In all the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council, is there any prescription more regularly violated than General Norm 22.3 of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy? Which, in case you’ve forgotten, teaches that “no … person, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”
A serious illness is stressful and exhausting for a patient and his or her loved ones, and it can also be a time of deep emotional sadness. The more we ease the burden of those who suffer and those who care for them, the more we are of help.
Father Eugene Hemrick pays tribute to the late Bishop Joseph L. Imesch, of Joliet, Illinois — a man with the heart of a loving father, who was more concerned about his priests than the exalted title of bishop.
TO REDEPLOY A phrase from President Gerald Ford, our “long national nightmare” – in this case, the semi-permanent presidential campaign – will be over in 11 months. Here are two suggestions for what Catholics in America might ponder before Nov. 8.
It seems as if daily we witness violence, dissension and other social ailments. Father Eugene Hemrick asks how to keep this from overshadowing a hopeful new year.
When you begin to think about the new adventures you’ll embark on during this New Year, try to make Jesus Christ the centerpiece.
A wise priest once told me that mercy is where love meets suffering. That’s a pretty profound definition. I’ve pondered it often, even meditated on it, but I’m not sure I really understood it until I recently saw a letter from Calvary Hospital in the Bronx.
Emily Trunko, a 15-year-old from Ohio, created “Dear My Blank” on Tumblr to give people a place to anonymously post letters that they never intend to send. Some messages are simple, others are full of hope and a few are heartbreaking.
Preachers at Christmas often emphasize the lowliness of the Christ Child’s birth. This pattern of inversion – turning everything upside-down – continues throughout the public ministry of the Lord Jesus and reaches its climax in His death and resurrection.
A British department store is creating a buzz this Christmas after teaming with Age UK, a charity for senior citizens, to raise funds and awareness of the scourge of loneliness among the elderly today.
