The Bible says, “Call no man Father.” Why then do Catholics call their priests “father?” The Bible says not to pray in “vain repetition,” so why do Catholics pray the same prayers over and over?
Deacons are members of the clergy along with priests and bishops. A deacon shares in the one apostolic ministry of the bishop, who has the fullness of holy orders. The deacon participates in that ministry through his assistance of the bishop, and by extension, his priests.
In early April, Pope Francis granted a plenary indulgence to all Catholics who participate in the upcoming National Eucharistic Pilgrimage or National Eucharistic Congress.
Q) I sometimes feel like a hypocrite when I say that I believe in God and am Catholic, but then I don’t always live the way I should live as a disciple of Jesus. I try to follow God, but I keep failing, and I feel like a phony.
There are few Catholics in the country, and even the world, who don’t know the name of Father Mike Schmitz. The college campus ministry chaplain from the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, and the keynote for the National Eucharistic Congress' July 18 revival session in Indianapolis, is internationally renowned for his "Bible in a Year" and "Catechism in a Year" podcasts, provided through Catholic publisher Ascension, that have topped the podcasting charts in recent years.
In 1984, Colin Cain and his wife, Jane, were on the way home from a late-evening grocery run in South St. Paul when they noticed the light was on in the rectory of St. Augustine’s parish. They stopped, and together, mustered the resolve to knock on the door with a deeply felt request for the pastor: Would he consider offering Mass as it was celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council?
Q) Why do Catholics kneel? A) We are bodily creatures, and as such, bodily signs matter. Think of kissing, or hugging, or high-fiving or dancing — these
Q) I’ve noticed that there have been a number of “celebrity conversions” to the Catholic faith recently. These individuals seem to be getting a lot of attention from Catholics online (both positive and negative). How should we respond to these new (and well-known) brothers and sisters?
Deacons wear two special vestments unique to the order of deacons: The deacon stole and the dalmatic. They are worn when the deacon serves in a liturgical role such as at Mass or for the celebration of the sacraments of baptism or matrimony.
The Marriage Cross is a meaningful symbol of the sacrament of marriage. It has three essential parts: a large cross in the middle, with the lower portion of the vertical beam positioned between two interlocking wedding rings. Many artists include two candles, one on either side of the cross, with each candle between or behind one of the rings.
The Order of Celebrating Matrimony recommends nine different Old Testament readings for the marriage liturgy. Second on the list and one of the most chosen texts by wedding couples is the creation of woman, Genesis 2:18-24. It employs rich, descriptive imagery that illustrates God’s plan for the right relationship between a wife and a husband.
"One of the things I’ve experienced in my own life is once we know the powerful effect that the sacrament can have in our lives, we want it more," Archbishop Bernard Hebda said. "Even, in part, the hope here — for the Holy Father but also for us in the archdiocese — is that maybe there is some people who haven’t been to confession in awhile, and maybe this will be the opportunity for them once again for them to experience the joy of being forgiven of their sins, and the joy that ignites that love for this sacrament."
Jesus is the great high priest (Heb 4:14) as declared by God (Heb 5:10), “holy innocent, undefiled” (Heb 7:26). Jesus is great, superior to every other priest, whether Moses or Aaron or any other priest, because he is both divine and human, God and man. All other priests are only human, “beset by weakness” (Heb 5:2).
Over the years, as I have assisted couples preparing for their wedding liturgy, I have observed that the most chosen wedding Gospels by engaged couples are two parallel texts in Matthew 19:3-6 and Mark 10:6-9, and for good reason.
The call to be a deacon comes from God. There is no one way that the call comes to a particular person, so it is important to be on the lookout for signs and then subject the signs to discernment.
Little is often known about the antique vestments and other liturgical textiles stored, sometimes forgotten, in the attics and basements of Catholic parishes and homes, but they are signs of another era experts say deserve respect for both faith and historical reasons.
It seems God likes to do big things in hiding.
Cuppa Joe is a series of 10 talks by 10 theologians on the 10 wonders of Saint Joseph, taking place at 10 locations in our archdiocese entrusted to the patro...
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