Advent, Christmas are the times of the year to think about the presence of Christ among us, especially in the Eucharist By Bob Hunt Advent and Christmas seasons are times for reflecting on the presence of Christ among us. During Advent, we prepare for the solemnity of the Incarnation by …
1
Called to be mothers of Christ
Christ longs to be conceived in our heart and to be given birth in all we do, think, and say By Bishop Richard F. Stika “She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus.” — Matthew 1:21 Recently, I was shown an icon of the Nativity of …
What are the odds?
Supporting Catholic schools is a good way to close the separation gap By George Valadie They call it “six degrees of separation.” I don’t know if it’s actually true, nor do I care to spend any time testing the theory, but I like the idea. It makes me feel better …
1
Given up for you
God calls us to be good stewards of all creation, and it begins with being thankful By Bishop Richard F. Stika “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. Praise and exalt Him above all forever. …” So begins the beautiful Canticle of Daniel (3:57-88, 56) that the Church …
We are part of the communion of saints even now
It is our identity as baptized members of the Body of Christ that makes us saints By Bob Hunt I want to be a saint. I don’t say that with any arrogance, much less with any presumption that my canonization will be imminent upon my death. Still, I do say …
1
The occult disposes us to Satan
The rise in interest in things mystical is symptomatic of the loss of faith in God By Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM What is occultism, and why is it becoming such a popular topic today? Is it the same as black magic? Is it astrology? Is it all of the …
Chilling words: ‘You know neither the day nor the hour’
Some Sundays the Gospel can be terrifying, such as when Christ reminds us to be ready for our own death By George Valadie I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m willing to bet that—for at least a few of us—what we know about the words of Christ has come to …
Guns and roses
The Church’s spiritual weapon of choice to combat the evil of our times is the rosary By Bishop Richard F. Stika Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. — Luke 2:19 As intense debate continues on the question of banning weapons—be they handguns, assault rifles, …
Ain’t life ‘grand’
Parenting never grows old, especially when you add the titles ‘Grumpy’ and ‘BB’ to the job description By George Valadie It doesn’t happen all that often. It certainly hasn’t been typical for our family. But remarkably, one of our longed-for dreams has come true. Katy, our oldest, her husband, Clint, …
Rights of migrant and country
In considering the issue of immigration, we need to keep two basic rights in perspective By Bishop Richard F. Stika “They took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus” …
A study of the cynical Book of Qoheleth
Also known as Ecclesiastes, the book is among the wisdom books of the Old Testament By Bob Hunt I’ve been reading the Book of Qoheleth, also known as Ecclesiastes, attributed to Solomon because of the opening line, “The words of David’s son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1). It is …
Trip to Honduras ‘leaves a lot of emotional bridges’
A daughter’s mission trip to a foreign country brings home the same lessons as her father once brought home By George Valadie I’ve lost track, but I know it’s been well over 20 summers since I had the opportunity to visit Saltillo, Mexico. Though “visit” might not be the best …
