Fasting before the feast the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin August 2, 2009

Today I visited St. Basil the Great Byzantine Church in Irving, TX.   The priest mentioned that from August 1, to August 14, leading up to the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin (called the Assumption by the west), it is customary to fast.  I highly recommend that we all take part in [...]

Pentecost Prayer May 31, 2009

Waiting
for the promised Paraclete,
the apostles prayed ardently with Jesus’ Mother.
Then came the Pentecost day.
Flames of fire
descended upon them,
enlightening
and bringing them
apostolic fervor,
the courage of martyrs,
wisdom,
and the gift of tongues.
Come, Holy Spirit,
Comforter and Confirmer,
come down upon us.
We are waiting for you.
We are asking for you.
We are praying for you
Come and renew us,
come and revive our nation.
Bring us
all [...]

Prayer to Christ the King May 27, 2009

Christ our King,
You have descended
from the throne of the cross
to reign in tender hearts.
From the throne of the cross
You have shown
to mankind
the road to the land of bliss.
On the throne of the cross
You have opened to us
the marvelous wealth
of Your Heart.
O King of Souls,
grateful, I thank You
for letting me grow up
in the shade of the [...]

Pray to Him as His Mother May 26, 2009

The Church said to Mary:
“Come, and we will go together
to pray to the Son of God
for the sins of the world.
“You will pray to Him
because you have nursed Him,
and I will pray to Him
because I have mingled His Body with my nuptials.
“You will pray to Him as His Mother,
and I will pray to Him as [...]

“Mary Save Us” May 26, 2009

This past weekend I was in San Antonio and I stopped at Christ the King bookstore and found a little booklet called Mary Save Us published by Our Sunday Visitor. The title seemed overly provocative to my former Southern Baptist eyes. I couldn’t read in it to see what it was about, but I was too curious to pass it up. So I shelled out $5.95 plus tax to purchase it. I do not regret it.

Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions January 1, 2009

The Holy Father’s prayer intentions for January:
General: That the family may increasingly be a place of formation in charity, personal growth, and the transmission of the faith.
Mission: That Christian denominations may strive for full unity so as to be more credible witnesses of the Gospel to a world in need of a “new evangelization.”
Prayer: [...]

New Year’s Resolution December 28, 2008

Every year people make New Year’s resolutions, usually things having to do with your body such as, “lose weight”, “get in shape,” and “stop smoking.” As good as these things are, let us remember to take care of our souls first. If we seek the kingdom of God above all else, these things will follow. After all, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. If we remember this, we will be properly motivated to avoid the glamour of evil and be proper stewards of this temple, our body….

Prayer for life October 6, 2008

Father in Heaven, we thank You for the numerous lives You have saved through the successful work of Your pro-life leaders.  We pray that they will have the gifts of fortitude and perseverance, and that hearts might be changed so that laws might be changed.  Lord, conform our mind and thoughts to Yours so that [...]

Synod on Sacred Scripture October 5, 2008

I recently received a comment about a readers confusion regarding the Catholic Church and the role of Scripture.  I recommended that this reader purchase a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and read it while paying special attention to the Scriptural footnotes.  I also recommend to my readers in general to pay attention [...]

The Angelic Salutation October 5, 2008

From Baltimore Catechism No. 4:
Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Next in beauty to the Lord’s Prayer comes this prayer. [...]