“The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.” December 6th is the feast of St. Nicholas. We all know him as Santa Claus, but do we know him as the Bishop of Myra? Nicholas is far from a fictitious character from...
Advent: the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. December is here and that means it’s Christmas season, but first...Advent! Advent can be celebrated with warm cookies, bright trees, beautiful stockings…However, for many Catholics, the Advent wreath on the...
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John has said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was run to his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’ And he brought him to Jesus” ~John 1: 40-42. November 30th is...
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. With rejoicing hearts, give thanks! In 1789, President George Washington declared November 26th as a national day of...
In 1925, Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King. Celebrated on the last Sunday before Advent, this feast concludes our liturgical year. Pius explained his reasoning for this feast in his encyclical Quas Primas “In the first”. He must reign in our minds,...
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future” Proverbs 31:25. When I hear this proverb, St. Cecilia of Rome immediately comes to mind. She was a young Christian in the late 200s, during a time of fierce persecution. As a...
On November 18th, we celebrate the dedication of the basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul. Peter and Paul are tremendous saint of our Catholic Church. We know Jesus said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. The gates of the...
“Prayer is powerful! It fills the earth with mercy, it makes the Divine clemency pass from generation to generation. Right along the course of the centuries wonderful works have been achieved through prayer.” ~St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. November 13th is the feast of...
"Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace is the mother of unity. Peace is the rest of the blessed souls. Peace is the dwelling place of eternity" ~ Pope Leo the Great. The pope of peace! On...
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” John 2:19. On November 9th, we celebrate the feast of our first temple with the dedication of St. John Lateran Archbasilica Cathedral in Rome. The church was dedicated in 324 A.D. and is still today the home...
“Everything, even sweeping, scraping vegetables, weeding a garden and waiting on the sick could be a prayer. If it were offered to God” ~ St. Martin de Porres. After celebrating the Church Triumphant and praying for the Church Suffering, it’s fitting November 3rd be...
“Others have died and are being purified” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 954). The holy souls in purgatory are known as the Church Suffering. On November 2nd, we have the very special privilege of praying to intercede for their souls. It is the one day a year...