In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, July 26 is the feast day of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These saints are not biblical figures. Most of what is known about them comes from apocryphal…
On this day of celebration, we honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the same time, this World Day of Prayer invites all to pray for the sanctification of priests. One website offers an invitation to participate in a world-wide…
One of the traditional features of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is a liturgical procession. Processions were a significant feature of the 19th century church as shown here in this painting of a Rogation Day procession through the wheat fields…
The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” Whether this is the case at all times or not, it is…
Adapted from There Must be a Pony in Here Somewhere: Everyday Stories of God’s Goodness by Michael and Christine Way Skinner (Novalis, 2020) I am proud that I was made a Dad through adoption. One night, when my son Patrick…
February 8 marks the memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita. This is also the annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. When we hear St. Josephine Bakhita’s story, we realize that this is not a coincidence. As a young…
When you enter the Church of Santa Maria del Puopolo in Rome, you walk down the central aisle toward the ornate altar. We glance to the left to see a chapel which is dominated by three large masterpieces painted around…
Today’s feast day is special for all writers and journalists. While some persons do earn their living in these particular professions, we are all writers. Even those who limit their written communications to text messages and emojis are writers. All…
Most of us cradle Catholics do not remember our baptism. Taken to the church in a white garment, we were sprinkled with water from the font and blessed with the oils of salvation. We grew up knowing who our godparents were,…
It’s strange that our over-regulated society does next to nothing to prepare young people for parenthood. We license driving an automobile, and insist on passing stringent exams for any number of professions, such as law, medicine and engineering. Yet there…