Epiphany is coming! This nowadays-rather-neglected feast is truly an essential part of the Christmas Season and it begins the New Year in a joyful, sacred manner. Be sure to celebrate Epiphany this year, and if you haven’t before you will especially enjoy the riches of the Church’s traditions for this time. To Do Today, Dec. 31:…
Your patron saint for 2014! | Conversion Diary. If you didn’t do it for the beginning of the new Church Year at Advent, it’s a great idea to do this now at the end of the secular year: choose a saint as your special patron for Anno Domini 2014. Blogger Jennifer Fulwiler put together this generator to…
While the rest of the world is having a big crazy party for the new year, drinking without thinking about anything that is important, the Church calls us to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (January 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation) and to consider the essential things, such as God’s presence in…
Thank goodness I still live near my parents, because I do not like to cook and today is the day that we always have vanilla pudding with raspberries on top! This is the feast of the Holy Innocents, all those little boys under the age of two slaughtered under King Herod’s orders because he was afraid of…
Today is the Third Day of Christmas–it’s also the feast day of St. John the Evangelist, the only Apostle to stand with Our Lady at the foot of the Cross, and the only Apostle to die of old age. (He miraculously survived more than one attempt to kill him however, so I believe this means he is…
Blessed Feast of St. Stephen! St. Stephen was a deacon, and the first Christian to die for believing in Christ. A Pharisee named Saul (someday to be St. Paul) watched the coats for those who stoned Stephen to death. Here are some verses from Acts 6 where we first hear about St. Stephen (Douay-Rheims translation): 2. Then the twelve calling together the…
The Twelve Days of Christmas Christmas just began yesterday–are you celebrating the Octave of Christmas, and all Twelve Days of Christmas? Here are some ideas for you!
Merry and Blessed Christmas to you and your families, near and far! Last night I offered up my Holy Communion at Midnight Mass and said prayers for all of you dear readers of this blog. Praying that God will bless your families with abundant graces, I hope that your Domestic Churches are overflowing with peace and joy during…
Jennifer Gregory Miller has certainly done her research–she presents customs and recipes from around the world to help you celebrate the most joyful vigil of the Ecclesial Year. (The Catholic Culture website featuring this information is a great one! I recommend that you visit it often!) Perhaps you will find something that you can still fit in…
T’was the day before Christmas, and all through the house… this is how she observed the day before the feast: Abstaining from meat. No, it’s not Friday, but the day before a feast has traditionally been a day to fast and to abstain from meat. Fr. Z posted yesterday that the two days before Christmas…
St. Catherine Catholic Culture Center 