feasts
For the Love of St. John
“God is love” 1 John 4:8 Today, we celebrate the feast of St. John the Evangelist. He is the “Beloved Disciple,” the son of Zebedee, brother of James, who was allowed to rest on the breast of Jesus during the Last Supper. St. John is the author of the Fourth Gospel, 3 Letters, and the Book of…
Why we need 12 Days of Christmas and How the Catholic Bishops Robbed us of Them
Many in America tell us God has no place in the public sphere. Especially Jesus. Nativity scenes are forbidden on Government property, unless it’s one of a hundred different displays. Christmas is preceded by months of advertising. The “you need this” advertising of vehicles and jewelry now began soon after Halloween. Christmas is secularized. To top…
Feast Day Ramblings
I admit it. I’m a decadent Roman. While I admire my friends of the Oriental Catholic persuasion who celebrate “Cheesefare Sunday” today in preparation for Lent (and have already whittled away their meat intake a week ago), I myself will hold out until Ash Wednesday to begin my fasting. Indeed, on this last Sunday before Lent, the burying of the “Alleluia” is…
Eating Gyros on Good Friday? Kiril Sends Message to Francis on the Easter Date
Being half Greek and enjoying a gyro, while at the same time enjoying the meat-free Great Lent can cause some peculiar cravings once Easter season arrives each year. My Polish half cannot fathom Easter Sunday without ham. Kielbasa is nice, but ham. Ham. Ham with horseradish. Ham with hard boiled egg. Ham slice on babka bread. There’s always a little tension, however,…
Do Something to Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus Today on the Feast
Today, the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, is the feast of the Sacred Heart. Sometimes, the feast is held on this following Sunday. The short story of the feast is explained in my trusty old catechism: A single word of Christ would have fully sufficed to redeem us, but it was not enough to…
The Strength of His Arm
Every time I’ve been to Rome, I’ve always made a point to visit the Church of the Gesu. Perhaps the best example of baroque art and architecture in the world, it is a monument to a triumphant Church confident in the truths of the Creed and in the Kingship of her Lord. It appeals to the senses…
The Feast of Christ the King (2013)
Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year–The Feast of Christ, King of the Universe. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite today is celebrated the Last Sunday after Pentecost, Our Lord speaks of the end of time, of the need to beware of false Christs and false prophets, of the “abomination of desolation”…
A Modest Proposal to Pope Francis—Restore the Ember Days!
Recently, our Holy Father Pope Francis called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in war-torn Syria. In a sight that we haven’t seen in recent memory, Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist was exposed in St. Peter’s Square for this prayer vigil on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady’s birth….
Ember Days
Those of you who follow the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Liturgy, you will know that today is Wednesday in Ember Week. The Ember Feasts are days that follow closely the changing of the seasons and are set aside for partial fasting and penance. This liturgical custom has seen a renewed interest and practice in…
Happy Feast Day!
Collect from Today’s Mass: O God, who adorned the Bishop Saint Robert Bellarmine with wonderful learning and virtue to vindicate the faith of your Church, grant, through his intercession, that in the integrity of that same faith your people may always find joy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with…
