Focus on Faith
Mary, the perfect model
Our first Christmas as a married couple, my husband and I stood side by side at the vigil Mass, both fully aware of the child growing within me.
When sharing the faith, don’t just rely on the ‘three Ps’
I have a co-worker with whom I get along very well who has taken a deeper interest in Catholicism. How do I best direct him to a parish that will make him feel welcome and engage him in a personal way?
Are you prepared?
As we draw ever closer to the great celebration of Christmas, many of us are busy preparing for the festivities that accompany such a great season of joy. The stores have been filled with holiday displays for months, front yards are resplendent with lights and decorations, and life is busy buying gifts for our loved ones.
What’s in a name?
With a pregnancy, the birth of a child and the celebration of the sacrament of baptism, a name must be chosen for the child. A name is a person’s title or identifier for life. This is a not a decision that should be taken lightly. The selection of the name is primarily the duty of the parents, and only secondarily the duty of the sponsor or the pastor.
Long live Christ the King
Mixed in with the politics of the Mexican revolution of some 10 years earlier, the decades of Church persecution were finally coming to a head.
When long liturgies keep family from attending Mass
Q. My family refuses to go to Mass because there are too many “extras” (like baptisms), too much singing and too many announcements. Why can’t we have a “low Mass” without all of that stuff? Isn’t the Church supposed to adapt and keep up with all the people?
Replenishing our flame
As the liturgical year comes to a close, the Church draws our attention to the ends and beginnings.
What do we love?
Many years ago, my wife decided to do some interior decorating in our home, and stenciled the “Great Commandment” from the Gospel of Matthew on the walls of our stairway: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Secret baptisms against the parents’ wishes
Unbaptized children. It is happening more and more these days.
To have Mass, we need to foster priestly vocations
Jesus used many parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. It’s like a mustard seed, a treasure buried in a field, a pearl of great price, and, as we hear this Sunday, like a wedding feast. The Book of Revelation describes heaven as the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb: Jesus the bridegroom, celebrating the union with his bride, the Church, in one huge banquet for all eternity.
How can I pray better instead of just rambling?
Q. I know that prayer needs to be a part of my life, but I never know what to say. I find myself either daydreaming or just rambling to God. How can I pray better?
The godparent’s role in baptism
When the time for an infant baptism arrives, it is also the time for the parents to select the godparents. This is a matter of tremendous spiritual importance, and the parents should use a number of spiritual criteria to make their choice.
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