Hey there, What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; This of course is the famous line by Juliet in Act II Scene II of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is explaining to her love that it matters not what things are called … the name doesn’t change its essence. And so I ask, what’s with all these different Saint names? Some are …
Why we Need St. Joseph Now More Than Ever
Hey there, Every day I am astounded by the news. Brothers battling in court over whether to pull the plug on their mother according to her DNR, despite her pleas now that she wants to live. A divorced mother suing to proceed with gender reassignment on her young son despite the father’s insistence that he wants to remain a boy. The country that forced an abortion on a young mother …
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Honoring And Praying For Martyrs
Hey there, We all make sacrifices. Especially parents. But in any relationship there comes a time when we put the other person ahead of ourselves. What do you want to have for dinner? What movie do you want to go see? Where do you want to go on vacation? Fortunately, our sacrifices rarely involve life or death. This was not the case for the Saints who are martyrs. They refused …
Differentiating Solemnities, Feasts, And Memorials
Hey there, Last week I received a question from a Genuflector: “I'm just wondering why some saints/feast days/memorials are missing? For instance, St. Bernadette is April 16th. I know this year that falls on Holy Week, but I'm not seeing it on any year. Just wondering why some have made the cut and others didn't.” Since I maintain a Catholic Google Calendar, this is something I have wondered …
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Listening to God Like Saint Frances X. Cabrini
Hey there, Last month I took a 3 hour plane ride. To pass the time, I watched a movie called “Cabrini.” It’s the life story of Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a Saint. Mother Cabrini, as she was called, was sent to New York City in 1889 by the Pope to help the Italian immigrants who were experiencing disease, crime, prejudice, and poverty. The future Saint …
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Introducing Our 14 Newest Saints
Hey there, We are all called to be saints. We strive to live a life worthy of sainthood. But only a few are recognized by the Church. The Catholic Church canonizes Saints by declaring, through the Pope, a Catholic is united with God in heaven, an intercessory to God on behalf of the living, and worthy of public and universal veneration. I came across this write-up on the internet that …
Getting to Know The Archangels Better (And How They Can Help You)
Hey there, What do you think of when you hear the names Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? The latest boy band? Last year's most popular baby boy names? Actually, these are the three Archangels. You’ll recall Saint Gabriel is the messenger who tells Mary that she's going to give birth to God’s son. And Saint Michael is well known as the warrior …
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The Doctors’ Prescription For Our Afterlife
Hey there, Anyone who has ever set a goal knows the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to achieve it. Hours, days, months, and years spent studying, practicing, and sacrificing. To become an attorney, a surgeon, or a scientist. Learning to perform, to compete, or to create. And enlist the help of the best teachers to make you even better. It’s no different with the ultimate goal we …
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Celebrating Mary Throughout August
Hey there, Last week I had a conversation with a Lutheran who was telling me the main differences between their beliefs and Catholicism. One that he mentioned is that they don’t worship Mary. So, naturally I explained that we Catholics don’t worship Mary either … we venerate her. And we pray to her to intercede on our behalf. Mary does play an important role in Catholicism. After all, …
Reflecting on Our Lady of Lourdes
Hey there, Lent is a week away, so it seems only fitting that we look at a Marian feast day that is coming up before on February 11th … Our Lady of Lourdes. Why, you may ask, would a Marian feast day be fitting for Lent? After all, Lent is a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It’s about experiencing the Son of God’s suffering, dying, and resurrection … for our salvation. Mary …
Learning From The Conversion of St. Paul The Apostle
Hey there, So many of the feast days celebrated in the Catholic Church are based on the death of a Saint. But tomorrow, January 25th, is different. Tomorrow we celebrate The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle. You know, the guy who was persecuting followers of Jesus … until he was dramatically confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. The thrilling story is in the resources below, so …
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Trusting in Our Lady of Guadalupe
Hey there, We’ve looked at a lot of the Marian feast days celebrated in the Catholic Church. But there are not many bigger than the one we celebrated yesterday … Our Lady of Guadalupe. She’s the Patroness of the Americas, which of course includes the US. And she’s also the Patroness of the unborn. The miracles surrounding Our Lady of Guadalupe are credited with converting millions of …
