Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE St. Peter’s Square Wednesday, 30 March 2011 [Video] Saint Alphonsus Liguori Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to present to you the figure of a holy Doctor of the Church to whom we are deeply indebted because he was an outstanding moral theologian and a teacher of spiritual life[…]
Saint Alphonsus Ligouri (1696 – 1787) was a renaissance man, whose kind was a rarity in his post-renaissance era, and even more so now in our age of specialization, often in esoteric subjects that would have puzzled anyone before, say, 1960. Alphonsus received a double doctorate in civil and canon law at the tender age[…]
When we read the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) he at first glance seems to belong more to the early days of the desert Fathers, or, perhaps, to the mediaeval ‘fools for Christ’, who gave up all to follow Him – begging for alms, sleeping outside, pilgrimaging from place to place. Saint Ignatius[…]
Saint Peter Chrysologous (+450) was, as the traditional account has it, chosen bishop of Ravenna in 433 after the then-reigning pontiff, Pope, Sixtus III, had a vision of Saint Peter the Apostle and Saint Apollinaris (the latter a former bishop of Ravenna) who pointed out a young man as the next episcopus. Soon afterwards, a[…]
This memorial of Saint Martha, in accord with a decree from the Congregation of Divine Worship, now also includes her brother Lazarus, the one raised from the dead, and her sister Mary, leaving aside the controversy over whether she is the same ‘Mary’ as the Magdalene we celebrated a week ago, as some small-t traditions[…]
BENEDICT XVI ANGELUS Courtyard of the Papal Residence, Castel Gandolfo Sunday, 18 July 2010 Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are now in the heart of summer, at least in the northern hemisphere. This is the period in which schools are closed and the greater part of the holidays are concentrated. Even the pastoral activities[…]
On this day in 2009, at the end of his Angelus message, Pope Benedict had these brief words to say on Saints Joachim and Anne: A second point for reflection comes from today’s liturgical commemoration of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of Our Lady, and therefore, grandparents of Jesus. This occasion makes us think of[…]
(From our archives:) Let us sing praises to Joachim and Anna, The couple honoured by God (as they are His kinsmen) They have borne for us the Maiden Who in a manner beyond understanding Gave birth to Him who though fleshless Became the incarnate to save the world With her they intercede for our souls[…]
Today we celebrate the great feast of Saint James ‘the Greater’, not because of any intrinsic superior quality to the other apostle James, ‘the Lesser’, traditionally held to be the author of the New Testament epistle, whom we venerate with Saint Philip on May 3rd, but likely because this James was older. Today’s James was[…]
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Wednesday, 21 June 2006 James, the Greater Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are continuing the series of portraits of the Apostles chosen directly by Jesus during his earthly life. We have spoken of St Peter and of his brother, Andrew. Today we meet the figure of James. The biblical lists of[…]
