As I observed in my recent posts on St. Servulus, St. Nicasius, and St. Anastasia, lesser observances are often overwhelmed during great celebrations such as Christmas and Easter.
The Beloved Disciple: St. John the Evangelist (3rd Day of Christmas)
John is the model of the disciple who leans into the heart of Jesus. Like Mary the sister of Martha (see Luke 10:38), he has "chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from" him.
St. Stephen and Good King Wenceslas: 2nd Day of Christmas
Just as our Christmas joy is tempered by the realization that the child lying in the manger must someday hang on the Cross, St. Stephen reminds us, a mere day after the Feast of the Nativity itself, that following the Child of Bethlehem can mean our own Calvary.
Small Beginnings: 4th Sunday of Advent
How can it be that the Firstborn of All Creation was born again as a little human baby? A baby lying in a manger out of which animals feed? From small beginnings . . .
Keep Your Eye on the Ball: 3rd Sunday of Advent
The Good News is good news indeed, but it is not quite a free pass. We have a part we need to play beyond simply waiting for our Savior. We need to keep our eye on the ball.
Prepare the Way of the Lord – 2nd Sunday of Advent
Preparation is our watchword. Prepare the way. The Christ Child isn't here . . . yet. But He's coming.
Christ is Coming! 1st Sunday of Advent
Christ is Coming Christ is coming! That, after all, is the theme of Advent (from Latin adventus, arrival). Today, the 1st Sunday in Advent, marks the beginning of a special penitential season. This time is set apart, hallowed, to prepare ourselves for the coming and arrival of Jesus. And we're not simply preparing for … Continue reading Christ is Coming! 1st Sunday of Advent
What We Wish for, or Christ the King
Even those of us who really believe that God is our king, however, sometimes look to political figures, or political programs (and there are plenty of those, even in the Church) to bring about salvation.
We Came, We Saw . . . God Conquered
Sobieski’s force was called The Holy League, the same name borne by that alliance which defeated the Turks in the naval battle of Lepanto in the previous century. Like those earlier Christian soldiers, who prayed the Rosary before going into battle with the Turkish fleet, Sobieski’s army prayed . . .
St. Maximilian Kolbe: Witness to the Gospel of Love
What Do You Do? Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15.13) Picture yourself in the death camp at Auschwitz. You’re standing in formation with all your fellow prisoners. The Nazis who run the camp offer a harsh disincentive to escape: for every inmate who breaks … Continue reading St. Maximilian Kolbe: Witness to the Gospel of Love