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White Double of the First Class (When the first Sunday occurring in the year falls on January 1 or 6, or 7, the feast of the holy Name is kept on January 2.) THE SECOND SUNDAY after Epiphany, which recalls the Marriage feast of Cana, was at first chosen as the day on which to honor the most holy Name of Jesus. It is on the Wedding Day that the Bridegroom gives his Name to the Bride, and it is the sign that, from that day forward, she belongs to him alone. The Church, therefore, wishing to honor a...

Violet or Red Double of the Second Class with simple Octave THE FEAST of the beloved Disciple is followed by that of the Holy Innocents. The Crib of Jesus—where we have already met and venerated the Prince of Martyrs and the Eagle of Patmos—has today standing round it a lovely choir of little Children, clad in snow-white robes, and holding green branches in their hands. The Divine Babe smiles upon them—he is their King; and these Innocents are smiling upon the Church of God. Courage and Fidelity first led us to the Crib; Innocence now comes, and bids us...

By Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Read/print the novena here. See also two other fine Novenas beginning here, in the 1898 Raccolta.

White Double of the Second Class IT is customary with men of the world to balance their accounts at the end of the year, and ascertain their profits. The Church is now preparing to do the same. We shall soon see her solemnly numbering her elect, taking an inventory of their holy relics, visiting the tombs of those who sleep in the Lord, and counting the sanctuaries, both old and new, that have been consecrated to her divine Spouse. But today’s reckoning is a more solemn one, the profits more considerable: she opens her balance sheet with the gain...

Red Greater Double “THROUGH thee the precious Cross is honored and worshiped throughout the world.” Thus did St. Cyril of Alexandria apostrophize our Lady on the morrow of that great day, which saw her divine maternity vindicated at Ephesus. Eternal Wisdom has willed that the Octave of Mary’s birth should be honored by the celebration of this Feast of the triumph of the holy Cross. The Cross indeed is the standard of God’s armies, whereof Mary is the Queen; it is by the Cross that she crushes the serpent’s head, and wins so many victories over error, and over...

White Greater Double “And the Virgin’s name was Mary. Let us speak a little about this name, which signifies Star of the sea, and which so well befits the Virgin Mother. Rightly is she likened to a star: for as a star emits its ray without being spoilt, so the Virgin brought forth her Son without receiving any injury; the ray takes nought from the brightness of the star, nor the Son from his Mother’s integrity. This is the noble star risen out of Jacob, whose ray illumines the whole world, whose splendor shines in the heavens, penetrates the...

If you love me, keep my commandments Yahshua Messiah said: ohn 14:15-17 If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Major and Minor are two of seven modes. The scale in this song uses an Ab in the key of G-minor, (that's imprecise, but the best way we can think of it). The flat-2 note in the III mode can be heard in traditional Catholic Church music (think Holy Modal Rounders); every week I actually sing this mode in the Lord Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison in Greek), in Church called the Phrygian mode. The song composer, Flatbush Waltz, is mandolinist Andy Statman. The Quebe Sisters Texas Swing Band at the Library of Congress Andy Statman's FLATBUSH WALTZ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN1mODxfd18&t=15m56s

Okay. Doesn't fall under "Breaking News" but, I don't post articles very often. So, I drop off my Alki friend so he can do some walk in/walk out bail thing at the Sheriffs Department. I'm bored and spy a Thai restaurant across the street. At first my thoughts were just about some delish lemongrass soup. So I walk in and order their lemongrass soup. But, they offered a twist I hadn't been offered at othe Thai restaurants "You want regular or spicy?". "Huh? Why I'll take spicy. I love spicy anything" I responded Well, they tried to talk me out...

So, I'm flipping through channels on the 80" tele and I see these bikers roll up on a house and unload their .45's into a house. Looking like they are merely sauntering as the homies in the house come chasing after them in Impala's. I yell at the TV "Thatz juzt stoopit. You go any slower and a blacktop machine is gonna speed past you. So they let the homies crawl after them, into a modern valley and death trap, using industrial buildings to box them in and a cavalry of other bikers suddenly surround the Impala ridin Homies. Short...

My substance is eternal yet Holy in that its consistency changes everything it touches into eternal life that receives my promise and it is then the blessings of Melchizedek are released and "all " matter is then transfigured into Me ( Jesus) Acts 17:28-29 28 For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring. 29 Since then we are God’s offspring, we ought not to suppose that Deity (the Godhead) is like gold or silver or stone, [of the nature of] a representation...

They are the colourful carpets used to coat the streets of Guatemala's cities during their iconic Easter Holy Week processions. And this year the strongly Catholic country has a new reason to celebrate - it has been recognised by Guinness World Records for producing the longest sawdust carpet in the world. Using 5,000 volunteers to create it, as well as 54 tonnes of sawdust, the record-breaking carpet measure a whopping 6,600ft - more than 2,000ft longer than the previous record holder.

Many years ago I heard a Protestant Minister say that Satan wasn’t all that concerned when a person went to church because he could drag a soul to Hell from a church pew just as soon as from a gutter or brothel. Now preachers are given to hyperbole and perhaps some distinctions are in order here, especially for a Catholic. We do in fact believe that the Sacraments, if received fruitfully, do strengthen us and provide a sure help against the incursions of the evil. That said, we ought to also acknowledge that there are certain temptations common to believers...

We live in a time that has tended to reduce holiness to merely being nice and agreeable. In this manner of thinking holiness tends to be variously thought of as: getting along well with everyone, being kind, agreeable, helpful, likable, generous, pleasant, mild mannered, amiable, good humored, middle of the road, even tempered, placid, benevolent, friendly, forbearing, tolerant, thoughtful, and the like. It can all be summed up by saying that “so-and-so” is “basically a nice person.” And thus the goal seems more to be nice than holy.If you think this isn’t so, listen to how people talk at funerals....

Theology in colors: Icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross In the Middle Ages there was no audio and video recordings, photographs, Internet. Historians worked on the basis of tradition and written documents, the lives of the saints were written according to the "literary decorum." Visual imprinting of historical events occurred sometimes many years later, and sometimes centuries, and was conducted in accordance with the canon. Studying the works of art, you can learn a lot about the events themselves, and on the attitudes of people in different eras. Illuminated gospel [Urbin. gr. 2] page 21. AD 1122. Apostolic...

Houston, TX (LifeNews.com) – The gigantic abortion facility planned Parenthood now runs in Houston is a seven story, 78,000 square foot center that will eventually do abortions later in pregnancy. But, one Planned Parenthood official recently offered up a blasphemous prayer using religious terms for it. As Jim Sedlak of STOPP International noticed in a news report, the pro-abortion official referred to the place built for the purpose of killing unborn children in abortion as “sacred and holy ground.” “Planned Parenthood is so much more than people think, and it is all of our job to tell everyone that it...

A Canadian couple are coining it in after changing the name of their breakfast cereal to 'Holy Crap'. Brian and Corin Mullins developed their gluten-free, vegan, organic cereal to address Mr Mullins' allergies. It was originally called 'Hapi Food' cereal and sold only at the Sechelt Farmers Market on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia. But after one of their very first customers said: "Holy Crap... this is amazing!", they changed the name to Holy Crap. Sales increased 1000% - from ten bags a day to over one hundred.

Are the Biblical Holy Days Christian Festivals? Why do most people keep holidays that are different from the festivals listed and described in the pages of the Bible? Why do most people keep holidays that are different from the festivals listed and described in the pages of the Bible? When were the biblical feasts abandoned, and why? How can we be sure which sacred days Christians should observe? Here are the answers! Jesus Himself set an example for us (1 John 2:6) in observing the sacred festivals commanded in the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 26:17; Mark 1:21; Luke 4:16, 31; John...

Nearly everyone in American likes Christmas. For many children and many adults it's all about the presents. For others it's an opportunity to see family and extended family. For some it's much needed time off from work. Some view it as a way to share with others. And for some it's a religious celebration. However there are some that stop celebrating Christmas when they become Christians. This sounds strange and indeed it is strange in today's society where Christmas seems to be so tightly ingrained in both America and Christianity. But this has not always been so. A little bit...

By now you've probably heard of how Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, asked Anna Maria College to rescind its invitation to atheistic humanist Victoria Kennedy to speak at its 2012 Commencement. Now the Catholic Free Press is reporting that Sister Yvette Bellerose, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, and Jack P. Calareso, president of Anna Maria College, have asked Bishop McManus not to attend the Commencement either. It has been asserted that the Bishop would be a distraction. What of it? No doubt Victoria Kennedy would have been a distraction for students who actually accept the...