A few years ago I went to the Christmas Eve Mass and the priest was an old retired priest who seemed to ramble or maybe I was too tired to follow him. Nevertheless, one word struck me and has stuck with me: the word was awe. Can you imagine the awe the shepherds felt? An […]
“Joy to the World…” You have and will hear this phrase many times during the Christmas season. Often, people translate that into what God has done for the world. That is true. But, what about you? When the Angel Gabriel came to Mary to announce that Mary had been chosen by God to be the […]
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things” (Romans 11:36). “I do not endeavor, O Lord, to penetrate Your sublimity, for in no wise do I compare my understanding with that; but I long to understand in some degree Your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not […]
Charley had a secret. A secret he had been holding for several months. It was a secret which would bring great happiness, he thought, if people only knew. Charley’s family was suffering. Dad was out of a job. Mom was suffering from an illness, but they really couldn’t figure out what was happening to her. […]
As a writer, I find that my thoughts quickly turn into articles in my head. A recent at-rest thought was: What are the worst ideas in the world? High heels were my first thought. Heels prove that vanity lacks wisdom. Feet are for walking; high heels are anti-walking so regardless of what’s in your shoe […]
A tiny heart beat steadily within the baby boy’s mother. The blood circulating through that tiny heart would save us and change millions of human hearts across the centuries; hearts of stone and violence would melt into hearts of flesh and peace and joy. The infant’s birth was like no other birth. It had been […]
Most of us recall the joy and excitement we experienced as young children singing Christmas carols and happy birthday to Jesus while waiting to see what gifts Santa would leave under our tree. How many times did my siblings and I resolve to catch the jolly old man in the act only to fall fast […]
Some years ago, a class of students was asked to write about the meaning of Christmas. One student wrote, “Christmas is when Christians celebrate Christ.” The teacher liked the paper, but asked the student to change that one line to “Christmas is when people celebrate love.” What, some may wonder, is the difference? After all, […]
This morning began as any normally abnormal one around the Fenelon Clan abode – with me taking my handful of horse-pill vitamins, one agonizing swallow at a time. They say you can’t buy health in a bottle. Maybe so. But, I figure it’s like taking out an insurance policy: You go for years wasting your […]
Every year I brace myself for winter. Knowing the air will turn crisp to cold, I whip out a cozy scarf, and as the sky dims and darkens, I store up on Vitamin D. The sun’s short stay and the often cloudy sky make afternoons feel more like early evenings. It’s dark, dark, dark! We […]
The problem many of us have with Christmas isn’t that we expect too much of it but that we expect much too little. My Christmas wish for all of us, myself included, is that we raise our sights and ask for all that God really wants to give us. If we can open ourselves to […]
Charles de Foucauld was a dandy, a fop, or perhaps an epicure. Having lost his faith as a young teen, he learned to enjoy the good things in life and did all he could to continue to enjoy them. Even amidst a military career, in which he performed quite daring exploits, he still loved to […]
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31). As I slowly reread The Confessions, savoring every jot and tittle, I am struck by the intensity of Saint Augustine’s search for truth—rather, for the Truth. Aurelius Augustine embraced many falsehoods during his life, but every successive identity he assumed […]
We conclude our reflection on the mysteries of the rosary with an examination of The Luminous Mysteries 1. The Baptism of the Lord 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 […]
“Actions speak louder than words.” “A picture is worth a thousand words.” “Talk is cheap.” There are many sayings in the English language that generally express the same thing: words alone do not do the necessary job of communicating our thoughts and feelings, especially in the case of a personal message. “I love you,” for […]
There are days and then there are days. Have you ever felt like there was so much to say and do, and not enough time, concentration, or energy to accomplish half of your expectations? Lately, during my daily chores, blog ideas, article notes, and lessons pop into my head and I rarely write them down. […]
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). “O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness, and Your mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can […]
Last Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the prayers we pray in the Mass started being used in the United States. Interestingly, the prayers on which the translation is based are not new. They are essentially the same official prayers of the Latin Rite which we have had for decades. Go to the […]
Implementing the new translation of the Mass on the first Sunday of Advent is excellent timing. After all, Advent is an opportunity to consider the spiritual life and make improvements where necessary. The revisions of the Mass are useful starting points when pondering the state of our souls. Perhaps the change most relevant to spiritual […]
“Convert us, O God: and show us Your face, and we shall be saved” (Psalm 80:3). Over and above all else, Holy Writ teaches the sovereignty of God. God’s mercy and judgment operate irresistibly throughout the pages of Scripture. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations” (Psalm […]
This year, Advent bears a unique treasure for Catholics, who have the rare opportunity to experience the Holy Mass with newly translated prayers. The revised Missal is aesthetically rich and spiritually dignified. Much like a compelling piece of art, the Mass can be enjoyed over and over again, but there is only one first encounter. […]
I have to admit that it really didn’t impress me very favorably the first time I read it: “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization”—that will be the theme of next May’s World Day for Social Communications, the Vatican announcement said. That’s really strange, I thought. After all, even as it stands World Communications Day isn’t […]
“O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136:2). I often ponder the Scriptural phrase “God of gods.” It refers, naturally, to the Lord’s creative powers and sovereign prerogatives. God is the Maker and the Ruler of all things, “doing whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3). He is the Source […]
Celebrating Mass together is the most important activity we do in our lives, and yet it is the most misunderstood and under-appreciated. From the moment we wake up we have a list of things that fill our calendars and day planners, leaving the Mass barely surviving on Sunday mornings. When we finally get there, we […]
