Are there variations on praying the rosary besides the traditional prayer pattern? October is traditionally known as the month of the rosary, with the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary celebrated on October 7. The rosary traces it origin to those who wanted to imitate the monks’ daily psalm prayers but could not...
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Why is October 11 significant in the life of Pope John XXIII and that of the Second Vatican Council? Pope John XXIII decided to convene the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962, the feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. John XXIII was attuned to the symbolic connections made through feast...
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A friend told me St. Jerome had a lot to do with the Bible translation. Didn’t he live long ago? St. Jerome (345-420), whose feast is celebrated on September 30, is accepted as the model of biblical scholarship and study. His knowledge of Hebrew, Greek and Latin enabled him to translate the Bible from...
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What is Catechetical Sunday, and what lessons in discipleship do we learn from Mark’s Gospel? Each year we designate the third Sunday in September as Catechetical Sunday. A theme is chosen to highlight an essential aspect of handing on the faith. This year’s theme centers on “The Word of God in the Life and...
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What is important about the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross? September 14 celebrates the feast of the Exaltation (or Triumph) of the Holy Cross, commemorating the discovery of the true cross. Its importance lies in the theology of the cross that the feast proclaims. The cross, the instrument of humiliation and...
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What is the main theme of the Letter of James, which will be proclaimed as the second reading for the next six Sundays? The Letter of James is more an exhortation to ethical living than a letter. It was probably written in the late first century by an author who attributes it to James,...
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What are some ways to prepare to celebrate the Sunday Liturgy of the Word more effectively? Sunday Mass consists of two interrelated parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Word has been expanded into a three-year cycle of Scripture passages, with each liturgy containing four...
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What do we affirm on August 22 when we proclaim and celebrate the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary? The feast of the Queenship of Mary was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1954, and was originally celebrated on May 31, the month of the May crowning of Mary. Today the memorial is celebrated...
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Why was Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, whose memory we recall on August 14, canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II? Father Maximilian Mary Kolbe was a Polish Franciscan who promoted a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin wherever he went. Having been ordained a priest in Rome in 1918, he returned to Poland to...
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What preparations did Pope John XXIII enact during the spring and summer of 1959 to prepare for the ecumenical council? Fifty years ago newly-elected Pope John XXIII announced his desire to convoke an ecumenical council. His announcement encountered a variety of reactions and objections. However, John felt compelled to pursue his Spirit-led desire for...
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