The Epiphany to (the) Wise Men
A blessed and joyous Epiphany to all our readers, at least to those in Canada and other regions, where this solemnity is moved to the nearest Sunday. For the universal... Read more.
Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton: The First American-Born Saint
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774 – 1821) signifies what America once was and, by the grace of God, may yet be again – the true ‘MAGA’, if... Read more.
The Holy Name of Jesus
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth... Read more.
The Church Could Use A Few More Thomas (à) Beckets
A blessed continuing ‘Merrie Christmas!’ to all our readers, on this sixth day of the Octave, and then on through the the twelve days, right up to the... Read more.
In the Bleak Midwinter, Gaudete Christus Natus Est
It’s lovely how the simplest tunes often – perhaps most often, maybe even always – make the most beautiful of melodies. So it is with Gustav Holst’s... Read more.
The Hope of the Holy Innocents
The feast of the Holy Innocents, which we celebrate appropriately enough within the octave of Christmas, might seem a troubling commemoration at first glance. Remembering... Read more.
Saint John, the Apostle of the Logos
On this third day of Christmas, we not only get three french hens, but, far better, we get to celebrate the beloved Apostle, Saint John the Evangelist, whose Gospel... Read more.
On the Feast of Stephen…not Boxing Day!
As the mid-19th century hymn has it, Good King Wenceslaus first went out, on the feast of Stephen, when the snow lay ’round about, deep and crisp and even…a... Read more.
Saints Adam and Eve
Christmas Eve is the traditional commemoration of Adam and Eve, our first parents – I don’t think there’s any etymological connection between Eve and Eve,... Read more.
Silent Night, of Joy and Peace Amidst the Tumult
The beloved hymn Silent Night was first performed on Christmas Eve, 1818, fittingly at Saint Nicholas parish in Oberndorf in what was then the Austrian empire. The... Read more.