In 2016, Pope Francis elevated the annual memorial of Mary Magdalene on July 22 to that of a Feast, the same status as celebrations of the apostles and evangelists. In light of the fact that she announced the good news of the resurrection to the...
On June 24, the Church observes a solemn feast in honor of the birth or nativity of John the Baptist. No other saint's birthday is celebrated with such solemnity. The unique role of the Forerunner, the Voice crying out in the Wilderness, in...
Talk by Dr. Italy for the Year of St. Joseph showing how Jesus' foster-father had much more impact on the human formation of Jesus than most had imagined. Jesus, disciple of Joseph, went on to teach his own disciples what he learned from his heavenly...
This brief video gives us a glimpse of the heart and vision of Perpetua, a young Roman woman whose resistance to the demands of a pagan society lead to her martyrdom...
Saint Joseph always appears in Manger scenes during Advent and Easter time and even has a special Solemnity or Feast in his honor, St. Joseph's Day, March 19. This essay makes a case that St. Joseph teaches us some crucial things about the nature...
This excerpt from St. Augustine's Treatise on John's Gospel (Tract. 123, 5: CCL 36, 678-680) is read on the feast day of St. Nicholas, December 6. It focuses on the real meaning of the gift-giving for which St. Nicholas is famous--the self-giving love of a...
Gaudete Sunday calls us to rejoice in hope. As John the Baptist found joy amidst suffering due to the Good News that the Christ had appeared, we too pause from our Advent penance to rejoice in a salvation that has drawn near and whose...
The story of the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany raises questions about hospitality, service, prayer, action and contemplation. First of all, does Jesus love some people, like Mary, Mary, and Lazarus, more than others? If so,...
Augustine contrasts the role of John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness, with that of his cousin, Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. The humility of John, who prepared the way of the Lord, is highlighted. His joy was complete to...
An excerpt written to Cornelius, bishop of Rome condemned to exile and death for his faith, from his brother bishop Cyprian of Carthage, who was to be martyred a few years later. Read on the feasts of Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian on September 16....