FAMILY BLESSINGS OF THE ADVENT WREATH
We tend to think of Advent only as the season in which we prepare for Christmas, or the First Coming of Christ, but as the General Norms point out, it is important that we also remember it as a celebration in which we look forward to the Second Coming of...
Advent preparation
Greetings, Advent comes from the Latin word meaning “coming.” Jesus is coming, and Advent is intended to be a season of preparation for His arrival. While we typically regard Advent as a joyous season, it is also intended to be a period of preparation, much like Lent. Prayer, penance and...
St Martin Feast (November 11th)
Just before Martin was born, Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire and the bloody persecution of Christians soon came to an end. The Gospel message soon flourished in ancient Rome, transforming the empire. Martin’s parents were pagans, but he responded to the call of the Gospel and became a...
Prayers for the Faithful Departed – from November 2 – November 30
It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead,that they may be loosed from sins.”–2 Machabees 12:46 Invocation for the Holy Souls Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. The Holy Souls are...
St. Martin de Porres – Nov 3rd
St. Martin de Porres was a freed slave from Panama. His father abandoned his family, and they grew up in deep poverty. After spending just two years in primary school, Martin was placed with a barber/surgeon where he would learn to cut hair and the medical arts. As Martin grew...
St. Ignatius of Antioch – Pray for Us! (Oct. 17)
St. Ignatius is one of the earliest Christian Martyrs. He was arrested in Antioch and, for unknown reasons, and was transported across half of the empire to Rome for punishment. Some suffering souls have experienced the passion of Christ in the very same manner that Christ did. Stigmatists have had...
St Callistus I
Pope Callistus 1 is celebrated as a Saint and Martyr on the 14th of October. He chose to emphasize God’s mercy in his ministry. Under inauspicious circumstances, he became a slave to the city where he believed that even the most serious sins could be absolved after sincere Confession. He met with great...
Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary
This Feast is celebrated on the 7th of October. It is an annual Feast, a 16th century naval victory which saved Europe against the Turkish invasion. An intercession was made to the Blessed Virgin Mary who was invoked on the day of battle through a campaign to pray...
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
How many of us know about the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross? This Feast celebrates two events. The first is the discovery of the true cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. The second is the celebration and commemoration of God’s greatest work: His...