The Holy Spirit is associated with a number of sets of gifts and fruits. The sacrament of confirmation “increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1303).
Archive for Category: "The Lesson Plan"
Confirmation continues to support our faith journey
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments that belongs to a special group of three sacraments known as the sacraments of initiation. The other two are baptism and Eucharist. The sacrament of confirmation is administered only once.
The Genesis problem
How can anyone believe that God made the visible universe in six days, that all the species were created at the same time, that light existed before the sun and moon, etc., etc? How can believers possibly square the naïve cosmology of Genesis with the textured and sophisticated theories of Newton, Darwin, Einstein and Stephen Hawking?
Is your parish a “marriage-building” community?
World Day of Day of Marriage (Feb. 13) and National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) provide us with an opportunity to celebrate, reflect and give thanks for the gift of marriage; also to realize the uniqueness of this call and its importance for the good of society.
Bread and wine for the Body and Blood must be uncorrupted
The Catholic Spirit recently asked Father John Paul Erickson, director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship, to explain the church’s teaching regarding the elements of the Eucharist.
Eucharist – The source and summit of Christian life. Primer on the sacrament.
The Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments, and it stands above the others. While baptism is the gateway sacrament, the beginning of belief in Jesus as Lord, and incorporation into the Body of Christ, the church; it is the Eucharist that is the source and summit of the Christian life.
Will the real St. Valentine please step up?
Feb. 14 is St. Valentine’s Day, but which St. Valentine is commemorated on that day?
First of our 7 sacraments welcomes us into the Body of Christ
The New Testament describes the baptism of several individuals and some households. Other early church documents testify to the development of rites and celebrations surrounding the process of initiation in the early church.
Does attending Mass on Christmas Day this year fulfill one’s Sunday obligation?
The short answer is no — attending Mass on Christmas Day this year, which happens to be a Saturday, does not fulfill one’s obligation to attend Mass on Sunday, any more than attending a wedding on a Saturday afternoon fulfills one’s Sunday obligation. But the reason behind this answer requires some explanation.
Zechariah and Elizabeth slip into Advent fashionably late
Biblical characters that help us prepare for Christmas. Zechariah and Elizabeth are two key figures in the first chapter of Luke’s infancy narrative (Luke 1:5-2:52), and they play prominent roles in the Gospel readings for the weekday Masses immediately before Christmas. The Dec. 19 Gospel is the announcement by Gabriel to Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25), Dec. 21 is Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45), Dec. 23 is the birth of the Baptist (Luke 1:57-66), and Dec. 24 is Zechariah’s canticle (Luke 1:67-79). The Visitation is also the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent in Year C.
Fourth Sunday of Advent begins end of waiting
The following Advent wreath prayers for the fourth week of Advent are intended to help busy households make Advent a prayerful time during the rush of Christmas preparations. The language is fairly simple, to be used by groups of adults or adults with children, and options are noted to allow for participation by other members of the household.
Star and city of Bethlehem hold theological significance
Although the Star of Bethlehem can be examined from a scientific perspective, it also has theological significance, as does the city itself. The Catholic Spirit recently interviewed Father Scott Carl, assistant professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, about Bethlehem and the star.
Wondering about the ‘Star of Wonder’
If it weren’t for the Gospel of Matthew’s brief reference to a star guiding Magi from the East to the newborn Messiah, “we wouldn’t know anything about the Star of Bethlehem,” according to a Minnesota astronomer.
It’s not a sin to miss Mass due to the weather
A Minneapolis pastor offered his parishioners some rules of thumb for future weekends when weather or other circumstances make attendance at Mass difficult, if not impossible.
Pray with family and friends on Gaudete Sunday
Advent: Week 3 — Dec. 12
Leader: With the beginning of this third week of Advent, we’re more than half way home to Christmas. We gather again to pray so that our hearts are truly prepared for the birth of the Child Jesus.
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