Today celebrates the 150th anniversary of St. John Vianney’s death. It is this day that prompted Pope Benedict’s Year for Priests. Here are a few things that I find awesome about St. John Vianney, better known as the Curé of Ars: He could hardly speak Latin. He failed his entrance exam for the seminary the… Continue reading Happy Feast of St. John Vianney!
Tag: liturgical year
Calvin on the “Marks of the Church”
For the second Protestant Confession to examine, it seems sensible to go for the who’s who and what’s what of Reformed Christianity, Mr. John Calvin himself. He wrote the 1559 French Confession of Faith [.DOC], and there’s much in it to admire. To wit: XXV. Now as we enjoy Christ only through the gospel, we… Continue reading Calvin on the “Marks of the Church”
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, pt. 2
The other passage from the thirteenth Chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel that we looked at this week was Matthew 13:31-35, which includes two succinct parables: Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of… Continue reading The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, pt. 2
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Pt. 1
I.Anyone going to daily Mass recently (Friday, Monday, and yesterday) has heard a lot about “the Kingdom of Heaven” from Matthew 13. These Gospel passages are critically important for anyone trying to understand the Church that God Himself set up upon the Earth when He pitched His tent amongst us. Friday’s was this parable from… Continue reading The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Pt. 1
Something You May Have Missed From Sunday’s Gospel
John 6:1-15 was Sunday’s Gospel, in case you’re not Catholic or missed it. It’s the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Here’s what you may have missed: an answer to the classic question, “If the Eucharist is so important, why doesn’t John mention Its institution at the Last Supper?” Many Catholics seem to have picked… Continue reading Something You May Have Missed From Sunday’s Gospel
Be Wary of the “Sabbatine Privilege”!
Today is the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I hate to be a wet blanket, but a lot of the legends surrounding the so-called brown scapular (that is, the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) are just that: legends. If you go to daily Mass, you may hear something about it,… Continue reading Be Wary of the “Sabbatine Privilege”!
John the Baptist, Christmas, and the Liturgical Year
Today, we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Lots of cool facts are connected to this feast. Only three figures in history were born without original sin (unless you count Adam and Eve… were they “born”?): Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist. As a result, we celebrate the Nativity of… Continue reading John the Baptist, Christmas, and the Liturgical Year
Fish Heads and All
Today’s first reading was from Genesis 13, and began: “Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,so that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.“ The priest (the same… Continue reading Fish Heads and All
St. Thomas More Delivers The Perfect Homily
I heard one of the most perfect, succinct homilies over lunch today. First of all, today is the Feast Day of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher. John Cardinal Fisher is the only member of the College of Cardinals to be marytered: like More, he ultimately went to a martyr’s death. [Turns out, my biographical… Continue reading St. Thomas More Delivers The Perfect Homily