On the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Francis encouraged people to spend time in the presence of Christ in adoration, like the Magi. “Let us never forget this: the journey of faith finds renewed strength and fulfillment only when it is made in the presence
On Dec. 28, the Church commemorates the slaughter of the holy innocents. These are the baby boys in Bethlehem that Herod the Great had slaughtered in an attempt to kill the Baby Jesus. But many people today challenge the idea that this ever took place.
The following is a message from Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron to the people of the Archdiocese of Detroit: The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
ROME. A massive, sixteen-volume Lives of the Saints, first published between 1872 and 1877, informs me that, here in the Eternal City, the feast of Christmas first became a celebration distinct from the ancient feast of the Epiphany in the mid-fourth century—and that St. John Chrysostom,
Have you ever heard the smug criticism that Christmas is really a Pagan festival? While it is usually uttered with the air of being a devastating dismissal of Christianity, I’m not sure what actual point the critic thinks he has made. Is he saying that
What is the real reason the Word became flesh at Christmas? What does the Church say is really the ultimate reason we are called to follow Christ? Most importantly, why did Christ command us to receive his body and blood in the Eucharist? There is
It is a well-known fact that the first letters of the seven titles with which the O antiphons begin, when read in reverse order, form an anagram, ERO CRAS, Latin for “tomorrow I shall be.” The order in which they are sung, however, is not
“Rose” Sunday in Advent calls us to rejoice, even in a penitential season. Will our readings show us how? Gospel (Read Lk 3:10-18) Traditionally, Catholics observe the third Sunday of Advent as “rose” Sunday, or “Gaudete” Sunday, which is Latin for “rejoice.” This is a beautiful reminder
I was particularly struck by the Prayer after Communion on the First Sunday of Advent. After the reception of our Eucharist Lord, the priest prays: “May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk
On Christmas night the Gospel of Luke explains how the shepherds “went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). Do we have a similar urgency to our faith? Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this passage during a Christmas
