On July 3, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle. Best known for his initial unwillingness to believe the other apostles in their claim that Jesus had risen from the dead, St. Thomas can teach the faithful about believing without seeing. Little is recorded of St. Thomas the Apostle. Thomas wasContinue reading “St. Thomas, The Apostle”
Category Archives: Church
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary as represented in a celebrated 15th-century Byzantine icon also associated with the same Marian apparition. The icon has been in Rome since 1499, and is permanently enshrined in the church of Sant’Continue reading “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”
St. Anthony of Padua
St. Anthony of Padua, born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195, was a renowned Franciscan friar, preacher, and theologian. His life was marked by deep spirituality, intellectual brilliance, and a profound commitment to serving others. St. Anthony is widely celebrated for his eloquent preaching, his dedication to the poor and oppressed, andContinue reading “St. Anthony of Padua”
St. Joseph
Everything we know about St. Joseph comes from scripture. We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55). He wasn’t rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered theContinue reading “St. Joseph”
Pope Francis 10 years on
Early in Pope Francis’s pontificate, the sense of expectation was enormous. He spoke simply and powerfully. He stayed away from the typical trappings of papal luxury. He was seen as an outsider and a natural reformer. He stirred some trepidation among conservatives, but not enough to override the global adulation. “The People’s Pope,” Time magazine called him,Continue reading “Pope Francis 10 years on”
Lenten Poem
Christmas is over and it’s Lent all over again,Should I eat a meat sandwich or should it be plain?Should I fast for 5 hours or skip breakfast and lunch,Or just have tea and a little something to munch? Should I stop smoking or should I shun drink,Should I stop thinking those wrong thoughts I alwaysContinue reading “Lenten Poem”
Holy Family- The Model of All Families
Of all the families in human history, the family of Jesus stands above all others. This family is outstanding for its holiness, genuineness, understanding and acceptance of one another. Not health, wealth, education, location or social status accounts for their place of prominence in human history. To the contrary, Mary and Joseph were poor. TheyContinue reading “Holy Family- The Model of All Families”
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in Mexico as the pregnant Mother of God to Blessed Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian, in 1531 on December 9, 10 and 12. She left a Miraculous Image of her appearance on his cactus fiber cloak, or tilma, which still exists today for all to see in the Basilica ofContinue reading “Our Lady of Guadalupe”
St. Nicholas – Santa Claus?
St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century, in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very rich man because his parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money. He was also a very kind man and had a reputation for helpingContinue reading “St. Nicholas – Santa Claus?”
St. Andrew
St. Andrew, also called Saint Andrew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and the brother of St. Peter. He is the patron saint of Scotland and of Russia. In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Peter and Andrew—whose Greek name means “manly”—were called from their fishing by Jesus to follow him, promising that he would make them “fishers of men.” With Saints Peter, James,Continue reading “St. Andrew”
Kenrick Vaz 