by Cindy Wooden, VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In the dry spiritual desert of modern society and the darkness of moral and economic confusion, Christians draw joy from knowing that Christ is near, Pope Benedict XVI said. Celebrating a morning Mass at Rome’s Our Lady of Grace parish and reciting the Angelus at the Vatican later […]
Advent
Mary’s Obedience Changed History
by Father Anthony F. Raso THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, and for that matter, throughout the past 2000 years, there has been a great love and fascination for that girl in the Gospel today. Mary was at that point about 12 or 13 years old and no doubt had the appearance of a girl in the eighth […]
Christmas Means Believing in Someone
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, Last October, our Holy Father Benedict XVI issued an Apostolic Letter entitled, “Porta Fidei,” or the “Door of Faith” quoting Acts 14:27. The door of faith is always open to us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into His Church. This […]
The True Meaning of Advent
Students in Catholic schools throughout the diocese are preparing for the celebration of the birth of Christ by fullfing their Christian duty of helping those in need. Students at St. Agnes Academic High School, College Point, are continuing their school’s tradition of gift giving and showing comitment to the Christian value of social justice. Freshman […]
Rejoice! Rejoice! The Wait Is Almost Over
by Father Anthony F. Raso THERE IS a wonderful scene in the film, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” It opens showing the Roman soldiers, marching through Jerusalem, strutting their usual unpleasant stuff, oppressing the people and beating hope out of the souls of everyone. The people on the street seem utterly drained of all power […]
Falling In Love With God
by Father Robert Lauder Fourteenth in a Series I FIND THE VIEW of philosopher-theologian Bernard Lonergan as presented by Father Michael Paul Gallagher in Faith Maps: Ten Religious Explorers from Newman to Joseph Ratzinger (New York: Paulist Press, 2010, 158 pages, $16.95) exceptionally insightful. Lonergan’s analysis of our society in so far as it presents […]
New York State Bishops Meet Pope – Benedict Praises Efforts to Combat ‘Scourge’ of Sex Abuse
by John Travis VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a speech to U.S. bishops, Pope Benedict XVI defended the Church’s “honest efforts” to confront the priestly sex abuse scandal with transparency, and said its actions could help the rest of society respond to the problem. While the church is rightly held to high standards, all other […]
Mass Changes – Most Parishioners Cope with Change While Others Struggle with New Words
With the opening of the Advent season, English-speaking Catholics in the diocese and around the world experienced the arrival of the revised translation of the Roman Missal. The updated translation, announced by Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee Year 2000, is a more literal rendition of the original Latin text. Local Catholics were largely […]
Lighting Up the Season in Crown Heights
Massgoers at St. Gregory the Great Church, Crown Heights, clapped and sang as the parish gardens were illuminated with white and multi-colored lights to proclaim the start of Advent. Following the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass on Nov. 26, Father Lamartine Petit-Monsieur, assisted by Deacon Andres DeLeon II, began the lighting ceremony with a prayer. Head […]
Nothing to Fear When Your Heart Belongs to God
by Father Anthony F. Raso IN THE FIFTH GRADE in Our Lady of Angels School, my best friend was Frankie. In many ways, Frankie and I formed a kind of “opposites attract” friendship: I was the second-smartest boy in the class (Yeah, “second-smartest” … I don’t think I’ve ever recovered from that. Anyway…) and Frankie, […]