Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us join together with the Communion of Saints of all ages in singing the praises of the Mother of God. Mary’s Immaculate Conception is the sign of the gracious love of the Father, the perfect expression of the redemption accomplished by the Son and the beginning of […]
» Read moreToday is the feast of the great Doctor of the Church, Saint Ambrose of Milan (340-397). Rather than prattle on about this great saint, I thought I’d post the second reading from today’s Office. Although Ambrose is specifically addressing bishops in this letter, his call to evangelization is for all of us, for all time. You have entered upon the […]
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How Saint Nicholas was transmogrified into Santa Claus, I’ll never know. “Jolly Old Saint Nick” was by all accounts a thin man, most famous for giving gifts to prostitutes and punching heretics. That whole “eight tiny reindeer” thing seems like a bit of a come down. Wait, prostitutes? Well, yes. Here’s what the Golden Legend has to say: And it […]
» Read moreAdvent begins with tonight’s vespers, for tomorrow is the First Sunday of Advent. See the Lord coming from afar. His splendor fills the earth. (Magnificat Antiphon for I Vespers on the First Sunday of Advent) Not sure exactly what Advent is? Here’s a two-minute snapshot.
» Read moreAndrew, son of Jonah, fisherman of Bethsaida in Galilee. Follower of John the Baptist. The first apostle called by Christ, who told him and his brother, Simon, to “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”. After the resurrection, Andrew preached along the coasts of the Black Sea, both north and south, founding churches that included one […]
» Read moreDuring this Year of Faith, the Pope has asked us to re-examine the most recent Council, which began fifty years ago this year, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which turns twenty. Plenty of folks have an axe to grind one way or the other about the Second Vatican Council, but frankly it ended before I was born, and […]
» Read moreYesterday I taught my first RCIA class. We meet every Monday evening, and I’ve been part of the teaching team since September. It’s so very strange to be on the other side. I only went through RCIA myself in 2004 and 2005. Yesterday was my first solo teaching opportunity. My topic? The Liturgical Calendar. Overall, it went well. The rest […]
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Mindful of Cardinal Dolan’s desire to re-institute mandatory abstinence from meat on all Fridays for all American Catholics (a most laudatory goal), I nevertheless would be remiss in not passing on this story from our friends at Rorate: A friendly and tasty reminder that there is a strong argument to be made that there is no required abstinence from meat […]
» Read moreMy parents are visiting for a week, and this morning my father and I attended a beautiful Thanksgiving Day Mass at Holy Rosary. Crazy manic running around now, to prepare everything for the feast. One sad bit of news: Vera the Dominique (beloved sister of Violet) did not survive the night. Although Francine had treated her enlarged crop, this was […]
» Read moreFifty-six years before the English Puritain refugees at Plymouth celebrated their “first Thanksgiving”, Spanish explorers and their Timucua allies celebrated one in Saint Augustine, in what is now Florida. They had bean soup. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral under orders to root out some French colonists in the area. Sighting land in La Florida on 28 August […]
» Read moreNew York, 3 October 1789 By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee […]
» Read moreAs you can see, I’ve added a countdown calendar to the blog on the left-hand side. Right now it stands at 20 weeks! Equipment testing continues, this time with an eye towards the weather. We tested our water-proof regime a few weeks ago on a hike round and round Snake Lake. Although we probably didn’t go any further than about […]
» Read moreYou would be forgiven for thinking that the Pope’s main church is St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It’s certainly the largest. But no. The Pope’s own church – his episcopal seat as Bishop of Rome – is in the church of Saint John Lateran. Which Saint John? Good question. Two of them, actually, for the full name of this […]
» Read moreDear President Obama, In my capacity as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I write to express my congratulations on your re-election as President of the United States. The people of our country have again entrusted you with a great responsibility. The Catholic Bishops of the United States offer our prayers that God will give you strength […]
» Read moreToday is election day in the United States. If you’re an American citizen, and you’re eligible to vote, get out there and do your civic duty! I for one am looking forward to the blare of campaign advertising settling down to a whimper of recrimination and regret. Let the 2016 races begin! (Oh, and happy St. Leonard‘s day!)
» Read moreLet’s talk Purgatory. We have to, to make any sense at all out of today’s feast. Today is officially “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed”, but like most folks, I’ll stick with the simple version – All Souls’ Day. Over the years, I’ve heard numerous homilies and essays that mix this day up with yesterday, All Saints’ Day. Last […]
» Read moreHappy Feast of All Saints! This is the day where we celebrate all the saints, known and unknown: the Church Triumphant. This day has been a feast since the sixth or seventh century, and it was fixed on November 1 in the Roman calendar by Pope Gregory III in the mid 8th century. Yesterday, of course, was the vigil or […]
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