Father Randy Stice encourages devotion to the Eucharist, ‘the wonder of the Mass,’ in his latest book By Gabrielle Nolan Initially drawn to the Catholic Church in the 1990s because of the Church’s teachings on the Holy Eucharist, Father Randy Stice decades later has written a book on cultivating a …
Examining the special graces of Easter
The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls it ‘the Feast of feasts, the Solemnity of solemnities’ By Father Randy Stice In every celebration of Mass, wrote Pope Pius XII, Christ “continues that journey of immense mercy that He lovingly began in His mortal life.” In His journey with us in …
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The Holy Fathers on the gifts of the Spirit
Confirmation allows us to experience a ‘personal Pentecost’ that leads to new life in the Spirit By Father Randy Stice In last month’s column, I looked at how the sacrament of confirmation fulfilled Bishop Mark Beckman’s prayer for a new Pentecost and his desire to equip our young people. Confirmation …
Praying for ‘a new springtime of Pentecost’
Confirmation allows us to experience a ‘personal Pentecost’ that leads to new life in the Spirit By Father Randy Stice In his Advent column, Bishop Mark Beckman shared that his prayer for our diocese is for “a new springtime of Pentecost,” and that one of his priorities for the coming …
Popular piety is ‘a precious treasure’
Pilgrimages, Stations, and the rosary extend but do not replace the Church’s liturgical life By Father Randy Stice All of the Church’s activities are directed to our holiness and God’s glory, and this is most efficaciously achieved in the liturgy, “and especially from the Eucharist,” from which, as a font, …
The Eucharist has a ‘cosmic character’
The body and blood of Christ ‘introduce within creation . . . a sort of “nuclear fission” By Father Randy Stice The Second Vatican Council taught that since Christ died for all and that all have the same ultimate vocation of eternal life in the Trinity, “the Holy Spirit in …
The anamnesis in the Eucharistic Prayer
The Greek word for memorial is found in the earliest account by St. Paul of the Last Supper By Father Randy Stice In the Eucharistic Prayer (EP), following the consecration we hear these words: “Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the saving passion of your Son, His …
The biblical understanding of sacrifice
‘The Eucharist,’ in the writings of Pope St. John Paul II, ‘is a sacrifice in the strict sense’ By Father Randy Stice At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke of His impending death as a sacrifice. He offered His disciples His body “which is given for you” and His blood “which …
Challenges affecting participation in Mass
In a media-driven age, writes Pope Benedict XVI, signs and symbols are no longer understood By Father Randy Stice Recent popes have identified three cultural challenges that can affect our participation in the Mass. Pope Francis has written that many today no longer believe that God is present and active …
A bishop and the liturgical life of his diocese
Sacred power is given to the shepherd to build up ‘his flock in truth and holiness’ By Father Randy Stice “The bishop is the chief steward of the mysteries of God and the overseer of all liturgical life in the Church entrusted to his care.” This is how the Ceremonial …
A look at the Rite of Ordination of a Bishop
It is composed of the preparatory rites, the essential element, and the explanatory rites By Father Randy Stice On July 26, Bishop-elect Mark Beckman will be ordained and installed as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville. In this column I want to explain the Rite of Ordination of …
The ending prayer of the Communion Rite
The Prayer After Communion offers a rich theology on the Eucharist’s transforming power By Father Randy Stice This column is the last of a three-part series on the three proper prayers of the Mass. In previous columns, I have discussed the Collect and the Prayer Over the Offerings, so in …
