Sacraments

Saints’ quotes are some of my favorite things about the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They bring the richness of our faith alive. Besides saints being beacons of holiness and wisdom, their genius is often found in their simple and…

Many years ago I edited a book titled Now That You Are Catholic by Fr. John J. Kenny, an introduction to Catholic customs for the newly initiated. While the book offered great advice for Catholic neophytes, it did not touch on the many…

School is out for summer, the kids are home, and my life just got more complicated. I am now balancing their work and sports schedules, my work schedule, their chores and social events. As a busy family with seven children ranging from 3 to…

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) is June 18 this year. Many parishes will host Corpus Christi processions. In Rome, Pope Francis will celebrate a 7 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran;…

In these weeks when spring gives way to summer, many celebrate the ordinations of new priests — new shepherds who, in these difficult days, commit the rest of their lives to the sacred service of God and the people of God. It is also the…

Years ago I was working as a wine manager for a large wine retailer. One of my main responsibilities was to teach the salespeople at my location how to sell wine that would yield the highest margin of profit for our company. It was both…

The statistics are sobering. According to a study published in 2015 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University: Only 22 percent of Catholic parents are attending Mass weekly or more often. 68 percent of…

The Easter season and spring means celebration of sacraments, particularly the Easter sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. Many men are ordained to the priesthood or diaconate during this time, as well. Catholic Digest …

For those of us old enough to remember, the saying “Mass on Sunday — confession on Saturday” is, in large measure, no longer true for many Catholics.  But prior to the Second Vatican Council, this was the way the sacraments worked; there…

Let’s face it, there are plenty of us who could stand to go to confession more often. And we have a duty to receive the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. According to the Church’s command, “after having attained the age of…