Saint Martha

“Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus.”  This unique statement in John’s gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, her sister, and her brother.  Apparently Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha’s home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem.  We read of three visits in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-53, and John 12:1-9.

Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them.  (Read more…)

Sts. Joachim and Anne-Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary-July 26th

Saints Joachim (sometimes spelled “Joaquin,” pronounced “wal-keem”) and Anne, are the parents of the Virgin Mary.  There are no mentions of them in the Bible or Gospels, what we know comes from Catholic legend and the Gospel of James, which is an unsanctioned, apocryphal writing from the second century AD.  We do know from scholarship that the Gospel of James was not written by James, the Brother of Jesus, despite its claim to be so authored. (Read more…)

The Knights of Columbus

For many years the fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus, has done so much to promote and defend the teachings of the Catholic Church.  The Knights stress the importance of the family, and articulate and defend the rights of the unborn, the sanctity of the marriage bond, and other issues important to us as Catholics.  Some time ago, in a message to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention, Pope Francis thanked the Knights for their efforts to defend the role of religion and praised the order for its commitment to educate people in the faith and in a strong sense of civic responsibility. (Read more…)