The Mass and Sacraments Part 5: Penance
One of the Church’s most efficacious sacraments, and one of the most necessary, is the Sacrament of Penance. In this sacrament, your sins are forgiven and many graces are received which aid you in striving after Christian perfection. This sacrament was instituted by Christ on the first Easter Sunday. The form is the words said…
So Prompt Before the Throne of God
For many of our problems and difficulties in life, big and small, we ask the saints to intercede for us and to help us through our trials. Besides Mary, the mother of God, St. Joseph is a saint whose intercession is most sought after in the Catholic Church. In ways both big and small, he…
The Hail Mary: Part Two
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners!” In this part of the Hail Mary, we are asking for Our Lady’s intercession. In praying to Our Lady, we are encouraged by the saints, who have regularly attested to her assistance. The Flemish monk and mystical writer Louis de Blois went so far as…
A Duty of Christians: Part Two
The Church has always encouraged the faithful to pray for the souls of the faithful who have departed from this world. From the treasury of its merits, it grants its children indulgences, which are the most powerful way to assist the poor souls in purgatory. Through this gift of the Holy Catholic Church, one can…
A Duty of Christians: Part One
One night in the year 1922, St. Padre Pio was confronted by a poor soul. The man had come to the place where he had died hoping that prayers might be offered for his release from purgatory. Padre Pio promised the man he would say a Mass for him and led the poor soul to…
For Corpus Christi
The Anima Christi is one of my favorite Eucharistic prayers. I find it essentially sums up everything you could possibly ask Jesus while you have Him in your heart after receiving Him in Holy Communion, and it is excellent inspiration for mental prayer. Since today is the External Solemnity of the Feast of Corpus Christi,…
May the Holy Cross be my Light: Let Not the Dragon be my Guide
Sacramentals are part of the rich treasure trove of our Church. The St. Benedict Medal is one of these sacramentals and has been in use by Catholics for centuries. Why is this particular medal so important? Well, St. Benedict had many encounters with the devil throughout his life and overcame him, with the help of…
The Way of the Cross
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 is probably one of the most frequently quoted passages from the Bible, with good reason. No matter how often it is recited, no matter how ‘overused’ and ‘worn…
Christ’s 40 Day Fast
To Christ, death was the goal and fulfillment of His life, the gold that He was seeking. Few of His words or actions are intelligible without reference to His cross (20). Venerable Fulton Sheen, Life of Christ Christ’s entire life pointed to the cross. This was His purpose, and few indeed were any of His…
The Rosary: Our Lady’s Favor
Knights during the middle ages wore many layers of leather, plate armor, and chainmail to protect themselves from harm during the dangers of battle and close combat. Should not we, who are confirmed soldiers of Christ, do the same? Ephesians 6:11 tells us to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be…
The Rosary: The Ultimate Petition
St. Dominic started the practice of praying the rosary daily; a devotion he spread far and wide during his life. Since then, the graces flowing from this prayer has been confirmed and emphasized through the examples of many great saints and apparitions of the Blessed Mother. One of the most well-known apparitions of Mary was…
The Rosary: Prayer Victorious
The air is rent with shouted orders, the clatter and clamor of a fleet being prepared for battle. Soldiers and sailor alike prepare themselves, checking the sharpness of weapons, tying off this rope, reefing that sail. But the readiness of the ships is not all that wins a battle. The men know this well. Whispers…
The Sign of the Cross: Part 4
The Church is truly an incredible institution. Seen from a worldly point of view, it began as a small group of Jewish fishermen and peasants, who taught a new religion two thousand years ago. The new creed spread rapidly, and from a few thousand people it grew into the national religion of the Roman Empire…
Litany of Humility
“Take up My yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am meek, and humble of heart…” (Matthew 11:29). This prayer was written by Cardinal Merry delVal, and it is a wonderful prayer to recite at Mass, Adoration, or different times of the day. The Litany of Humility: O Jesus meek and humble of…
The Brown Scapular: Our Lady’s ‘Little Habit’
Take this Scapular. Whosoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and pledge of peace. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s words to St. Simon Stock When Our Lady gave the scapular to St. Simon Stock on July 16th, 1251, she gave the world…
The Sign of the Cross: Part 3
The Church has always produced many great saints and heroes throughout history. Saint John saw, in his Apocalypse, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Apoc. 7,…
The Regina Caeli
The Regina Caeli, one of the greatest songs of praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is said in place of the Angelus during the Easter season. In common use since at least the 12th century, the Regina Caeli was usually sung in monasteries and convents on Marian occasions. The Regina Caeli originated in the 6th…
Discovering the Devil’s Attack: The Third Temptation of Christ
Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me. Matthew 4:8-9 The devil has taken Christ to a high place overlooking all…
The Sign of the Cross: Part 2
An important characteristic of the early Christians was their frequent and devout use of the Sign of the Cross. We can learn a thing or two about the Sign of the Cross by observing the character of these first members of the Church, including the origin of this sacramental and its importance in the lives…
St. Dominic and The Rosary
St. Dominic de Guzman, who’s feast was on the 4th, was born to a noble Spanish family in the year 1170. He was an incredibly pious child, and it was no small surprise when, in 1194, he entered the Benedictine order, after ten years of intense study in theology and liberal arts. While Dominic was…
The Angelus
For centuries, the Angelus Domini, more commonly called “the Angelus”, has been recited by the Church three times a day – at six in the morning, at noon, and at six in the evening – to commemorate the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the announcement of the Angel and…
Discovering the Devil’s Attack: The Second Temptation of Christ
Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up,…
The Sign of the Cross: Part 1
Before Christ ascended into heaven, one of his final commands was to “Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). How are we to do this? Are we supposed to do exactly as the Apostles did and leave our homes and families to go preach Christ’s kingdom to the heathen…
Discovering the Devil’s Attack: The First Temptation of Christ
When we think of Christ’s temptations by the devil in the desert, we tend not to realize that these are often the devil’s three principle methods of attack. The tempting of Christ with bread symbolizes any temptation of the flesh or appetites we might have. The reason why ‘appetites’ is used to describe our desires is…
Deus Vult 