For many years now, the Church in the United States has designated the third weekend of September “Catechetical Sunday” to coincide with the beginning of the new School year. 

Here is a timely quote from the national catechetical office of the US Catholic Bishops on religious education:

Catechesis is a distinct and special ministry in the Church. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes clear, “Catechesis is intimately bound up with the whole of the Church’s life . (Read more…)

September 8th

We know that everyone has a birthday. The Bible doesn’t say anything about Mary’s birth, but we know that she was born. Like all parents, Mary’s parents —we call them Joachim and Ann — probably took one look at their newborn daughter and knew that she was special.

Joachim and Ann loved God very much, and they were filled with gratitude to God for the gift of a child.  They raised Mary as a child of God, teaching her to love and serve God. (Read more…)

This Monday we celebrate Labor Day and we honor all those who labor for a living. We thank them for their service to their families, and for their service to all those who benefit from their efforts. As we know, prayer and work go hand in hand. Therefore we are invited to pray in a special way for all laborers. We also pray for the unemployed and underemployed, and pray that more opportunities for gainful employment will materialize for those in need. (Read more…)

Dealing with Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading a seminar and explaining stress management to her audience.  Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘Half empty or half full?’  She fooled them all.

“How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter.  (Read more…)

Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture.  At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.”  As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court. (Read more…)

On Thursday, August 15th, the church has always held to the belief that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into a heavenly state, even though the belief was not declared as dogmatic until 1950.  The early church had a robust tradition of revering relics from the saints of the day, and their complete lack of relics from the Mother of Jesus was seen as evidence of this Marian belief.  The celebration of the event as a feast dates back to the fourth century in the East and the seventh century in the West. (Read more…)