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Featured Term (selected at random):CIBORIUM A covered container used to hold the consecrated small Hosts. It is similar to a chalice but covered and larger, used for small Communion hosts of the faithful. It is made of various precious metals, and the interior is commonly gold or gold-plated. Also synonymous with baldachino as the dome-shaped permanent canopy over a high altar, supported by columns and shaped like an inverted cup. (Etym. Latin ciborium; from Greek kib_rion, cup.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

December 4, 2009                                  Friday of the First Week of Advent   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 29:17-24 Thus says the Lord GOD:But a very little while,and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,and the orchard be regarded as a forest!On that day the deaf shall hearthe words of a book;And out of gloom and darkness,the eyes of the blind shall see.The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.For the tyrant will be no moreand the arrogant will have gone;All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,those whose...

Part Four:   Lord, Teach Us To Pray Fifth Petition:  “ Forgive Us Our Trespasses as We Forgive Those Who Tresspass Against Us” Table of Contents     This is no ordinary petition to God asking for His mercy. We not only ask Him to be merciful to us, but we dare place a condition and a norm on God’s forgiveness. What is this condition and norm? It is the practice and the measure of our forgiveness to others. What are we being told? We are being told that unless we are merciful to others, God will not be merciful to us. We further...

Featured Term (selected at random):ATTRITIONISM The doctrine that imperfect contrition, i.e., sorrow for sin not from perfect love, is sufficient for valid absolution in the sacrament of penance. Luther (1483-1546) attacked it as "repentance of the gallows" out of fear of God. but the Council of Trent declared that attrition is a morally good preparation for the sacrament of penance. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Part Four:   Lord, Teach Us To Pray Fourth Petition:  “ Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” Table of Contents     This is the turning point in the Our Father. Where the first three petitions were directed to the glory of God, from now on they are concerned with our needs. The Church’s tradition finds two levels of request for nourishment in this petition. We ask for the food we need for our souls, and the sustenance we need for our bodies. Spiritual Nourishment When St. Pius X issued his decree on frequent Holy Communion, he explained that frequent means daily reception...

December 3, 2009                                    Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 26:1-6 On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: “A strong city have we;he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.Open up the gatesto let in a nation that is just,one that keeps faith.A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;in peace, for its trust in you.”Trust in the LORD forever!For the LORD is an eternal Rock.He humbles those in high places,and the lofty city he brings down;He tumbles it to the ground,levels it with the dust.It is...

Featured Term (selected at random):ANGLICAN ORDERS The question of the validity of Anglican ordination to the priesthood was decided negatively by Pope Leo XIII in the document Apostolicae Curae (September 13, 1896). They were declared to be "absolutely null and utterly void" on the grounds of defect of form in the rite and defect of intention in the minister. Even if Rome had not made such a declaration, Anglican orders were still considered invalid in practice, since Anglican clergymen were required to be ordained to the priesthood when they entered the Catholic Church. Since Pope Leo XIII's declaration, not a...

December 2, 2009                                   Wednesday of the First Week of Advent Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 25:6-10a On this mountain the LORD of hostswill provide for all peoplesA feast of rich food and choice wines,juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.On this mountain he will destroythe veil that veils all peoples,The web that is woven over all nations;he will destroy death forever.The Lord GOD will wipe awaythe tears from all faces;The reproach of his people he will removefrom the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. On that day it will be said:“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save...

 The Smallest Martyrs In the time of the Magi, the mothers mourned for their children who were murdered; today children mourn for their mothers who have become the murderers. The Colosseum of pagan Rome had nothing on the blood sport made popular today: Human sacrifice in the womb! "Yes, once again crowds of hatred gather for sport to see innocent blood spilt. Once again pathetic authority hides behind popular slogans or distorted claims to justify and consider the validity of atrocity. Once again, we are told that overall, ultimate good may be derived from inherent, naked evil. Once again those...

Part Four:   Lord, Teach Us To Pray Third Petition:  “ Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven” Table of Contents     This petition is an epitome of Christianity and a synthesis of our whole purpose for existence. Why do we have a free will? In order to do the will of God. Unlike the irrational creation that surrounds us, we can choose either to conform our wills to God or refuse to do so.The scope of this petition is the prayer that human beings on earth might do God’s will as the angels and saints are doing in...

Featured Term (selected at random):GREEK RITES The form and arrangement of liturgies originally celebrated in Greek in Antioch and Alexandria. Those in use today at Antioch are the pure and modified Greek St. James, Syriac St. James, Maronite, Chaldean, Malabar, Byzantine, and Armenian Rites. At Alexandria the Coptic Liturgies of Sts. Cyril, Basil, and Gregory Nazianzus, and the Ethiopian Liturgy are used. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

December 1, 2009                                 Tuesday of the First Week of Advent     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Is 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...

Part Four:   Lord, Teach Us To Pray Second Petition:  “ Thy Kingdom Come” Table of Contents     The kingdom for which we are praying to come is the kingdom of which Christ so constantly spoke in the gospels. The Greek word Basileia (kingdom), which occurs in the Lord’s Prayer is the same term He used throughout His public ministry and, after the Resurrection, up to the time of His ascension into heaven. Jesus intended us to pray that the kingdom He described, in every sense, might come.There are two principal ways in which Jesus spoke of the kingdom. He described it as...

A New Holiday Tradition December 1st, 2009 by Christine Hebert Most of the world will celebrate the New Year on January first. As Catholics, however, we began the new liturgical year this past weekend with the first Sunday of Advent. My family is celebrating this time of preparation and penance with a Jess tree for the first time this year. I had heard of Jesse trees a few years ago, but not until about half way through Advent last year did, I understand the Jesse tree. The Jesse tree provides as series of lessons on Salvation History from creation until...

Featured Term (selected at random):ROMAN MARTYROLOGY The official martyrology of the Roman Catholic Church. Compiled by a group of scholars, it was issued by Pope Gregory XIII in 1584, to replace all other existing martyrologies. Later popes have revised the contents on the basis of historical scholarship and additional canonizations. One of the most radical revisions was made by Pope Benedict XIV in 1748. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

November 30, 2009                                    Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 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...

November 29, 2009                                         First Sunday of Advent     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jer 33:14-16 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land.In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.” Responsorial PsalmPs 25:4-5, 8-9, 10,...

The Three D's One of the casualties of the Modernist revolution has been Catholic education in this country and throughout the world. As we know this is a part of the strategy the Modernists have used to further their agenda of creating a church within the Church. One of the aspects of the ignorance of most Roman Catholics today is their inability to distinguish between 3 essential elements of the Faith. These 3 elements are discipline, doctrine and dogma. They are related to each other but separate in terms of importance and effect within the structure of the Church....

Featured Term (selected at random):DOGMA Doctrine taught by the Church to be believed by all the faithful as part of divine revelation. All dogmas, therefore, are formally revealed truths and promulgated as such by the Church. they are revealed either in Scripture or tradition, either explicitly (as the Incarnation) or implicitly (as the Assumption). Moreover, their acceptance by the faithful must be proposed as necessary for salvation. they may be taught by the Church in a solemn manner, as with the definition of the Immaculate Conception, or in an ordinary way, as with the constant teaching on the malice of...

Advent: Awaiting God's Justice Pope Benedict XVI Advent watchfulness means living in God's presence and according to his criteria in order to prepare a worthy dwelling-place for the promised SaviourOn Wednesday, 19 December 2007, at the General Audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Auditorium, the Holy Father reflected on the Season of Advent and the justice we await. The following is a translation of his Catechesis, which was given in Italian.Dear Brothers and Sisters, In these days, as we come gradually closer to the great Feast of Christmas, the liturgy impels us to intensify our preparation, placing at our...

November 28, 2009                                 Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week                                 in Ordinary Time Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 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...

Part Four:   Lord, Teach Us To Pray First Petition:  “ Hallowed Be Thy Name” Table of Contents     The Latin words of the first petition bring out clearly what we are here asking for: “Sanctificetur Nomen tuum.” What we are asking is that the Name of God may be sanctified. This calls for some explanations. We are not asking that God might become more holy. That would be blasphemy. He is the All-Holy One because He is the Totally Other. He alone is the Necessary One, the Infinite One; there is no other God than He.Our petition is rather that God might...

Featured Term (selected at random):RESPONSORY A psalm or part of one, sung or said between the readings at Mass and in the Divine Office. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

November 27, 2009                                     Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week                                 in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 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;...

Thanksgiving Day (USA)Fourth Thursday in NovemberJan Davidsz. de HeemEucharist in Fruit Wreath - 1648 - Oil on canvas, 138 x 125,5 cmKunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna History from the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia:A civil holiday observed annually in the United States of America on the last Thursday in November. The president issues a proclamation, calling on the citizens, all Federal officials, and others subject to Federal authority to observe the day as one of national thanksgiving and prayer. The governors of states concur in the president's proclamation and also recommend the citizens to observe the holiday, and all public...

Featured Term (selected at random):LAMB A symbol of Christ. Rendered in many forms as early as the fourth century. Various aspects show the animal balancing a staff by its right front leg, with a wound in its chest pouring blood into a chalice, representing Christ's Blood in the Passion; the staff bearing a flag signifying Christ's victory in the Resurrection; the lamb resting or standing on a closed book with its seven sealed streamers symbolizing Christ as the judge. The lamb is the emblem of docility; "harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth like the...

November 26, 2009                                   Thanksgiving Day                                               (The following readings are selected                                                   from the options for this day.)       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Sir 50:22-24 And now, bless the God of all,who has done wondrous things on earth;Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,and fashions them according to his will!May he grant you joy of heartand may peace abide among you;May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days. Responsorial Psalm138:1-2a, 2bc-3, 4-5 R.  (2bc)  Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love.I...

Featured Term (selected at random):PRO ARMENIS A dogmatic decree of Pope Eugenius IV (November 22, 1439) addressed to the Armenians on the conditions for union with the Roman Catholic Church. Its most important feature is a lengthy declaration on the seven sacraments in general and on each one of them in particular. Among other provisions are the necessity of integral confession of sins for the sacrament of penance and the indissolubility of marriage. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

November 25, 2009                                     Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week                             in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,with whom he drank.Under the influence of the wine,he ordered the gold and silver vesselswhich Nebuchadnezzar, his father,had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,to be brought in so that the king, his lords,his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.When the gold and silver vesselstaken from the house of God in...

On Praying for Priests November 25th, 2009 by Br. Innocent Smith, O.P. One of the decisive moments in the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux was when she realized that priests could sin. As a fourteen-year-old girl, Thérèse had a great desire to enter the Carmelite monastery at Lisieux where several of her sisters were already nuns. The local bishop, despite her pleadings, was cautious about allowing such a young girl to enter religious life. Nevertheless, he encouraged her to take part in a pilgrimage to Rome to strengthen her vocation. Near the end of her life, Thérèse reflected on...

Featured Term (selected at random):DOCTRINAL DEMYTHOLOGY Critical evaluation of the dogma of the Catholic Church, similar to biblical demythology of the Bible. The basic premise is that doctrinal formulations are all time-conditioned. The definitions of the Councils of Nicaea, Chalcedon, and Trent are to be re-examined on the basis of what they really mean, by sloughing off what is unhistorical because mythical from what is historical and still true. On these terms nothing that the Church has ever taught in faith or morals would ever be substantially unchangeable, or at least the faithful can never be sure what this unchangeable...

November 24, 2009                                         Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac,                                     priest and martyr,                             and his companions, martyrs       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 2:31-45 Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:“In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,very large and exceedingly bright,terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.The head of the statue was pure gold,its chest and arms were silver,its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,its feet partly iron and partly tile.While you looked...

Part Four:   Lord, Teach Us To Pray The Lord’s Prayer Table of Contents     By every standard of comparison, the most popular prayer in existence is the Our Father. One sign of its popularity is the number of polyglot collections of the Lord’s Prayer which have been published at various times since the invention of printing. Already in 1787 the Spaniard Hervaz printed the Pater Noster in three hundred and seven dialects and languages, and the practice of multi-lingual editions has been going on ever since. But the Lord’s Prayer is not only the most popular prayer in existence, it is...

Featured Term (selected at random):PASCHAL CANDLE A large candle in which five grains of incense have been incased as a symbol of Christ's wounds. It is blessed on Holy Saturday in a special service and is symbolic of the Risen Savior, Light of the World. It is then used in the blessing of baptismal water and remains during the Paschal season in the sanctuary, where it is lighted during liturgical services. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

November 23, 2009                                     Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week                                      in Ordinary Time     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 1:1-6, 8-20 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cameand laid siege to Jerusalem.The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah,and some of the vessels of the temple of God;he carried them off to the land of Shinar,and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god. The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,to bring in...

November 22, 2009                                     The Solemnity of Christ the King Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Dn 7:13-14 As the visions during the night continued, I sawone like a Son of man coming,on the clouds of heaven;when he reached the Ancient Oneand was presented before him,the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.His dominion is an everlasting dominionthat shall not be taken away,his kingship shall not be destroyed. Responsorial PsalmPs 93:1, 1-2, 5 R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.The...

Featured Term (selected at random):CANONICAL AGE The age of reason, fixed by canon law, when a person is permitted or required to receive the sacraments. It differs for various sacraments. For penance and the Eucharist it is commonly assumed to be at the age of reason. For religious profession and holding certain ecclesiastical offices the canonical age if further specified and widely varies. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Presentation Of The Blessed Virgin MaryFeast, November 21(Novena, November 12-20)1. Mary, Mother of God, tradition tells us that when you were three years of age, your parents, Joachim and Anne, took you to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill their vow. The holy couple offered you to God by the ministry of the priest in charge, who invoked the blessing of God upon you and your parents. How fervently your mother and father thanked God for having given you to them and begged Him to accept the offering which they were making! They then left a small offering of...

November 21, 2009                                   Memorial of the Presentation                                    of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Mc 6:1-13 As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces,he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais,famous for its wealth in silver and gold,and that its temple was very rich,containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weaponsleft there by Alexander, son of Philip,king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city.But he could not do so,because his plan became known to the people of the citywho rose up in battle against him.So...

Part Three:  The Will of God Eighth Commandment Table of Contents     In both versions of the Decalogue, the wording of the Eighth Commandment is the same: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20). Throughout the Old Testament, the full meaning of this commandment includes both the prohibition against telling a lie and the precept of telling the truth. Thus, “Lips that tell the truth abide firm forever; the tongue that lies lasts only for a moment. Lips that lie are abhorrent to Yahweh; dear to Him those who speak the truth” (Proverbs 12:19, 19:22).The...

Featured Term (selected at random):WAKE A watch or vigil. The term was originally applied to the all-night vigil in Anglo-Saxon times before certain major holidays. By the sixteenth century it was used of the holiday itself, and of the fair held to honor a local saint. In some countries, e.g., Ireland, a wake is the watch over the body of the deceased before burial. And more commonly a wake is the period, one or two days before the funeral, when mourners may visit the body of the deceased and offer their condolences to the bereaved. THe Church now provides for...

November 20, 2009                                        Friday of the Thirty-third Week                             in Ordinary Time     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Mc 4:36-37, 52-59 Judas and his brothers said,“Now that our enemies have been crushed,let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.”So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion. Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,that is, the month of Chislev,in the year one hundred and forty-eight,they arose and offered sacrifice according to the lawon the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made....

Part Three:  The Will of God Seventh and Tenth Commandments Table of Contents     The biblical precept of the Seventh Commandment, like the Sixth, is a short imperative, “You shall not steal.” It is the same in both versions of the Decalogue. The Tenth Commandment, as already seen, is that part of the Ten Commandments which forbids coveting what belongs to someone else, whether his house, servant, ox, donkey, or anything else. Deuteronomy distinguishes between coveting “your neighbor’s wife,” and “setting your heart” on other possessions, including the neighbor’s field (Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19). Like the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, the...

Featured Term (selected at random):EPISCOPAL CURIA The group of persons who assist a bishop, or the prelate taking the place of a bishop, in the administration of a diocese. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

November 19, 2009                                    Thursday of the Thirty-third Week                                     in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 11 Mc 2:15-29 The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasycame to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.Many of Israel joined them,but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:“You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city,supported by sons and kin.Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command,as all the Gentiles and the men of Judahand...

Part Three:  The Will of God Sixth and Ninth Commandments Table of Contents     In the Catholic version of the Decalogue, the Sixth and Ninth Commandments are coupled together. They both prescribe the practice of chastity. The biblical text for the Sixth Commandment is simply “You shall not commit adultery” in both Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18. But the Ninth Commandment is part of a longer prohibition of covetousness. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his servant, man or woman, or his ox or his donkey, or anything that is his (Exodus...

A Reality Check from the Discipleship Front November 19th, 2009 by Archbishop Charles Chaput What the hell don’t you understand about the term separation of Church and State. Keep your evil hands off of our Health Care Bill. Mind your own business. We don’t care about your beliefs, and if you want to meddle in our affairs, we will be coming for you. If that’s how you want to play, we will come for your pedophile priests, your ill-gotten money you stole for decades. The Catholic church is just another organized crime syndicate that should be put out of business....

NEWS AND EVENTS: September 15, 2009 Marian visionary Maria Alfonsina Danil Ghattas to be Beatified November 22 VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2009 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that the following rites of beatification, approved by the Holy Father, will take place over the coming months:- Servant of God Eustachio Kugler (ne Joseph), German professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God: at 2 p.m. on Sunday 4 October in the cathedral of Regensburg, Germany.- Servant of God Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas, Spanish cardinal and archbishop, founder of the...

Featured Term (selected at random):ISAIAH Author of the longest prophetic book in the Old Testament, he was the son of Amoz, born about 760 B.C. in Jerusalem. His writing paralleled the reigns of three Judaean kings, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His mission was to proclaim the fall of Israel and Judah and the punishment that would befall the nation because of its sinfulness. The beauty of his style and the consistent nobility of his message made him one of the most revered of biblical writers. Constantly he pleaded with his people to place their trust in God and not in...

November 18, 2009                                 Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week                             in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 12 Mc 7:1, 20-31 It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrestedand tortured with whips and scourges by the king,to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law. Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly...