Category: Holy Days
The Whole Earth Keeps Silence
From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday, found in today’s Office of Readings: Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who […]
» Read moreGood Friday: God is Dead
Today is Good Friday: the commemoration of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Ecce lignum Crucis, in quo salus mundi pepéndit. Veníte adorémus. Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. Come let us adore. (Missale Romanum: Friday of the Passion of the Lord) Ecce homo: Behold, the man He was […]
» Read moreMaundy Thursday: Do This in Memory of Me
The Season of Lent comes to its end this evening, as we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This celebration commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the source and summit of Church life, as well as the sacred priesthood which offers this sacrifice. Unlike most Protestants, the Catholic and Orthodox (and others of the Apostolic Tradition) believe that God […]
» Read moreHosanna to the Son of David!
This weekend, Holy Week begins with the Sunday of Lord’s triumphal entry into Jersusalem – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. Although Good Friday is coming – the Passion and Death are coming – for the moment, this moment, joy resounds as our King arrives in His city. In most parishes throughout the world, the principal Mass is normally celebrated […]
» Read moreFriday of Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin
The Madonna in Sorrow by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, 17th century Today, a week before Good Friday, the Church has traditionally remembered the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. While the commemoration was removed from the calendar in 1970, it survives in the Extraordinary Form, as well as in many local calendars including that most Catholic country of Malta […]
» Read morePassiontide
A week ago we celebrated Lætare Sunday, a burst of joy in the midst of Lent. This coming week, the week before Holy Week, we double-down on Lent. Traditionally, this weekend’s Fifth Sunday of Lent marks the beginning of Passiontide, when we walk with Christ on the way to Jerusalem. In the Ordinary Form this is no longer celebrated as […]
» Read moreYes is the Answer
The mercy of God is a scandal – Christ offers His infinite mercy to every worst kind of sinner, excluding no one. This eternal upwelling of mercy overflows, cascading upon the whole of the human race. It extends to murderers. It extends to rapists. It extends to thieves, and liars, and stalkers, and vandals. It extends to tax collectors and […]
» Read moreLætare Sunday
Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast. Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent – Lætare Sunday, so called for the first word of today’s entrance antiphon, lætare, rejoice. Deep in our long Lent comes a spark of rejoicing before we head deeper into the […]
» Read moreAsh Wednesday
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” And with those words, our Lent has begun. Holy Mother Church calls us to make these next forty days until Easter a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lent is a pilgrimage, in a sense, through time if not space, through death to resurrection. A pilgrimage of penitence. Let […]
» Read moreSeptuagesima Sunday
Today is Septuagesima Sunday, the beginning of a liturgical season known as Septuagesima or Fore-Lent or Shrovetide. It consists of the three weeks immediately before the start of Lent, and indeed the name Septuagesima means seventy, in reference to Quadragesima – forty – which is the proper Latin name for Lent. This liturgical season, meant to prepare us for the […]
» Read moreCandlemas
Today was once one of the most solemn feasts of the year. It’s gone by several names over the millennia: the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Candlemas. Coming forty days after Christmas, it was once the end of the Christmas season. Even today there are relics of this […]
» Read moreThe Phantom of the Octave
The Church used to celebrate many Octaves. Many great solemnities, and even some older feasts of lesser liturgical stature, had an Octave. Some holy days are so holy that a single day can’t contain them. Take Easter, for instance. The ancient tradition of the Church is to add an entire week to the Sunday that is Easter, making it actually […]
» Read moreThe End of Christmastide
Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, celebrating that day when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, […]
» Read moreEpiphany! (Again)
In most of the world and through most of the last two millennia, the Epiphany of the Lord was celebrated on the sixth. In (most of) the United States, Canada, and a few other places it is instead moved to the nearest Sunday – today! Whenever you celebrate it, I wish you a Happy Epiphany! For more on this beautiful […]
» Read moreThe Epiphany*
* Certain restrictions may apply, including location, calendar, and affiliation with religious congregation. In most of the world and through most of the last two millennia, the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated today. Although in the United States, Canada, and a few other places it will be celebrated this coming Sunday. Being Americans, we will celebrate on Sunday. Being […]
» Read moreThe Tenth Day of Christmas: the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11) Happy Tenth Day of Christmas! Today […]
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