The Resurrection
Today we celebrate Holy Thursday, also called Maundy Thursday in commemoration of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles (Maundy) before the Last Supper. Tomorrow, we will observe Good Friday, a solemn day of remembrance in which we recall that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. On Sunday, we will celebrate Easter, the […]
The Last Supper
The Last Supper was one of the most significant events of the Passion. In the context of human relationships, it was the final gathering of Jesus and the twelve apostles. In the context of our relationship to God, it was the moment of confirmation that Jesus was the bread of life. When he administered the […]
Jesus’s Last Weeks
We all know the Passion narrative that details the events during Jesus’s last week, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Yet, most Christians would be hard pressed to answer this question: Where was Jesus in the weeks leading up to his arrival in […]
The Annunciation of the Lord
March 25 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This holy day of obligation observes the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your […]
Saint Joseph
March 20 is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this holy day of obligation, we celebrate the man who played such an integral role in the early life of Jesus. While we do not have full knowledge of Joseph’s life—he disappears from the New Testament narrative when Jesus […]
The Stations of the Cross
In the Catholic Church, devotions during the Lenten Season customarily focus on the events of the Passion of Christ. We remember the suffering and death of Jesus, from the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. One devotion that is popular with many Christians during Lent is the Stations of […]
The Lenten Season
“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mk 1:14–15 The Lenten Season is upon us, commencing yesterday, Ash Wednesday, and continuing through to the celebration of the Paschal […]
Saint Polycarp
Today, February 23, the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr. Polycarp (AD 69–c.155) was the Bishop of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey), one of the early Christian bishoprics known as the Seven Churches of Asia (along with Ephesus, Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira). His Letter to the Philippians is among […]
Saint Athanasius
In AD 325, the Roman emperor Constantine, with the assistant Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, at his side, presided over the Council of Nicaea. Constantine had summoned the bishops of Christendom, from both the Eastern and Western churches to address the nature, or homoousios, of Jesus in relation to the Father. Disagreements had arisen in the […]
Bernadette Soubirous and the Miracle at Lourdes
As this blog is devoted to the Rosary, we will obviously be discussing the Blessed Virgin Mary and instances of Marian apparitions that have been documented by the Church. February 11 is, in fact, the anniversary of the Miracle at Lourdes. While I will touch upon the historical aspect of that event, I also want […]