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Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Stained glass window of Saint Maria Goretti | Reinhard MüllerSaint of the Day for July 6 (October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902)  Saint Maria Goretti’s Story One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonization—250,000—symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple story of Maria Goretti.She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer, had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When Maria made her First Communion not long before her death at age 12, she was one of the larger and somewhat backward...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Sculpture of Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican | Cesare AureliSaint Anthony Zaccaria Saint of the Day for July 5 (1502 – July 5, 1539)  Saint Anthony Zaccaria’s Story At the same time that Martin Luther was attacking abuses in the Church, a reformation within the Church was already being attempted. Among the early movers of the Counter-Reformation was Anthony Zaccaria. His mother became a widow at 18, and devoted herself to the spiritual education of her son. He received a medical doctorate at 22, and while working among the poor...

Fr. Don Miller, OFM Image: Santa Isabel de Portugal | Francisco de Zurbarán Saint Elizabeth of Portugal Saint of the Day for July 4 (1271 – July 4, 1336)  Saint Elizabeth of Portugal’s Story Elizabeth is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come. Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality.Thus fortunately...

Silence in Advent Prepares Us for the Joy of ChristmasConstance T. Hull The topic of silence has grown in popularity on social media in recent months. This is especially true in light of the various pieces written on Cardinal Sarah’s brilliant book, The Strength of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise. Silence is an important topic. We are inundated with noise. This noise is not only an assault on our auditory faculties, but on our senses as a whole. The world wants to keep us distracted, busy, and living with a constant din buzzing in our ears. Why? Noise is...

In Christ, the Son of Man, Our Total Victory Is Certain Msgr. Charles Pope • December 3, 2017 • At daily Mass last week, we read from an important passage in Daniel 7. It is important not only for its prophecy, but also because Jesus implicitly sets it an interpretive key for His own ministry and mission and for why He calls Himself the “Son of Man” so frequently. Let’s consider the passage from several different perspectives: its historical meaning, its Christological meaning and its present meaning.In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night, the four winds of...

December 5, 2017 Tuesday of the First Week of Advent Reading 1 Is 11:1-10 On that day,A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,and from his roots a bud shall blossom.The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,A Spirit of counsel and of strength,a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide,But he shall judge the poor with justice,and decide aright for the land's afflicted.He shall strike the ruthless with the...

December 4, 2017 Monday of the First Week of Advent Reading 1 Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come,The mountain of the LORD's houseshall be established as the highest mountainand raised above the hills.All nations shall stream toward it;many peoples shall come and say:"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,to the house of the God of Jacob,That he may instruct us in his ways,and we may walk in his paths."For from Zion shall go forth instruction,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations,and impose...

Watch! A Homily for the First Sunday of Advent Msgr. Charles Pope • December 2, 2017 • The Sunday Gospel announces a critical Advent theme: While I want to comment primarily on the Reading from Isaiah, the Gospel admonition surely deserves some attention as well.Too many today hold the unbiblical idea that most if not all people are going to Heaven. For weeks now we have been reading parables in the Gospels in which the Lord Jesus warns that many (possibly even most) are not headed for Heaven. There are the wise and the foolish virgins, the industrious and...

December 3, 2017 First Sunday of Advent Reading 1 Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 You, LORD, are our father,our redeemer you are named forever.Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?Return for the sake of your servants,the tribes of your heritage.Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,with the mountains quaking before you,while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,such as they had not heard of from of old.No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but youdoing such deeds for...

Catholics are often unaware just how biblical the Sacred Liturgy is. The design of our traditional churches; the use of candles, incense, and golden vessels; the postures of standing and kneeling; the altar; the singing of hymns; priests wearing albs and so forth are all depicted in the Scriptures. Some of these details were features of the ancient Jewish Temple, but most are reiterated in the Book of Revelation, which describes the liturgy of Heaven. The liturgy here on earth is modeled after the liturgy in Heaven; that is why it is so serious to tamper with it. The Book...

Let God Find You – As Seen in a Touching Christmas Commercial Msgr. Charles Pope • December 1, 2017 • It may seem odd to say, “Let God find you.” After all, God knows just where we are. But there is something very respectful about a God who, as Jesus says in the Book of Revelation, stands at the door and knocks. Even back in the Garden of Eden, as sinful Adam and Eve hid, God walked through the garden and called, “Where are you?”Yes, God waits until we let him find us, until we open the door of...

December 2, 2017 Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Dn 7:15-27 I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.I approached one of those presentand asked him what all this meant in truth;in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:"These four great beasts stand for four kingdomswhich shall arise on the earth.But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,to possess it forever and ever." But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,so very terrible...

The “Fruits” of Contraception Msgr. Charles Pope • November 30, 2017 • In our culture’s current self-examination on sexual harassment and sexual abuse, we would also do well to ponder how the “contraceptive mentality” has contributed to the many sexually related problems of the day. This view insists that there is no necessary connection between sex and having children; it separates what God has joined. This has led to a whirlwind of confusion about the nature and purpose of sexual intimacy as well as about marriage and family. Many treat sex lightly and frivolously; they falsely think that sex...

December 1, 2017 Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Dn 7:2-14 In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,from which emerged four immense beasts,each different from the others.The first was like a lion, but with eagle's wings.While I watched, the wings were plucked;it was raised from the ground to stand on two feetlike a man, and given a human mind. The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.It was given the...

Advent: Five Ways to Live Out This Holy SeasonFr. Ed Broom, OMV Advent is just around the corner, which means time to prepare for Christmas — the birth of Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. The joy of Christmas depends on the intensity with which we live out the Season of Advent. Let us follow these concrete suggestions and live out this Season of Advent with great joy, prayer, love and intensity. Let us live out this Advent as if it were to be the last in our lives. Indeed, it could be! Jesus constantly reminds us to be alert,...

A Culture Without God Is Like a Ship Without a Pilot Msgr. Charles Pope • November 29, 2017 • In the Liturgy of the Hours this week we read a remarkable attributed to St. Macarius, a bishop of the early Church. I marvel at its vivid imagery, and yet at the same time, questions arise in my mind as to the general application of the text. In effect, the text states that if the soul does not have Christ living within, it falls into utter disrepair and a contemptible state.Allow me to have Bishop Macarius speak for himself and...

November 30, 2017 Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18 Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But...

Only What You Do for Christ Will Last – A Meditation on the Rise and Fall of Civilizations Msgr. Charles Pope • November 28, 2017 • In the readings for Tuesday of the 34th Week of the Year, both Daniel and Jesus speak of the destruction that is upon nations and empires of this world. Daniel spoke to the people of his time and indicated that the Jewish people would suffer from four oppressive kingdoms, which though unnamed we now know as Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Each of these kingdoms would eventually fall. The only sure kingdom is...

The Archdiocese of Washington wanted to extend an invitation to commuters to find the perfect Christmas gift by advertising on city buses, but the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) threw up a roadblock. The advertisement depicted silhouettes of three shepherds walking at night with tall canes and sheep beneath a shining North Star. Emblazoned across the ad is the phrase: “FIND THE PERFECT GIFT.” But the transit authority rejected the ad because it “depicts a religious scene and thus seeks to promote religion,” according to a federal lawsuit filed by the Archdiocese of Washington against the WMATA.

Just over a month ago, an organization sent the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority an advertisement it was ready to pay good money to post on the backs and sides of Metro buses. The ad used only four words: "Find the Perfect Gift." These words were spelt out in the main message of the proposed ad as well as in a web address (FindThePerfectGift.org) printed beside it. Two of the words also appeared in a social-media hashtag printed at the bottom of the ad (#PerfectGift). Now had this advertisement been produced by Macy's, Nordstrom or Target -- to draw traffic...