The Saints: Which of These Statements Is True of Saints?

06-30-2019Why do we do that?
  1. Saints are hermits who withdraw from the world.
  2. Saints never make mistakes or fail.
  3. Saints never get angry.
  4. Saints like to have fun and laugh.

Statement number one is FALSE.
Although many important saints were hermits, there were many who lived in the world. Saint Frances of Rome was a wife and the mother of three children. Though her husband adored her, her mother-in-law made fun of her in public. When war came to Rome, Frances’ small son was taken hostage and her home was destroyed. She turned this tragedy into triumph by converting her ruined home into a hospital and shelter for victims of war.

READ MORE

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus

06-23-2019Weekly Reflection

“Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” Mark 14:22a-24

Happy Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God! What a Gift we celebrate today!

The Eucharist is everything. It’s all things, the fullness of life, eternal salvation, mercy, grace, happiness, etc. Why is the Eucharist all this and so much more? Simply put, the Eucharist IS God. Period. Therefore, the Eucharist is all that God is.

READ MORE

What's the Story on the Apparitions of Mary?

06-16-2019Why do we do that?

Catholics have experienced Mary’s intercession in many ways. Generations of believers have praised Mary as one who has led them to the grace of God. Many trustworthy and holy individuals have reported visions of Mary, often accompanied by messages that have been the source of countless blessings. Shrines at the sites of such appearances are visited by millions of people every year, most notably at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, at Lourdes in France, and at Fatima in Portugal.

READ MORE

Why Do Catholics Call Mary the Mother of God?

06-09-2019Why do we do that?

The simple answer is: Because she is the Mother of Jesus, Mary is the Mother of God. As Vatican II puts it: “At the message of the angel, the Virgin Mary received the Word of God in her heart and in her body, and gave life to the world. Hence, she is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer” (Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, #53).

This does not mean that Mary was the source of the divine nature of Jesus, but that she was the mother of his human nature and that there was no time when the human Jesus was not God. The second person of the Trinity existed for all eternity, but when the “Word became flesh,” Jesus was both human and divine from the first moment of his conception. Mary was Mother of Jesus Christ, both God and a human. Therefore, it is proper for us to call Mary the “Mother of God.”

READ MORE

Why Do Catholics Call Mary "Ever Virgin"?

06-02-2019Why do we do that?

With Scripture, we believe that Mary conceived the Son of God through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:34-35). Catholic teaching and tradition like-wise speak of Mary remaining virginal after the birth of Jesus.

What about passages like Mark 6:3 that speak of Jesus' brothers? In the Catholic tradition, this has been interpreted not to mean other children of Mary, but rather close relatives. A tradition from the second century indicates Christians believed that these were Joseph's children from a previous marriage.

READ MORE