While the Church has not formally approved the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary said to be occurring for roughly 40 years in Medjugorje, there is no denying this village in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a place of great faith.
Sunday Scriptures
‘Hope Is a Good Thing, Maybe the Best of Things’
I am always on the hunt for interesting things to show my confirmation class, so just last week I was thrilled when, looking up a video I could present on the baptism of the Lord on the last day of the Christmas season, my online search led me to an informative documentary series on belief in God presented by one of my favorite actors, Morgan Freeman.
John the Baptist Fulfills His Evangelical Mission
Whoever said the Holy Mass doesn’t come straight from the Bible? Today’s Gospel from John includes five words right out of the mouth of John the Baptist, words that the faithful hear every time the Eucharist is celebrated: “Behold the Lamb of God.”
The Holy Family Is An Example for All Families
Television shows of the late 1950s and early 1960s certainly gave my generation a definite image of what it meant to be a family.
The Angels Wait for Our Answer to the Call to Faith
Liturgically, today offers us the “once every six years because of leap year” combination of the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve occurring on the same day. Today’s Gospel, St. Luke’s narrative on the Annunciation, finds its nine-months-later fulfillment in the proclamation of the Birth of Christ that we will hear in just a few hours.
The Presence of the Lord Among Us Is a Great Joy
Upon entering most of our Catholic schools and academies, a visitor will see a sign on the wall that reads, “Let it be known to all who enter here that Jesus Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever present teacher in all its classes, the model of its faculty, and the inspiration for its students.”
Acknowledge Sinfulness And Wish to Be Cleansed
Many of the men who studied at Cathedral College in Douglaston during the late 1960’s and ’70’s will recognize the speech teacher I am thinking of.
Our Responsibility Is to Be Ready for Christ’s Return
Although our celebration of Advent follows a rather predictable course, the underlying significance of what we do is quite different. One of the best (and personally most quoted) similes for Advent comes from Alfred Hitchcock.
It’s All True: Heaven, Hell, And Purgatory Are Real
The character of Han Solo has been portrayed by Harrison Ford since the very first film set in a galaxy far, far away, namely “Star Wars: A New Hope,” in 1977.
Upon Death, God Will Ask Us, ‘How Have You Loved?’
The readings that our Church presents to us this Sunday can seem to be a bit of a mismatch.
