COLLECTION OF CATHOLIC PRAYERS ETC.
ROME (CNS) — Wearing red vestments for the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Pope Francis knocked on the door of the church in Rome’s Rebibbia prison complex and walked over its threshold. After reciting a formal prayer before opening the prison’s Holy Door Dec. 26, the pope took the microphone back to…
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St. John, Apostle and Evangelist St. John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and Salome, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. John was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry. He is considered the same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos and…
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Reading 1 Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Stephen, filled with grace and power,was working great wonders and signs among the people.Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,and people from Cilicia and Asia,came forward and debated with Stephen,but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. When they heard this,…
On this second day of Christmas, we continue to ponder and wonder at God’s great love for us. The God of heaven and earth, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, has taken on our lowly human nature. He has emptied Himself totally. He became a helpless, dependent baby in the arms of His Mother…
Homelessness is a growing crisis in the United States, with over 580,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night, according to Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunity. Rising housing costs, mental health challenges, and systemic poverty have left countless individuals and families vulnerable. Yet, in the face of this daunting reality, the Catholic Church offers…
Read More “The Catholic Way to Address Homelessness: An Interview with Michael Acaldo” »
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As millions of pilgrims prepare to cross through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis called on individuals, nations and the global community to take a transformative step toward peace and reconciliation by walking through the “door of salvation” that is Jesus Christ. “Jesus is the door of peace,”…
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the quiet of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.” As the doors opened, the bells of the basilica began to peal. After the reading of a brief passage from the Gospel of John in which Jesus…
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Saint Stephen was one of the first ordained deacons of the Church. He was also the first Christian martyr. The Greek word from which we derive the English word martyr literally means witness. In that sense, every Christian is called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in both their words and their actions. Not all…
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During Lent, reflecting on the reasons why Jesus died is a fruitful exercise in devotion. Likewise, during the Advent and Christmas seasons, we ought to wonder why Christ was born. The answer isn’t as obvious as you might think. Two reasons probably leap to mind: (1) because He loves us, and (2) to earn for…
Coffee’s rich and aromatic history is steeped in a surprising blend of religion, culture, and Catholicism. Although it’s best known today as the elixir that shakes off the cobwebs on Monday mornings, coffee’s journey into the Western world was largely due to the advocacy of popes, saints, and monks—a holy trifecta of caffeine lovers. So…