The Liturgy of the Word for January is a fine tapestry woven into an intricate collage. One end, starting the Octave Day of Christmas, features the Book of Numbers where God tells Moses to teach Aaron how to bless the Israelites. It depicts the ideal living out of the Old …
He dwells among us: Hope and new beginnings
Advent reminds us of what a new beginning truly is when our hope is Christ We all look forward to the new beginnings that mark life’s journey, which we hope will be filled with much good in our future and in the lives of others. And with every life disappointment …
Living the readings: Watching the sun rise
Christ’s constant presence gives light to the darkness December is the darkest month of the year. Its first 20 days are a progression into ever longer nights until the 21st of December, when we experience in the Northern Hemisphere the longest day of darkness of the year. The Church reacts …
Marriage enrichment: Looking forward to a Synod of Bishops
Special assembly meeting in October 2014 to focus on the pastoral care of the family Pope Francis in early October called for a Synod of Bishops to gather in Rome in October 2014. A Synod of Bishops consists of an assembly of bishops chosen from different regions around the world …
Understanding the sacraments: Sacred art and furnishings
Unity, not uniformity, is the Church’s criterion in identifying sacred creations that praise God In my last column I interrupted my series on the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy to talk about the cathedral church of a diocese, summarizing the discussion found in the Ceremonial of Bishops. …
Once upon a time: Jubilee celebration has enriched our lives
A new Church year brings with it opportunities to continue growing in faith and service to our Lord I often come away from a wake service for one of our beloved dead with the question popping in my head, “what’s next?” For many folks it involves several months of settling …
Unveiling the future
November is the month we close out Ordinary Time and make way for Advent and the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. It does so, however, with a flourish. We all get excited by books and movies that try to tell us about the end of the world. November presents …
Families often are where we first learn about God
The Catholic Church has referred to the family as the “domestic church” ever since Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, was published during the Second Vatican Council. The term domestic church means that it is within our families that we first learn about God and the Catholic Church. …
He dwells among us: So much to be thankful for
Our Eucharistic Congress reminds us to be thankful for the past and hopeful for the future Even three weeks after our Eucharistic Congress, I continue to be amazed by the number of people who tell me of how their lives were touched, renewed, and even transformed the weekend of Sept. …
Living the readings: Remaining faithful to God
Persevere in faith to receive the mercy of the Lord Once again, the basic theme of the Sunday liturgies this October is plain to see. Every single reading calls us to persevere in our faith under all circumstances. To hammer home this message the Church takes all of its second …
Understanding the sacraments: What is a cathedral?
The building is ‘a symbol of the spiritual temple that is built up in souls’ How is a cathedral different from all of the other church buildings in a diocese? The most authoritative answer to this question is provided by the Ceremonial of Bishops (chapter 3), a text promulgated by …
Once upon a time: Events have ‘wonderful effect on our lives’
A 1913 expo and the Eucharistic Congress both celebrated the past while looking ahead to the future A once-in-a-lifetime experience is usually good for us. Our recent Eucharistic Congress is an example of a quite rare event that can have a wonderful effect on our lives. Such exhibitions help us …
