I refer to Ash Wednesday as a Holy Day of INVITATION. An invitation is given from the Holy Spirit, acting through the Church, the Body of Christ, inviting us into forty days of prayer, repentance, fasting, interior house cleaning, conversion and charity. It is a time to begin anew, in the Lord.
Liturgical Seasons
Beware of the Day of My Return
Our Lord Jesus cautions us to beware of the day of his return. Although we often think of Advent as a time to get ready for Christmas, the sacred season is about much more than that, as our gospel reading for today reminds us.
What is Church Law on Fasting and Abstinence During Lent?
The season of Lent is penitential in character. Blessed Paul VI teaches in his apostolic constitution Paenitemini that “by divine law all the faithful are required to do penance” (Chapter III, I., 1).
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
Epiphany refers to the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles represented by the magi. In the gospel we are presented with a contrast between three figures: Jesus, Herod the Great, and the magi who journey into the night in search of not merely a sign from God, but rather the Christ Child himself, the “newborn king of the Jews” (Mt 2:2).
The Power of the Virtue of Hope: It’s Essential
The great question for each of us on this First Sunday of Advent is: Do I have a powerful hope in Christ? When you hear the words from our gospel today, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. You do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,” how do they stir your heart?