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 of faith that we can't afford to forget....
28 April, 2025 No comment
This excerpt from a Easter letter by St. Athanasius was written around 340 AD to prepare the people of Alexandria, Egypt for the celebration of the Paschal Feast of Easter. It clearly demonstrates the sacramental and liturgical nature of worship in the early church....
27 April, 2025 2 Comments
St. Catherine of Siena here shares a prophetic message she has received from God that underline's the boundless generosity and providence of God, the giver of all good gifts, and how we, through sin, tragically twist these gifts, designed to be life-giving, so as to make them cruel instruments of death and suffering. Original Sin is presented as a poison that spread through the human race. Jesus' act of love & obedience on the cross is presented as the antidote...
27 April, 2025 No comment
The origins of the Papacy can be found in the dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter in John 21, a gospel traditionally read during Eastertide. The question,"Peter, do you love me?" is followed by the command "Feed my sheep." The pope, shepherd and successor of Peter, has a role that has not to do with privilege but with sacrifice. ...
27 April, 2025 2 Comments
Holy Week & Triduum Devotions: Sundown on Holy Thursday during Holy Week marks the beginning of three sacred days (Triduum) that changed the destiny of the human race. Here are some suggestions for prayer and reflection to help you make the most of Holy Week, especially Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday....
13 April, 2025 No comment
Holy Thursday, the Lord's Supper, the institution of the Holy Eucharist, Corpus Christi -- What did Jesus mean when he said "This is my body and this is my blood" and "Do this in Memory of Me"? And what does the Catholic mean by talking about transubstantiation and the body of Christ?...
13 April, 2025 3 Comments
Bernard of Clairvaux on the martyrdom of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross – her heart is pierced by a sword as Simeon predicted. For the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15....
06 April, 2025 No comment
Cyprian, a north African bishop of the third century, himself eventually died a martyr. Here he exhorts fellow Christians to courage as they face the contest of faith in a hostile pagan society. Following Ephesians 6, he urges Christians to put on the whole armor of God. In so doing, note the reference to the sign of the cross on the forehead and the importance of the Eucharist, the body of the Lord, which in his time was taken in the hand....
06 April, 2025 No comment
Passion Sunday -- The Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday, is observed by virtually all Christians. But for Roman Catholics it is also Passion Sunday during which all stand for the entire passion account. It's a bittersweet day, beginning with hosanna's, ending in suffering....
06 April, 2025 No comment
Augustine, reflecting on how the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness for forty days, points out that it is only by means of overcoming trials and temptations that we progress in the spiritual life and grow in holiness....
30 March, 2025 No comment