Tag Archives: Evangelization

Sanctifying Holy Days of Obligation

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

Last November 1, I posted a blog about work on Holy Days of Obligation. Since we have a Holy Day this week — the Solemnity of the Assumption — I again want to direct people to that post and encourage them to … Continue reading →

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The White Cassock

Posted on July 30, 2019 by

A “current trend” in clergy fashion is to wear a white cassock during summertime. Some wonder if this is permitted. The answer is probably something like, “technically, no, but it doesn’t really matter”… Technically, no — because, back in the … Continue reading →

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A Magazine for Men

Posted on July 28, 2019 by

I am blessed in my parish to have a group of men and boys that meets weekly during the school year — well over 100 of them — and a couple of times each summer. That group is Fraternus, and … Continue reading →

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The Older Profession of Faith for Converts

Posted on July 18, 2019 by

When a person who is already baptized is received into the Catholic Church now, the ordinary profession of faith used is quite simple. The person states (without having to put his or her hand on a book of the gospels … Continue reading →

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Sufficient Confession Times

Posted on July 10, 2019 by

A priest-friend of mine has remarked that every priest should take his weekly confession time (in minutes), multiply by 52 weeks, then divide by the number of individual parishioners over the age of reason. The result is how many minutes … Continue reading →

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Midsummer: St. John’s Eve

Posted on June 24, 2019 by

Last night was the Vigil of the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist – St. John’s Eve. A traditional and lovely Catholic tradition for the occasion is to have a bonfire – and to have a priest bless it. Here … Continue reading →

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Eucharistic Faith and Reverence for the Renewal of the Church

Posted on May 16, 2019 by

Some rather profound commentaries in French have passed through my Twitter feed in the past few days, and there is an awful lot that I would like to say and share, even as I lack the time to do so. … Continue reading →

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Resurrection and the Rising Sun

Posted on April 22, 2019 by

In my homily for Easter Sunday (PDF download) I reflected on the theme of “memory” in connection with Resurrection faith. As part of this I told the story of the Church in Japan, “the Land of the Rising Sun” — … Continue reading →

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Reflecting on Altar Rails

Posted on February 27, 2019 by

For me, one of the simplest arguments for having an altar rail along the sanctuary of the Church is an aesthetic one: it just looks better. It brings greater order to the division between sanctuary and nave; it sets off … Continue reading →

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Wayside Chapels

Posted on February 21, 2019 by

During my recent trip to Wisconsin I was delighted to learn of a wayside chapel near to where I was staying, which was, itself, amidst the rolling farmland — not far from a big city, but very rural. Now usually, … Continue reading →

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The Roman Canon and Children

Posted on January 25, 2019 by

In seminary we were given some sort of vague familiarity (or at least knowledge of) the so-called “Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children” that had been composed as an option for the Novus Ordo at Masses where the majority present … Continue reading →

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A Prayer before Preaching

Posted on November 26, 2018 by

The task of preparing to preach is a serious one, upon which depends the spiritual good of the people entrusted to the preacher’s care. All priests are challenged to invest time and prayer into their preaching, carefully preparing what they … Continue reading →

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