stceceliastgabriel

To Whom Do We Belong?

As anyone who follows current events knows, the city of Minneapolis has been at the center of conflict between the federal government and local officials over the enforcement of federal immigration laws. In the past few weeks, two protesters have been shot and killed by federal law enforcement officers, incidents which have brought tensions there to a boiling point. The conflict is inflamed byContinue reading “To Whom Do We Belong? “

Celebration of Baptism

In 1981, Pope John Paul II began an annual tradition of baptizing children of Vatican employees at St. Peter’s Basilica on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Infant baptism has been a consistent practice of the Church since its earliest days, as evidenced in Sacred Scripture and early Church documents. Baptism is not simply a ceremony in which someone publicly acknowledges they have faith. Baptism actually changes the person who receives it. This change is needed because all of us enter the world withContinue reading “Celebration of Baptism “

Heis-Mendoza

This Monday night (1/19), the Hoosiers of Indiana University will be playing the University of Miami Hurricanes in the college football national championship game. The player to watch is Indiana’s starting quarterback, a young man named Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza has had an outstanding season, leading Indiana to an undefeated regular season and to the cusp of the school’s first national championship in football. He also received the 2025 Heisman Award,Continue reading “Heis-Mendoza “

Saints for Venezuela

With all that’s taken place in Venezuela over the past week I decided to do some research to find out what saints might be good intercessors on behalf of the Venezuelan people, to help them with the very serious social and political challenges they face. A quick internet search told me that the main patroness of Venezuela is the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our LadyContinue reading “Saints for Venezuela “

Christ, the Open Door

On December 25, 2024, Pope Francis gave his final Christmas address to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. In it, he referred to the beginning of the Jubilee Year and the opening of the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s. The Holy Pontiff spoke of the symbolic meaning of the open doors, through which millions of pilgrims would pass through overContinue reading “Christ, the Open Door “

On Pilgrimage

This Monday is the feast day of St. Thomas Beckett. Beckett was Archbishop of Canterbury until December 29, 1170, when he was murdered in his cathedral by men sent by Henry II, the King of England. The act of violence was due to Beckett’s refusal to cede to the monarch authority over certain ecclesial affairs. The site of St. Thomas’ martyrdom quickly became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations of the Middle Ages, along with Jerusalem,Continue reading “On Pilgrimage “

Midnight Mass

If you do a quick Google search of “Midnight Mass,” as I did this past week, your top results will likely be about some strange television series on Netflix. Apparently, the logarithm considers it the most relevant reference to Midnight Mass. Artificial intelligence, indeed. Midnight Mass is, of course, the traditional celebration of Christmas Mass in the middle of the night. For most of the Church’s history, it was theContinue reading “Midnight Mass “

Practicing the Presence of God

During a recent in-flight press conference, Pope Leo XIV mentioned a book of spiritual reading that was important to him. The Practice of the Presence of God, is a compilation of letters and sayings from a 17th century French Carmelite friar named Brother Lawrence. Pope Leo explained that the work “describes a type of prayerContinue reading “Practicing the Presence of God “

Nicaea and Unity

After the homily at every Sunday Mass, the congregation rises to recite the Niceno-Contantinopolitan Creed, better known as the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is a concise distillation of the foundational beliefs of orthodox Christianity. It has its origins in the Council of Nicaea which took place in modern day Turkey in the year 325Continue reading “Nicaea and Unity “

The Grace of Angry Prayers

While his day job for the past 20 years has been chaplain to the students at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Fr. Mike Schmitz is best known for his work with Ascension Presents and his popular podcast “The Bible in a Year.” Full of enthusiasm, Fr. Mike is one of the great contemporary teachers ofContinue reading “The Grace of Angry Prayers “