stceceliastgabriel

The Color Purple

This past week we transitioned from the liturgical season of Ordinary Time to this current season of Lent. Just as the buds on trees reveal the transition from winter to spring, the warm weather and lush greenery signify the summer, the bright foliage announces the arrival of autumn, and the barren appearance of the worldContinue reading “The Color Purple “

Ite, Missa Est

There’s a famous story about St. Philip Neri (1515-1595) in which he noticed that there was a man in his congregation who had the habit of leaving Mass immediately after receiving Communion. St. Philip eventually decided that he needed to address it, so he instructed two of his altar servers to follow the man outContinue reading “Ite, Missa Est “

What Are We Doing for Lent?

Ready or not, it’s almost Lent. February 22 is Ash Wednesday, so if you haven’t given any thought to what you’ll be doing for Lent, now’s the time to start. If you’re wondering what we’ll be doing in the parish for Lent, below is a list of things in our calendar that we’re encouraging peopleContinue reading “What Are We Doing for Lent? “

Warring with Spirits

Warning: this article contains spoilers about season one of “The Rings of Power” television series. If you have been looking forward to watching it, I suggest skipping to the second paragraph. “The Rings of Power” is a television series on Amazon Prime that serves as a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the RingsContinue reading “Warring with Spirits “

Why the Church Teaches

For those who follow these things, the #6 most popular podcast on iTunes right now is hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Duluth, ND. Fr. Mike’s current podcast is a follow-up to his extremely popular “Bible in a Year” program, which he hosted in 2021, and is called “CatechismContinue reading “Why the Church Teaches “

God’s Precious Ones

If you were a member of the Church in its earliest days, one of the people you’d have thought most unlikely to become a follower of Christ was Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a Pharisee, a brilliant young scholar of the Law, and a zealous defender of his tradition. He believed the Christian sect wasContinue reading “God’s Precious Ones “

Christian Witness in Egypt

It’s not easy being Christian in Egypt. A few years ago, I came across an article by a writer named Matthew Schmitz about the zabbaleen of Cairo. The literal meaning of this word is “garbage picker,” and it refers to the residents of Mokattam Village, almost all of them Christian, who make their living collectingContinue reading “Christian Witness in Egypt “

Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P.

On February 11, 2013 I was sitting in a Roman lecture hall, taking notes and trying not to be distracted by my Australian classmate whose phone kept buzzing. Finally, he turned to me and whispered, “The Holy Father just resigned.” I looked at him skeptically, saying, “That’s not possible. Someone is pulling your leg.” AContinue reading “Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P. “

A Fresh Start

People love New Year’s Day for the same reason we love make overs and mulligans – they all offer a fresh start. As we try to come up with different ways to make the most of this opportunity of a brand new year, may I suggest a resolution to rediscover the Sacrament of Confession, whichContinue reading “A Fresh Start “

Christmas, A.D. 2022

How do we understand our time in history? Over the past several decades it has become more common to see historical events qualified as having happened in the “Common Era” (C.E.) or “Before the Common Era” (B.C.E.). These terms are used in place of the traditional “Before Christ” (B.C.) and “Anno Domini” (A.D.), which isContinue reading “Christmas, A.D. 2022 “