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
The figures of Advent we have met in the liturgy are the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and now, on the fourth Sunday, Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin. Saint Matthew’s account is brief, almost matter of fact: “She was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.” It is Luke’s account, read this morning,[…]
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled (Lk. 1:45). On this the fourth and last Sunday of Advent, the Sacred Liturgy invites us to be one with the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whom at last the fullness of time is reached, and a new order[…]
In these last days of Advent, here are three versions of the ancient Advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, dating back 1200 years to monastic traditions in the 8th or 9th century. The text, originally Latin, with the common English version by John Mason Neale in the 1851, is a musical rendition of the[…]
Beethoven was baptized a Catholic on December 17th, 1770 – in the time of Advent we now find ourselves, in the proximate preparation for the birth of our Saviour. Those who think that he was not a true Catholic often point to the observation of his friends that he hardly ever attended Mass. Born in[…]
The recent killing of the United Healthcare CEO in New York City – shot in the back by a man lying in wait – should rattle us. That sort of thing is not what we should expect on the streets of cities in civil society. But what has been especially troubling is the response from[…]
(As we enter into these last days of Advent, and the ‘O Antiphons’, the Incarnation of the Son of God as the Messiah becomes the focus of our preparation. As a help in that, here is a reflection by contributor Carl Sundell on what may likely be the most significant relic of Christ, the Shroud of[…]
The Lord your God, is in your midst…He will renew you in His love (Zeph. 3:17). ⧾ The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for Rejoice, the first word of our Entrance Antiphon: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near. Today we[…]
(Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died during Advent, on December 5th, 1791, so it’s fitting in this season of grace to reflect with faithful contributor Carl Sundell on the Catholic faith of one of the greatest of composers, whose music is truly heavenly. As Salieri said, ‘Ah, the divine Mozart!’. True enough. But, might we rather say,[…]
It has been a long-standing papal tradition that Popes pay homage to the Immaculate Conception at the foot of the Marian column close to the Spanish Steps in Rome. The statute of the Immaculate Conception is put on top of a 12-meter high column, dedicated on December 8, 1857, shortly after Pope Blessed Pius IX[…]
The great bishop and doctor Ambrose (340 – 397) is known for many things, not least his role in the conversion of the great Saint Augustine. When he was born, a swarm of bees covered his mouth and face – quite a traumatic event, one might think – but Ambrose’s father said to leave them[…]
