Search Result for “Eucharist”
Spiritual direction: What is it, who needs it, and why?
by Mary Farrow Denver, Colo., Dec 29, 2020 / 03:00 am MT (CNA).- Chatting with Lee McDowell is a peaceful experience. Seated in a comfy leather chair in a rust-colored office near downtown Denver, McDowell serenely and thoughtfully explains the “art and science” of her particular trade – and it’s …
Advent Reflections 2020
Advent Reflection for November 29 – First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 63: 16-17; 64: 2-7/1 Corinthians 1: 3-9/Mark 13: 33-37 Invitation to Prayer: As we begin this Advent journey, we are asked to prepare our hearts and minds for the Christ who has already come; the Christ who is present …
First known nativity scene figurines can now be seen in St. Mary Major Basilica
by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 23, 2020 / 11:00 am MT (CNA).- The first known nativity scene figurines are on display this Christmas in one of Rome’s oldest basilicas. The underground Chapel of the Nativity in the Basilica of St. Mary Major — known to Italians as Santa Maria …
‘Follow me:’ How John Paul II and Benedict XVI led a Catholic back to the faith
by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Dec 22, 2020 / 04:00 am MT (CNA).- “Follow me.” Angelo Ciappelloni heard those words while he stood in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo on April 8, 2005. With hundreds of thousands of people in the Eternal City, and millions more around the world, he was …
Is Christmas simply a re-imagining of ancient pagan celebrations?
by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Dec 13, 2020 / 04:58 am MT (CNA).- ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and, perhaps, to have one’s social media inundated with memes about Christmas being nothing more than a co-opted pagan holiday – maybe a winter solstice celebration – repurposed and baptized by …
Why in-person worship matters
by Matt Hadro Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 11, 2020 / 02:00 pm MT (CNA).- After Virginia’s governor appeared to suggest that church attendance is immaterial to the act of worship, one theologian says that Catholics see worship differently. On Thursday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) asked religious leaders to consider …
Fifteen ways to gain an indulgence in the Year of St. Joseph
by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 10, 2020 / 08:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has decreed a Year of St. Joseph in which Catholics will have the opportunity to obtain a special plenary indulgence. Until December 2021, there are many new ways that Catholics can receive an indulgence, including …
Pope Francis grants plenary indulgence to Catholics marking Guadalupe feast at home
Vatican City, Dec 10, 2020 / 07:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence to Catholics celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at home this Saturday. Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes announced the pope’s decision following a Dec. 6 Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady …
Seize the Moment: OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SAINTHOOD
I recently made the decision to sell a series of books by Hans Urs von Balthasar. They had always been treasures of mine but, at 16 volumes, I knew I would never get around to reading them. It’s impossible to buy them as a set anymore, and their rarity tempted …
Assisi in Advent: illuminated frescoes and a nurse in a nativity scene
by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 9, 2020 / 01:00 pm MT (CNA).- Assisi unveiled a nativity scene Tuesday made of 50 figurines of shepherds, angels, and barn animals with a new addition this year: a life-size figure of a nurse in scrubs wearing a mask. The diocese said that …
