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2176 The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all." 109 Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

What’s the allure of the views of Bible prophecy that dismiss God’s promises to Israel and exalt the church as God’s kingdom on the earth? Why do many teachers go astray from what the words of Scripture tell us about our future as well as that of the world? These questions again came to my mind after I received an email boasting that “dispensationalism is on the decline.” By that, the writer meant that many Christians are turning away from our belief in Jesus’ thousand-year rule on the earth. As evidence, he cited Kirk Cameron’s apparent switch from belief in...

Upon gathering results of the off-year election held Tuesday, November 4, the thought came that the spiritual infection Paul wrote about was on display. In consideration of all the top officials who were elected in the blue states—that is, considering what they stand for and propose—no other conclusion can be reached. We are confronted with a large portion of American citizenry that is being turned over to God’s judgment that Paul termed “the reprobate mind.” (I refer to the voters who manifest this reprobate mindset.) The radical element within the political party that dominated with victories in New York City,...

Daniel 9:24-27 (Dateline: circa 500 BC) 24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” A specific time period of “seventy sevens” or 490 years (70 x 7=490) is given to Daniel for the completion of this prophecy. (Note: Heb. ‘shabua’ simply means seven.) Notice who it is directed to – “your people” – or specifically the Jewish nation (cf. v.16). Notice that it speaks of “your...

Briefly stated, there are two major views today regarding the historical origin of Sunday and its relationship to the biblical Sabbath. The older and traditional view, which can be traced back to early Christianity, maintains that there is a radical discontinuity between the Sabbath and Sunday, and consequently Sunday is not the Sabbath. The two days differ in origin, meaning, and experience. The more recent view, which is articulated by Pope John Paul II himself in his Pastoral Letter Dies Domini, maintains that Sunday began as the embodiment and "full expression" of the Sabbath, and consequently it is to be...

21 November 2025 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Friday of week 33 in Ordinary TimePope Francis - Pastoral visit to the Roman parish "Pope Saint Gelasius I"Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst reading1 Maccabees 4:36-37,52-59Judas and his brothers purify the sanctuary and dedicate itJudas and his brothers said, ‘Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and dedicate it.’ So they marshalled the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion. On the twenty-fifth of the...

The past week has been buzzing with rumors to the effect that Leo XIV has instructed the Dicastery for Divine Worship to issue “extensions” on the TLM whenever bishops ask for them. In this way, as Kevin Tierney explains, he has begun the practical repeal of Traditionis Custodes, however long its actual replacement with a better policy will take. And yet… even if the rumor is true (the nuncio to Great Britain has affirmed it with a classic non-denial), it still means that the fate of the TLM is left entirely to the local bishop; legally the situation remains worse...

A new and profound layer of instability looms over the already battered Republic of Haiti. Amid institutional collapse, the escalation of armed gang violence, and a humanitarian crisis that shames the international community, a silent yet deeply significant sociopolitical phenomenon is gaining strength: the exponential growth of the Islamic community. The truth, however raw, is the only solid foundation for a society that respects order and legitimate authority. https://twitter.com/GatewayHispanic/status/1989778176856179020?s=20 This columnist, with more than four decades of experience observing the decline of social structures, has investigated the background that reveals an uncomfortable reality: while democratic institutions sink and public safety...

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, in an interview conducted during the Sixth World Conference of the Faith and Order Commission in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, reflects on the deep heritage of the Coptic Orthodox Church, its unique roles, and the importance of hosting the historic conference, which drew more than 400 people who explored the theme “Where now for visible unity?”Your Holiness, you mentioned in one of your statements that “A homeland without churches is better than churches without a homeland.” Can you clarify this statement? How do you describe the role of the Coptic Orthodox Church in this context?...

20 November 2025 Thursday of week 33 in Ordinary TimeSt Edmund, King and Martyr Church (London)Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).First reading1 Maccabees 2:15-29'Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its ordinances'The commissioners of King Antiochus who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them sacrifice. Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The king’s commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, ‘You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you. Be the first to step forward and...

As the West is finally waking up to the genocide of Christians in Nigeria, Christians are also facing brutal oppression in Communist China. Recently, the persecution has escalated to levels not seen since Mao Zedong ruled the country. Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the largest crackdown on Chinese Christians in years. More than 20 clergy and parishioners were arrested, along with a prominent underground church pastor. Christian leaders have reported that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has demolished thousands of unsanctioned churches. In September, mirroring the hardline tactics of the Soviet Politburo, Xi Jinping decreed that all faiths...

19 November 2025Wednesday of week 33 in Ordinary Time Mechthild of Magdeburg commemorated near the Magdalene Chapel in MagdeburgReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).First reading2 Maccabees 7:1,20-31The creator of the world will give you back both breath and lifeThere were seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. But the mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and endured it...

18 November 2025 Tuesday of week 33 in Ordinary TimeSaint Rose Philippine Duchesne Catholic Church A Personal Parish of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in KansasReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).First reading2 Maccabees 6:18-31'I will make a good death, eagerly and generously, for the holy laws'Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth wide to swallow pig’s flesh. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, went to the block of his own accord, spitting the...

The fight is between two people who never married but whose daughter now is nearly a teen. And the coming decision by the Maine Supreme Court will determine if judges in that state can simply overturn the constitutional religious rights of parents. The battle has been outlined by Liberty Counsel, which explained the judge’s trial court ruling in the dispute between mother and father is well into the extreme range, or beyond. For example, the judge ruled that the custodial mother “is a fit parent EXCEPT for the fact that she is a Christian.” The war erupted over the non-custodial...

Like the Sabbath, the week originated at creation, and it has been preserved and brought down to us through Bible history. God Himself measured off the first week as a sample for successive weeks to the close of time. Like every other, it consisted of seven literal days. Six days were employed in the work of creation; upon the seventh, God rested, and He then blessed this day and set it apart as a day of rest for man. In the law given from Sinai, God recognized the week, and the facts upon which it is based. After giving the...

17 November 2025 Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious on Monday of week 33 in Ordinary Time St Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Cleveland Ohio Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst reading1 Maccabees 1:10-15,41-43,54-57,62-64The persecution of Antiochus EpiphanesThere grew a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus; once a hostage in Rome, he became king in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. It was then that there emerged from Israel a set of renegades who led many people astray. ‘Come,’ they said...

16 November 202533rd Sunday in Ordinary Time St. Margaret of Scotland Parish TorontoReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).First readingMalachi 3:19-20For you the sun of righteousness will shine outThe day is coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.How to listenResponsorial PsalmPsalm 97(98):5-9The Lord comes to rule the peoples...

my wife and I had just arrived at our new parish. Something I’d not anticipated, however, were the serious theological challenges that were awaiting me in my new church, which was embroiled in debate regarding the nature of the Godhead, particularly the nature of Christ and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. As so often happens, the church was divided into two camps: the majority supported official Adventist teachings, while the minority, consisting of sincere church members, believed that the Adventist Church had erred in embracing the doctrine of the Trinity. This group agitated for a return to the teachings...

, at a recent, very crowded Sunday night mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, Father Jonah Teller, OP made a simple announcement indicating that times are changing. According to Teller, the number enrolled in the parish’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — the process in which adults convert to Catholicism — had tripled since last year, with roughly 130 people signing up. ... There’s a similar story at St. Vincent Ferrer on the Upper East Side, where their OCIA numbers have doubled since last year, swelling to nearly 90 people. “We’re out of space and exploring adding...

What’s the allure of false teaching, particularly in regard to future things? Why do so many people go astray from what the words of Scripture tell us about what lies ahead for us and the world? These questions again came to my mind after I received an email boasting that “dispensationalism is on the decline.” By that, the writer meant that many Christians are turning away from our belief in Jesus’ thousand-year rule on the earth. As evidence, he cited Kirk Cameron’s apparent switch from belief in a pre-Tribulation Rapture to Dominion Theology, which teaches that the church will usher...