In a few weeks it will be Lent, that period of forty days during which we seek to purify our lives so that we can enter more fully into the mystery of our Lord’s resurrection. Because Lent is approaching so quickly, and because we need to prepare for this great season of penance and reform, I will be dedicating my columns during the next three weeks to preparing for Lent so that when Lent arrives we will be prepared to celebrate it. Click the title to read more.
During the past several weeks we have passed through the seasons of Advent and Christmas, This has been an extraordinarily rich time during which we have celebrated and meditated upon (1) our hope for the coming of Christ, (2) his wondrous incarnation and birth, and (3) his manifestation as the Savior of the world. In a few more weeks, we will be entering into another rich Liturgical Season, the time of Lent and Easter. But before we enter that rich liturgical season, we briefly return to what the Church calls her “Ordinary Time,” that period during which we reflect upon the life and ministry of the Lord. Click the title to read more.
Today the church celebrates Jesus’ Baptism, a feast that marks the end of the Christmas season. Since the meaning and purpose of this feast can be puzzling, I am dedicating this column to it. Click the title to read more.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, a day that is often called “little Christmas.” This day, however, is much more than a “little Christmas.” It is a day that celebrates one of the most important aspects of the Christmas mystery: the manifestation of the Lord to all the nations of the world. Let me explain. Click the title to read more.
I wish to express a heartfelt thank you to all who worked so diligently to make our Christmas celebration so beautiful . . . . There are so many people to thank (please click title to read the entire article) . . . Thank you for making my first Christmas at St. Mary's a memorable one.
For the world about us, Christmas has ended. It began the day after Thanksgiving, and it ended on Christmas Day. For us, however, the Christmas Season began on Christmas Day, and it will continue through January 13th, the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. Accordingly, whereas the world is beginning a new shopping cycle, we are entering ever more deeply into the mystery of Christmas. Click the title to read more.