St. Alphonsus: ‘adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments’ By Father Randy Stice The Church has never ceased to reflect on Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, penetrating ever more profoundly into the mystery of the complete transformation of the bread and wine into the …
The overpass sign everyone should read
And a resolution that might make the most difference for the most people By George Valadie There were three of them. At least I think there were three of them. I should probably know since I was driving and in charge of paying attention to the road, but they went …
State dioceses rank high in fruitfulness
Number of seminarians, weddings, infant baptisms per Catholic place them in nation’s top 10 By Deacon Bob Hunt An article published last month by The Catholic World Report purports to rank the Catholic dioceses in the United States by how fruitful each diocese is in terms of seminarians, weddings, infant …
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New beginnings
Take time to reflect on Jesus’ words: You are the light of the world! By Bishop Mark Beckman As we enter 2026 in this time of a new year, my mind goes back to the humble beginnings of Jesus’ own ministry in Galilee. I will never forget the first time …
The five offices of the Liturgy of the Hours
The Divine Office ‘is an excellent preparation for the celebration of the Eucharist itself’ By Father Randy Stice Jesus prayed throughout His public ministry, from His baptism to His anguished cry to the Father on the cross. He frequently exhorted His disciples to pray, to seek, and to ask, and …
The mystery of Christmas
Holy Family’s exile points to people today fleeing from violence, poverty who also find that there is ‘no room in the inn’ By Bishop Mark Beckman Of all the feasts celebrated by Christians, it seems Christmas has most captured the imagination of Western civilization. In recent centuries our world has …
Holding on to, letting go of holiday visions
We all crave our Christmas traditions, even when they have to evolve By George Valadie “… while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads …” I’m 72 years old and still don’t have a clue about sugarplums. Wouldn’t know one if I saw one. Never ate one either, at least …
Dicastery addresses titles given to Mary
‘Co-redemptrix’ and ‘Mediatrix of All Graces’ need to be understood correctly By Deacon Bob Hunt On Oct. 7, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) published Mater Populi Fidelis (“Mother of All the Faithful”), in which the dicastery addresses issues related to some titles that have been given …
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Lessons of autumn
In this season of transition, we are thankful to God for His blessings By Bishop Mark Beckman During these days of autumn, the light has begun to shorten, the evenings and mornings are crisp and cool, and the colors of East Tennessee are on full display. This time of transition …
Making Sundays stressful is a talent for some
While seeking the unknowable balance between petition and gratitude By George Valadie Fourteen minutes, no more. Always the same. If it varies at all, it’s never more than 60 seconds either way. That’s all it takes to get from our house to Sunday Mass. What’s your drive like? When our …
Explaining three profound aspects of the Mass
‘Memorial,’ ‘covenant,’ and ‘sacrifice’ are spoken in every liturgy, but what do they mean? By Father Randy Stice “As we celebrate the memorial”—“The new and eternal covenant”—“May the Lord accept the sacrifice.” We hear these phrases at every Mass, and the three italicized words—memorial, covenant, sacrifice—express three profound aspects of …
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A reminder of what following Christ means
Erika Kirk forgives ‘that young man’ charged with assassinating her husband By Deacon Bob Hunt This world, and our country at this time, is a violent, destructive, dehumanizing place. Even still, every once in a while, there is a moment of grace that reminds us of God’s love and challenges …