scientific research into Eucharistic miracles and the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Father Spitzer, host of EWTN’s “ Father Spitzer’s Universe” and founder of the Magis  Center, is known for addressing questions at the intersection of faith, reason, and science. The Magis Center launched MagisAI in 2025, an artificial intelligence tool designed to answer questions about theology, morality, Scripture, and science — a resource Spitzer highlighted during his presentation.

“I want to be very clear,” Spitzer told the audience. “My objective is to offer good, scientific evidence of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.” 

The talk focused on three  Eucharistic miracles: Buenos Aires (1996), Tixtla, Mexico (2006), and Sokółka, Poland (2008). Each has been investigated rigorously by independent scientists, though only some have received local ecclesial recognition, and none are formally approved by the Vatican. 

Signs of the Real Presence

In Buenos Aires, a consecrated host that had been discarded on a candle holder was later placed in water to dissolve according to Church protocol. Local accounts reported that the host fragments did not dissolve within a week as expected but rather remained largely intact even after more than three years. Over time, a strange substance appeared on its surface, showing morphological features characteristic of human cardiac muscle.

Scientific analysis, approved by then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio (later Pope Francis), then involved Dr. Ricardo Castañon Gómez. He reported that the tissue was indeed human cardiac muscle from the left ventricle and, astonishingly, contained living white blood cells that would normally die within hours outside the body.

The samples were sent to famous cardiologist and forensic pathologist Dr. Frederick Zugibe, who confirmed Castañon Gómez’s findings without knowing that they had come from a consecrated host.

“When [Zugibe] was told that it came from a Eucharistic host, he said the findings were scientifically inexplicable,” Spitzer said.

In Tixtla, Mexico, a consecrated host appeared to bleed during Mass in 2006. Investigators, again including Dr. Castañon Gómez, discovered living cardiac tissue embedded in the host, exuding fresh blood. Molecular and histological analysis revealed that the tissue contained cardiac fibers and white blood cells performing their usual immune functions. 

Spitzer described the findings as unequivocal: “This was living human cardiac tissue, producing living blood, without any sign of decomposition. These phenomena are naturalistically baffling.” Re-examination years later showed that the host continued to exhibit signs of life.

In Sokółka, Poland, electron microscopy of a host that bled during Mass in 2008 reportedly revealed that the consecrated bread molecules and the cardiac tissue were fused at the microscopic level, down to the myofibril filaments. Spitzer emphasized that it could not be produced by any biological, chemical, or mechanical means known to humans. 

“Their conclusion was striking,” Spitzer said. “While these findings are reported to be naturalistically inexplicable, their purpose is not to coerce belief, but to show that faith and reason are complementary.”

Speaking to a ‘scientifically skeptical generation’

Spitzer also spoke on the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has survived for nearly 500 years. Made from agave cactus fibers, which normally decompose within decades, the image has never cracked or faded, and its colors are embedded in the fibers themselves with no brush strokes, primers, or protective coatings. “The colors behave optically like butterfly wings, changing with angles and distance. No pigments — then or now — can account for this,” he noted. 

High-magnification studies of the Virgin’s eyes reportedly revealed reflections of the scene that occurred when Juan Diego first unfurled the tilma, including the saint himself, Archbishop Zumárraga, an interpreter, and others present. Spitzer added that the stars on her mantle correspond precisely to the night sky over Mexico on December 12, 1531, from a perspective no human observer could have had. 

He emphasized that these phenomena are not meant to coerce belief but to show the extraordinary ways God can intersect with human experience. “It seems that God is speaking to a scientifically skeptical generation in the language of science itself,” he told the audience. “Without modern science, we would never have known any of this. And perhaps that is the point.”

Pointing to God

Speaking with CNA, Spitzer reflected on the broader significance of these studies. “There’s a widespread viewpoint today that science has somehow disproved God. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there is more scientific evidence pointing to God today than ever before,” he said.

He noted that recent surveys indicate 68% of young scientists believe in God or a higher power, compared with around 15% identifying as atheists.

“Because of science’s credibility today, God is allowing scientific discoveries to open new doors to belief.” Dr. Castañon Gómez, a former atheist, for instance, converted to Catholicism after what he discovered in his studies. 

“You can’t force faith, and you can’t prove it in a way that overrides freedom,” Spitzer said. “But you can provide enough evidence so that a person who wants to believe can do so reasonably and responsibly.”

Spitzer especially highlighted the example of St. Carlo Acutis, who cataloged all the world’s  Eucharistic miracles online before his death in 2006.

“He teaches us that faith and science are not contradictory; in fact, they are deeply compatible. Science has made all this information accessible and compelling, and that makes it a powerful ally in the pursuit of faith,” he said. “Faith and reason must ultimately be consistent because they come from the same source — God Himself.”

In that sense, according to Spitzer, St. Carlo shows young people at SEEK and beyond that “holiness, intellectual engagement, and love for the Eucharist can — and should — go together perfectly.”

SEEK 2026 attendance set records. | Credit: FOCUS

Jan 3, 2026 / 19:15 pm (CNA).

In a ballroom filled to maximum capacity on day two of the SEEK 2026 conference in Columbus, Ohio, Director of Discipleship for SPIRITUS Ministries Mike Iverson shared 10 ways to feel less anxious about the future.

“Unfortunately, today, we live in a culture that is constantly telling us that we are not enough,” said Iverson in his talk, titled: “Feeling Anxious? 10 Ways to Live in the Present While Looking Forward to the Future.”

“There's all these voices telling us that we need something more than how God has created us to be in order for us to be okay. That is a lie. Our faith tells us that God had us in mind when he created the universe,” he said.

“The anxiety that's caused by world relativism and the anxiety that's caused by this culture of not enough takes us out of the present,” he said. “It doesn't allow us to live in what we have in front of us, where God has placed us. Instead, it takes us into the future of anticipation for the next thing that's going to give us happiness or the next thing that's going to give us joy.”

Here are 10 ways to combat anxiety, according to Iverson:

Begin right where you are

“Don’t give into the falsehood of the ‘if only’ mindset,” said Iverson. He encouraged attendees to avoid believing that they must jump through hoops to encounter God. “He is always present,” Iverson said. “If you are looking for him, if you think wrongly that you have to go somewhere to do something or join this organization or buy this thing in order to encounter God, that’s wrong.”

Love the one you're with

“If you are longing for people that aren’t with you, you’re missing what God has given you in the moment,” said Iverson. “I know it can be hard when you go to college, especially as you're an underclassman, to be thinking all the time about the match. ‘I miss everybody. I miss my friends, I miss my parents, I miss my mom. I miss my dog right now, actually. I miss all these things.’ But by doing that, you're living in a past of regret and not in the present of where God wants to call you and use you for his glory.”

Be Grounded

The third way to combat anxiety is to stop trying to always keep up with the latest trends, according to Iverson. “Cling to what is stable and established,” he said. “Don't immerse yourself to such a level in the virtual world that you lose track of the peace and the solace and comfort that God has provided to each of us in the moment, if we just pay attention.”

Recognize God is clearly present here and now

The fourth way Iverson recommended to combat anxiety is to “see where God is working and join him there,” rather than keeping oneself distracted from his presence.

Reduce the voices in your head

There are three main voices in one’s head, according to Iverson: God, one’s human internal monologue, and the enemy. He urged attendees to write in a journal, "to take some dedicated time every day to get the thoughts out of your head and on to paper. That really helps not only to get the thoughts that are on repeat out, but then also in the discernment process of, is this God? Is this the enemy? Or is this just me because I want pizza?”

Seek simplicity

In a world filled with “so many gadgets and life hacks that we take human interaction out of our equation for success,” Iverson encouraged attendees to “practice personal subsidiarity," by relying on only the most basic levels of social and technological complexity to reach one’s goals.

Reduce financial entanglements

“If you don’t have to spend money on stuff, don’t,” he said. “If you're going into debt, if you're charging delicious food and venti caramel macchiatos every day to your credit card, stop that. Stop that because that's just going to create more anxiety because you have this instant gratification, but then you pay for it with interest. That is going to create anxiety in anybody because you owe more than you have.”

Live a life of gratitude

The eighth way Iverson recommended to combat anxiety is to live a life of gratitude and practice poverty in spirit, “recognizing that God is God and that we're creatures who are called to praise, to love, and to serve him.” By placing our dependence on God for our happiness and fulfillment and practicing gratitude, we will be more free, he said.

Make more time for God

“If you're disconnected from the source of happiness and the ultimate remedy for anxiety, which is a relationship with Christ and a relationship with the Trinity, if you're not spending time in that, you're going to be disconnected and you're going to be more anxious,” said Iverson.

Slow down

Lastly, Iverson encouraged SEEK 2026 attendees to slow down, and to reject the “lie in society” that “the measure of our work is the measure of our worth.” This is false, he said. “We are God’s beloved sons, that is the measure of our worth.”

Andrew Laubacher, executive director of Humanality, ahead of his talk at SEEK 2026 in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 2, 2026. Credit: Francesca Fenton/EWTN News

Jan 3, 2026 / 17:56 pm (CNA).

In 2018, Andrew Laubacher, a touring Catholic musician at the time, decided to quit social media completely. Despite his recording label telling him that he was making a terrible decision, he was exhausted from the impact it was having on his life and felt God calling him to make this change.

Fast-forward to today and Laubacher is now the executive director of Humanality, a nonprofit organization that “exists to help people discover freedom through an intentional relationship with technology” and offers individuals help to break their digital addiction through a 12-week digital detox program.

Speaking to hundreds of young Catholics at SEEK 2026 in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 2, he explained how social media can become addictive and have negative effects on the human person – including depression, anxiety, and body image issues – and offered tips on how individuals can use technology practically and intentionally.

Laubacher began by highlighting data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which showed that the average U.S. life expectancy decreased for the first time between 2017 and 2019 and that “Americans are 10 times more likely to have a depressive illness than they were 60 years ago."

Citing the federal data as well as research in Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 book “The Anxious Generation,” Laubacher explained that in 2010 a new feature was introduced on smartphones which led to “drastic increases in anxiety and depression.”

What was this feature? The front-facing camera.

“When that front-facing camera came out, all of a sudden our lives became self-defining,” he argued.

Laubacher shared how he saw this play out in his own life – constantly comparing himself and his life to others, experiencing lust, feeling lonely, and wasting his time mindlessly scrolling through his feeds.

“These technologies affected me in many different ways,” he said, “And when I made that leap [off social media] everything got better. My friendships got better, my purity, my productivity, my prayer got better. Everything started to improve.”

“So you guys, the way that you've grown up with these technologies has literally changed everything… It's changed the way you think. It's changed the way you behave. It's changed the way you relate to one another. It's changed the way you sleep. It's changed the way you perceive reality,” Laubacher told those gathered.

“You have to understand algorithms are literally shaping your perception of what is true. And if you are living your life scrolling and getting stuck into these platforms like me you're not necessarily as you want to be.”

Laubacher said that the average 18-year-old in 2025 is on pace to have a 90-year life span. He then broke this down into how many months one might spend doing different activities such as eating, sleeping, going to school or work, and driving.

Over the course of one's life, the average person is left with “334 months of free time – this is where you fall in love. This is where you create music, this is where you write that book, this is where you go on the trip with your loved ones. This is where you discover your vocation,” Laubacher said.

“Right now, of those 334 months, 93% of that time is going to be spent on the screen,” he said. “At the end of your lives, you in this crowd will have looked at the screen for 27 years of your life."

"And friends, my mission is to help you get that time back into your life. So you can invest that time and attention into the things that matter most.”

Offering those gathered practical tools to gain more freedom from digital media, Laubacher highlighted three of the 11 ways Humanality’s digital detox program aims to help individuals gain a more human way to be – be light, be giving, and be present.

“Be light” focuses on individuals stopping the nighttime scrolling and beginning to acknowledge the difference between daytime and nighttime. Laubacher explained that people spend 90% of their time indoors versus 100 years ago when people spent 90% of their time outdoors.

Additionally, when people scroll on their phones at nighttime, the light from the screen tells the brain it’s daytime.

“So, our separation from light in the daytime — and you scrolling yourself to sleep in the nighttime — is a huge reason for our mental health slash sleep disorder slash fatigue and exhaustion,” he said.

“Be giving” turns the self-centered nature of social media to one where you “start to think outside of yourself,” which leads a person to be “more happy and more healthy when you live a life that is giving,” Laubacher explained.

The last way Laubacher highlighted was “be present,” which aims to simply teach people how to be present with themselves, with others, and with God. “Friends, I want to tell you right now, the scariest, best, most amazing adventure in your life is going to be learning to love God, your neighbor, and yourself,” Laubacher said.

“And if I'm honest, I can love people pretty easily, but it's really hard for me to love myself most of the time. And I found that my technologies were not allowing me to get to know the person that God has created me to be.”

“These three ways – there's a lot more – but these three ways I think if you start to implement in your day today you'll start to use technology as a tool and get out of these addictions.”

Gabriel Castillo, popular Catholic lay evangelist and social media influencer, speaks with EWTN News at the SEEK 2026 conference in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Credit: Victoria Arruda/EWTN

Jan 3, 2026 / 17:45 pm (CNA).

Years ago, lay evangelist Gabriel Castillo physically battled demonic forces as he struggled against a pornography addiction, which he eventually won with the help of Our Lady’s intercession as he prayed the rosary.

Castillo spoke to EWTN News at the SEEK 2026 conference in Fort Worth, where he promoted his new book, “The Power of the Rosary.”

He said the rosary is "the greatest prayer for overcoming vice.”

He cited a 2018 study that found that 91% of men and 61% of women view porn regularly. To combat porn addiction, Castillo said praying the rosary is "essential.”

Asked how to pray well, he started by saying that “it’s ok to begin badly … Be satisfied doing it poorly, just get it done. The only bad rosary is the rosary you didn’t pray. As you pray, you will get better at prayer.”

“At the beginning of each mystery pause, recollect yourself, visualize the mystery as if you’re present. Imagine what it would have been like to be at the Nativity, to hold the beautiful baby Jesus in your arms, and realize that the baby is the Alpha and the Omega, and address your intention to the child Jesus as you’re visualizing,” he said.

“Visualize the mystery as if it’s happening in the place that you are,” he continued. “If you’re on a walk, and you see a tree, visualize Jesus hanging on that tree.”

When we pray the rosary in this way, Castillo says, it is “radically transformational.” He encouraged Catholics to pray the rosary throughout the day, and to pray it more often if one already prays every day.

“If you deny yourself twice a day, or more, and devote that time to prayer, what would happen to your life?” he asked. “If you make space for the voice of God, and allow it to penetrate your life and mind, the presence of Christ will be with you in those times when you’re not praying the rosary."

“Your growth, your transformation, will take place at a much greater rate,” he said.

Four tips for praying the rosary

Castillo offered practical tips for praying the rosary on a regular basis. First, he suggested carrying a rosary everywhere one goes, in the hand, a pocket, or purse. (He carried one wound around his hand while speaking to EWTN News.)

Second, he suggested having a good intention: “Always have your ‘Why?’ before your eyes. We will do any ‘What’ if we have a good ‘Why,’" he said.

He recommended giving yourself "a time limit, not because you'll stop praying when you reach it, but you’ll see it as a finish line, a goal.”

His third tip is: “Don’t be scrupulous. The rosary is a bouquet of roses to Our Lady and a weapon in the hands of the Christian. The devil will do anything to get you to stop praying, using distraction and discouragement,” he said.

“If you hear a voice in your head telling you to pray later, or ‘You’re not good at this’, that’s from the enemy.”

“St. Francis de Sales says if you spend all your prayer fighting off distractions that’s more meritorious than having fuzzy feelings after prayer. Constancy is a sign of spiritual maturity,” Castillo said.

The fourth tip is to make a plan: “If you’re going to be successful at anything, you have a rule of life,” he said. “When should you pray? First thing in the morning, get your prayers in. If a tragedy strikes, you've already prayed. We don’t know what Jesus is going to call us to. You have grace at your back already if you pray in the morning.”

Morally, ‘I was dead inside’

Castillo told EWTN News that he grew up without a father and without religion, and sought the meaning of life from the world, which led him to his sexual addiction in the form of pornography use.

After attending the University of St. Thomas in Houston, he became intrigued by the “reason” for Catholicism. Intellectually, he became convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith, but morally, “I was a dead man inside,” Castillo said.

Through the grace of a relationship with a religious sister, whom he called a “tough woman who told me to stop sinning,” and a devotion to the rosary, Castillo eventually healed from his addiction, but not before a physical struggle with the forces of evil.

The evening in college he first resolved to fight his porn addiction, he failed: “Within 30 miutes, I had no willpower,” he said.

However, “that evening, I had true contrition. I was crying, asking God for mercy, recognizing I was a slave to sin. As I was saying those words audibly, I heard a demonic voice mocking what I was saying.”

After an inspiration to pray to St. John Vianney, he told the religious sister the next day. She told him to pray the rosary, and gave him one, along with a pamphlet on how to do it.

When he tried to pray, he felt “a force choking me. It pinned me to the bed. I then heard another voice telling me to pray the rosary in my head. I wanted to cry out to my mom, who was in the other room, but I couldn’t.”

“I began to pray the ‘Hail Mary’ in my mind. I could feel the force on my throat let up. The second I said the word ‘Mary,’ the force left me and everything was back to normal.”

Castillo said that experience was just the beginning of a moral crisis he had to overcome, but after that, praying the rosary regularly felt like a wall of protection surrounded him, and he no longer felt hopeless, even though it was not easy to avoid sin.

“It took time and practice avoiding the near occasion of sin. I could still hear the devil, but the voice was distant, not on my shoulder,” he said.

A husband and father of four, Castillo serves as director of youth ministry at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, Texas.

Castillo is the founder of True Faith TV, host of the podcast Children of Mary, and host of the YouTube channel Gabi After Hours. He has garnered 50 million views across various social media platforms.

He frequently speaks at conferences, parishes, and events, including appearances on shows like The Catholic Gentleman, Pints with Aquinas, and The Catholic Talk Show.

Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare, Venezuela Credit: Catedral de Petare, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jan 3, 2026 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

“It is necessary, although difficult, to maintain serenity, peace, and above all, a climate of prayer,” is the appeal of Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare, Venezuela, following the U.S. law enforcement and military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in the early hours of Saturday, January 3.

In a statement released through the diocese's Instagram account, Bishop Bravo said that in the country, “we are experiencing moments of confusion, uncertainty, and pain, in which we do not clearly understand what is happening. Our strength and hope are in the Lord of Life and Peace.”

The prelate requested, “for the good of our people,” that no “calls for street protests” be made and that “unverified and unconfirmed information, or information from unreliable or unofficial sources,” not be disseminated.

“Let us stay in communication with one another, among pastoral zones and with our closest collaborators,” he urged.

Bishop Bravo, who has served as Bishop of Petare since January 2022, asked that “the Holy Spirit grant us the necessary graces to make a faithful interpretation of this historical moment and of our reality as disciples and shepherds of the faithful.”

“May God bless us all,” he concluded.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, a U.S. military operation in Caracas, Venezuela, led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The Venezuelan dictator has been transferred to New York, where he has been formally charged with, among other crimes, leading a corrupt government that facilitates drug trafficking and conspiracy.

U.S. President Donald Trump later announced that the United States would take over the administration of Venezuela “until a proper transition can be implemented.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a press conference after the capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, Washington, D.C., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Credit: JIM WATSON / Getty Images

Jan 3, 2026 / 12:56 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 3 said the United States would "run" Venezuela until a replacement for President Nicolás Maduro can be found, with the U.S. leader vowing a "safe, proper, and judicious transition" after American forces arrested Maduro and brought him to New York State for indictment.

The U.S. launched strikes in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Jan. 3 before capturing Maduro and transporting him to the U.S., where he was indicted on drug and weapons charges in a New York district court.

In a press conference on Jan. 3, Trump revealed that the U.S. would "run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition."

"We don't want to be involved with having somebody else get in and [then] we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years," Trump said, emphasizing: "We are going to run the country."

The president alleged that the Maduro regime in Venezuela "emptied out their prisons [and] sent their worst and most violent monsters into the United States."

He referenced the June 2024 killing of Jocelyn Nungaray, who was raped and strangled in Texas allegedly by two Venezuelan immigrants in the country illegally.

Asked how long the U.S. would be in charge of Venezuela, Trump said: "I'd like to do it quickly." He said such operations take "a lot of time."

He described the country’s infrastructure as in poor shape. “We’re going to take a lot of money out so that we can take care of the country,” he said

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the press conference praised the soldiers who carried out the Venezuelan operation early on Jan. 3, describing them as the "elite of America."

"Our adversaries remain on notice," Hesgeth said. "America can project our will anywhere, anytime."

National leaders in Latin America expressed condemnation of the U.S. operations in Venezuela on Jan. 3, with executives in Colombia, Brazil and elsewhere warning of U.S. aggression and regional instability after the strikes.

The bishops of Venezuela, meanwhile, said they are in prayer and communicating with each other amid the ongoing incident.

Xavier Polisetty, a seminarian for the Diocese of Fort Worth from Grapevine, Texas, attends SEEK 2026 on Jan. 2, 2026. | Credit: Amira Abuzeid/CNA

Jan 3, 2026 / 12:26 pm (CNA).

Xavier Polisetty, 25, a seminarian from Texas, encouraged men considering the priesthood to trust that God will give the grace to continue.

“I always felt the call at the back of my heart. It never went away,” he said with a smile.

Hundreds of seminarians are attending the SEEK 2026 conference being held in Grapevine, Texas, this week with thousands of other young Catholics from around the country.

As a child, “I played Mass like a lot of other Catholic boys,” said Polisetty, who grew up in Grapevine. He also noticed that his parents, whose faith he described as devout, admired the priests they knew, and he felt from the beginning that he wanted to be one of them.

While studying computer science at Texas A&M University, he participated in several ministries through St. Mary’s Catholic Center, including a weekend retreat called Aggie Awakening, which he said emphasized the importance of having a relationship with Christ. He said he also made several good friendships where a relationship with Christ was at the core.

After graduating in 2022, he entered seminary at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and is halfway through his seven years of seminary training.

Polisetty said he was inspired by Father David Michael Moses’ words on the first night of the conference: “Being a priest means that you are so close to Jesus Christ, when you say, at Mass, ‘This is my body,’ Jesus makes it become his body,” Moses said. “When a person walks into confession, when you say ‘I absolve you,’ you are so close to Jesus you speak for him.”

Polisetty said he is sure he is called to the priesthood but does experience doubts “almost on a weekly basis. When I watch movies, or look at stories of people doing great things in business or in family life, it’s easy to be tempted.”

He said he dated a young woman in college with whom “there were miscommunications. It was hard.”

But, he continued: “That’s where the gift of God’s grace comes in.”

“God has used those desires to bring fruit to my ministry even now, and hopefully one day when I am ordained. The experience and empathy my journey has given me; though it’s been difficult at times, but God’s grace, every time; he’s given me the grace to continue.”

He encouraged young men to consider the priesthood even if they struggle with accepting the celibacy aspect. “Everyone has those desires,” he acknowledged. “I have those desires, all my brother seminarians have them. We’re open about them and talk about them.”

“It’s a greater gift to give God,” he continued, “to offer up those desires for the sake of a greater good.”

“When parents see their newborns, they often say they love more than they ever could have imagined they could. It’s the same thing in the priesthood. Being in environments like this SEEK conference, you see all these Catholics, and it gives me this great love,” he said.

“I want to be ordained so I can minister to them. They’re seeking. By being a priest, I can love them in that way. There’s sacrifices involved, but every lifestyle has that,” he said.

“Christ on the cross shows that sacrifice is our path to salvation,” Polisetty said. “It’s a great blessing. There are so many reasons to say no, but God will give you the grace to say yes. There will be so many gifts.”