The mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what he would dispense in the sacraments The Church has always taught that the sacraments were instituted by Christ himself. She is convinced that this truth is rooted in the Word of God and the tradition, as the Catechism affirms: “Adhering …
He dwells among us: Doing more
We mustn’t be satisfied with our charitable efforts, but like St. Vincent de Paul, always strive to do more When I think back upon the many people who made a lasting impression upon me growing up in St. Louis, there is one in particular who stands out in his “testimony …
Living the readings: Getting your hands dirty
By Father Joseph Brando Divine law supersedes human tradition, motivates from within The theme of September’s five Sunday Liturgies comes from the opening Gospel. In that passage (Mark 7:1-23), Jesus is asked why his disciples eat their food with dirty hands. Jewish tradition had a strong emphasis on cleanliness; and …
Know how to assist spouses who grieve
By Marian Christiana In May, a dear friend of ours lost her 15-month battle with cancer. Eileen and her husband, Paul, had been married for 30 years. We have been friends with Paul since we were teenagers and we continue to try to support him as much as possible. Sometimes …
From my window: Being the hands and feet of Christ
A lesson on being Christ to each person we meet. But how do we achieve this? In the Gospels, Jesus tells us how to help the needy, the widow, the orphan, and the poorest. He demonstrated it by performing miracles and by his teachings. But he addresses it directly in …
Understanding the sacraments: How many sacraments?
By Father Randy Stice The final number was finally set after a centuries-long discernment process involving many suggestions How many sacraments are there? Two? Five? Seven? Eight? Twelve? Each of these answers has been proposed at some point by someone. This question was only answered after a long process, as …
Pray for one another
When we pray generously for others, we truly become like Simon of Cyrene—bearers of the cross When a request for assistance is made to help someone in need, I am always amazed at how generous people can be, even strangers, with their time, resources, and monetary support. But there is …
Brides of Christ
With the mystery of woman, we learn how to be better ‘turned toward’ our heavenly Bridegroom Often it seems that God speaks to me through my wife, Ann, the mother of our six children. Of course, I don’t mean that quite as literally as she would perhaps like me to …
The Bread of Life
In Christ, we have his Word and flesh in the liturgy and Eucharist August is a straight-forward month. Its four Sundays take the Gospel from the sixth chapter of the Gospel According to John and the New Testament reading from the fourth and fifth chapters of Paul’s Epistle to the …
Reflecting on the work of bishops
Lessons from great churchmen of the past bode well for U.S. Catholic Church in the future We had a priest in the Nashville diocese, Father Aaron T. Gildea, who was ordained to the sacred priesthood on June 8, 1929. Many of our readers have never heard about him as he …
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The anamnesis
Making present God’s saving power in keeping with liturgical actions and ritual traditions The Catechism (1106) teaches that two elements are “at the heart of each sacramental celebration”: the invocation of the Holy Spirit, known as the epiclesis (discussed in a previous column); and the anamnesis. The anamnesis is “the …
Protecting what we celebrate
The truths, rights and freedoms our country commemorates also are a summons to protect and defend Independence Day always reminds me of the Gateway Arch on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Since the time it was completed in 1965, when I was 8 years old, …
