COLLECTION OF CATHOLIC PRAYERS ETC.
Doors are significant. An open door, a closed door, a locked door, they all resonate with us in different ways. Since 1300 AD, the Catholic Church has marked every 25 years as a Jubilee Year. From 1500 AD on, the Jubilee Year has officially begun with Our Holy Father entering through the open Holy Door…
Read More “The Door is Open! Stepping from the Year of Prayer into the Jubilee Year” »
My grandfather, a Catholic convert, had lived with my parents for several years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The debilitating effects of the disease, which remarkably paralleled those of Pope Saint John Paul II, were heartbreaking to witness since, like the saintly pope, he had been physically active until the onset. One afternoon, sensing the…
St. Lucy: A Light of Courage and Faith Story of St. Lucy: St. Lucy, whose name means “light,” was born around 283 AD in Syracuse, Sicily, during a time of severe persecution of Christians. Raised in a wealthy Christian family, Lucy dedicated her life to Christ from a young age, vowing to remain chaste and…
Readings for the Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Reading 1 Is 48:17-19 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,the Holy One of Israel:I, the LORD, your God,teach you what is for your good,and lead you on the way you should go.If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your…
At the Catholic Herald, Georgia Gilholy has published a very good article on the uncertain situation of Syrian Christians given the new status quo that is post-Assad Syria. Please do not be quick to believe what any of the mainstream … Continue reading → The post Don’t rush to claim Syria’s Christians are safe –…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations as concrete ways to usher in a new era of hope. “Sporadic…
Read More “Pope calls for end to foreign debt, death penalty ahead of Jubilee Year” »
WASHINGTON – “With one clear voice, we reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified recognition of the fact that each and every human life is sacred, that all persons are imbued by God with an inviolable dignity, which no earthly power can deny.” The Catholic Church commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The “most beautiful gift” the Catholic Church and its members can give the world is a reason to live with hope, Pope Francis said. “The Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope,” the pope said at his weekly general…
Read More “Hope is an ‘active virtue’ that makes good things happen, pope says” »
Lucy’s history has been lost and all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life during the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the…
Read More “St. Lucy: Saint of the Day for Friday, December 13, 2024” »
One afternoon, I was browsing in our local Catholic bookstore when I spotted a tall, beautiful yard statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the shelf. For a long time, I had wanted a statue of Mary to put in our front yard. I had heard miraculous stories of homes that Mary had protected, and…
Read More “What Our Lady of Guadalupe Taught Me About Brokenness” »