From Christmas at Grandma’s to midnight Mass viewed from the sacristy, memories abound By George Valadie I can recall it as clearly and vividly as just about any memory I have of Christmases past. It’s not particularly holy, nor would it ever make a good Hallmark movie. But it’s stuck …
Two turtledoves
St. Gregory the Great: ‘The Mass will be a sacrifice for us to God, when we have made an offering of ourselves’ By Bishop Richard F. Stika This is a reprint of the October 2021 column He Dwells Among Us by Bishop Stika. Delivery issues at the U.S. Postal …
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The bride was exactly where she was supposed to be
A daughter has dates who are smart and goofy, serious and silly, but finds the perfect match By George Valadie “God will bring the right person into your life at the right time. Always believe that! If they are not there, God isn’t finished yet!” The smiles of the moment …
No compromise with the Holy One of God
Some abandoned Jesus because of His hard teaching on eating His body and drinking His blood By Bob Hunt The Book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. Toward the end of the book, Joshua gathers the elders of Israel. He has led them through …
The Way, the Truth, and the Life in Scripture The Word of God allows us to have an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus
The Word of God allows us to have an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus By Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM At the Last Supper, Jesus told his Apostles: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), prompted by a comment from Thomas. Jesus had told …
Pastoral Letter: Sin and the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist
U.S. bishops will meet Nov. 15-18 for their annual General Assembly, and among the items to be discussed and voted on is their statement on “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.” Given the “declining belief and understanding of the Eucharist among the Catholic faithful,” and …
Two turtledoves
St. Gregory the Great: ‘The Mass will be a sacrifice for us to God, when we have made an offering of ourselves’ By Bishop Richard F. Stika Bring an offering and enter His courts, worship the Lord in His temple.”— Psalm 96:8-9 What do you bring? To those who say, …
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What is celibacy, exactly?
Living out chastity for the kingdom of heaven is not ‘unnatural’—it is supernatural By Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM Recently, I was asked about priestly celibacy by a person interested in becoming Catholic. The practice of priestly celibacy is viewed with suspicion, he explained, because Protestants are unfamiliar with it, …
It seemed like a good day as any for a miracle
The walker’s earbuds go quiet, and the voice of God speaks—or does it? By George Valadie It was a recent Thursday morning, about 11:30 give or take, and it seemed like as good a day and time as any for a miracle. I mean one of those really big ones. …
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A lesson from the Book of Tobit
Giving up traditions, despite the circumstances, could lead to our forgetting who we are By Bob Hunt I recently read the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. Tobit is a marvelous book. It’s a novella about a man who goes blind, then sends his son on a journey to …
Our greatest dignity
Great is the dignity of our share in the priesthood of Christ and in its different ways of participating in it By Bishop Richard F. Stika “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own…” — 1 Peter 2:9 Great is our dignity. …
The catholicity of the Catholic Church
Through every century, the Mass is the same: tell the story, pray the prayers, break the bread By Bob Hunt Every so often, I am struck by the catholicity of the Catholic Church. This usually happens when I am attending Mass on an occasion that brings together Catholics from all …