Second Week of Advent: The Week of Peace

The theme for the second week of Advent is peace. Too often our understanding of the word “peace” is limited to worldly peace – the absence of war. But the word peace – as proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds at the birth of Jesus – has a much more spiritual significance. “Glory to…

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Why Should We Give Alms?

We’re all familiar with the 3-fold discipline of Advent: prayer, sacrifice and alms giving. Prayer and sacrifice prepare our hearts to receive Jesus. They have the power to truly change our hearts. But what about alms giving? Obviously we know that giving food and money to the poor us a good thing to do. But…

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Our Hearts Are Ready, Lord . . .

Back in June, Pope Francis gave a homily based on St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. He taught that, while grace is freely given, we need to prepare our hearts to receive God’s grace so that we do not “receive the grace of God in vain.” This means to be attentive to God in…

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What Are We Really Celebrating Tomorrow?

Welcome to the last day of Advent! Tomorrow we shift our celebration from joyful anticipation to full-out celebration. To maximize our joy this Christmas season, let’s reflect on what we’re celebrating. If your parish is stuck in “Jesus birthday” mode, you’re going to love reflecting on the full meaning of Christmas. During Christmas, God enters…

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The World Pines for a Savior

Oh, Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining! It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth. My favorite Christmas hymn is “Oh Holy Night.” The lyrics speak of the emptiness in the heart of the world after Original Sin. The world is pining for a savior. Long lay the world In sin and error…

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Author Book Reading Timeless: A History of the Catholic Church

Author Book Reading Timeless: A History of the Catholic Church

      Author Steve Weidenkopf reads from chapter 6 in his book, Timeless: A History of the Catholic Church. This chapter, called “The Family Weakens,” explores Church history in the fourteenth century, a time in the Church that saw much worldly selfishness and scandal in the Church hierarchy.  This period of history includes the…

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2 Ways a Christian Can Deepen His or Her Faith

2 Ways a Christian Can Deepen His or Her Faith

Religious faith is an important part of our lives. In fact, more than 80 percent of individuals around the world claim to adhere to some sort of  spirituality, religion, or doctrine. Most identify as Christians, and that is certainly the case in the United States. There are approximately 240 million Americans practicing the faith, representing…

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What Are You Going to Give Up . . . for Advent?

We’re used to the question. We’ve probably been asked it by our parents, catechists and priests since we were children. What are you giving up for Lent this year? We’re used to thinking about Lent as a time of sacrifice and penance in preparation for Easter. And it makes sense to us (I hope). We…

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