Valentine’s Day is a good time to let them know how we feel Valentine’s Day is the day typically set aside for couples to express their love for each other. Although it is a special day for couples, the greeting card industry celebrates all forms of loving relations. When my …
Understanding the sacraments: Preparing for Lent
Looking at our campaign of Christian service as we anticipate the Easter celebration The opening prayer for Ash Wednesday describes Lent in striking military language—we are embarking on a “campaign of Christian service” in which “we take up battles against spiritual evils” and arm ourselves “with weapons of self-restraint.” A …
He dwells among us: The journey to Bethlehem
‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,’ and St. Joseph is our sure guide With the beginning of Advent, the Church marks the start of a new liturgical year, a full month before we celebrate the beginning of a new calendar year. And this seems fitting …
Living the readings: An epic unfolds
The Christmas story is another example of God speaking to us Thanks to the timing of Advent, with its First Sunday in November, the message of Christmas unfolds before us as an ancient epic might. Back in antiquity, classic writers would start their stories of great events and great people …
Once upon a time: Sharing stories of Christmases past
There was a time when midnight Mass was a 5 a.m. liturgical celebration Midnight Mass hasn’t always been held at midnight. One of Pope Pius XII’s last great gifts to the Church was the beginning of the restoration of Easter Vigil (time of day and language). By the time the …
Marriage enrichment: Home for Christmas
The Holy Family serves as a wonderful example of how we share our children All of our children will be home for Christmas. We are very excited about that fact! And two of them will be bringing their spouses with them. Our son has been married for three years now …
Understanding the sacraments: Nourishing our relationship with God
Introducing the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy In my previous column I discussed the Synod on the Family’s emphasis on the importance of popular piety and family devotions. In that column I mentioned the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (DPPL), produced in 2001 by the Congregation …
It All Comes Clear Now
By Father Joseph Brando November, in these parts, is the time when trees reach their brightest glow. Then their leaves, by means of a parachuting parade of color in a gloriously choreographed leap, dance to the ground. When that display is completed, the people who lived, spring and summer, under …
He dwells among us: Love and mercy
The ‘Gospel of Life’ challenges us to show mercy even to those who denied it to others Thirty-six years ago, two of my uncles were senselessly and brutally gunned down during a robbery of their small urban grocery store. The gunman, a 16-year-old youth, was arrested six months later but …
Living the readings: The colors are changing
Christ wants us to be radiant in faith, hope, and love In our part of the country, the leaves change into a myriad of autumn colors. There are oranges and reds and browns blown by the capricious wind over the green grass opening groves up to the blue sky resulting …
Once upon a time: The warm, friendly confines of home
Campaign to build up Church in East Tennessee promises to be a blessing to all of us As a child I suffered from asthma — so much so that I sometimes had to sleep in a chair in an upright position for days, weeks, or months at a time. If …
Marriage enrichment: Focus on the family
Synod of Bishops preparing to deal with a world of challenges facing family life Families come in all shapes and sizes and every one of them has its own particular set of challenges. Luckily for us, Pope Francis understands the challenges of family life and has decided to see how …