The family is a community of persons and the smallest social unit. As such it is an institution fundamental to the life of every society. (JP II, Letter to Families, 17) Today is the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, wonderful patrons for all families! Parents of Mary, pray for all parents that they may provide the loving home and … Read More
TOB Tuesday: The Trinity and the Heart of Marriage
This Sunday Catholics celebrated the feast of the holy Trinity, three Persons in one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – existing in an eternal exchange of love. From all eternity the Father makes himself a gift to the Son and the Son receives this gift and makes Himself a gift back to the Father in return. This love … Read More
Added Inspiration
The Inspiring Story of Garvan Byrne, posted earlier today, also reminds me of something Pope Benedict wrote in his second encyclical, Spe Salvi: It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love. (37) … Read More
TOB Tuesday: The Resurrection of Our Bodies
As Catholics we profess to believe in: the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “On no point does the Christian faith encounter more opposition than on the resurrection of the body.” It is very commonly accepted that the life of … Read More
Rejoice…
He is Risen! Happy Easter everyone! May you all encounter our living and true God and experience His infinite mercy and love. image: “He is Risen” by Greg Olsen
Look at Him
It’s easy and quite natural to have doubts and question one’s faith, especially when the Church is under vicious attack as it has been for the past few weeks, or we see the imperfections and even sinful actions of some of our church leaders. For these times, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus has some good advice: When our faith is weak, … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Fasting is Preparation for Feasting
As the season of Lent comes to a close and we get set for the “big day” of fasting this Friday, TOB expert Christopher West offers this beautiful explanation of how this fast can prepare us for the great feast of Easter: Fasting allows us to feel our hunger. And feeling our physical hunger can, if we allow it, lead … Read More
The Annunciation, A Pro-Life Feast Day!
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she had found favor with God and would conceive and bear a son who would be called the Son of the Most High. This day calls to mind two very specific moments which correspond with the culture of life. The first is … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Lent
“The body in fact and only the body is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it.” (TOB 19:4, Feb 20, 1980) Lent is a very “bodily” season … Read More
Marriage and Manhood
EXCELLENT! Msgr. Charles Pope from the Archdiocese of Washington talks about marriage – speaking specifically to men – on the Feast of the Holy Family (this is just an excerpt from his homily): See Msgr’s post Marriage and Manhood at the Washington Archdiocese’s blog.