Easter is the holiest day of the Christian calendar, a time of prayerful reflection and celebration, commemorating of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amidst our holiday festivities, however, the whimsical figure of the Easter Bunny—colorful and...
Gospel of John 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week,when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midstand said to them, “Peace be with you.”When he had said this, he showed them his hands and...
The Sabbath Day Sunday, the seventh day of the week is the sabbath, a day of solemn rest, that is set aside for the Lord. This goes all the way back to the dawn of creation when God made everything in six days and then rested on the seventh. The Sabbath day also marks...
Gospel Of John 20:1-9 On the first day of the week,Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,while it was still dark,and saw the stone removed from the tomb.So she ran and went to Simon Peterand to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,“They...
Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! The stone is rolled away. The tomb where Christ once laid is empty. Death did not hold Him. He conquered death and restored life. Jesus, Our Redeemer, brings us life, love, and hope won for us all through His passion, death, and...
I would like to offer a few songs to listen to during Holy Week, the Triduum, and Easter. I tried to incorporate some Byzantine Catholic chant from the Divine Liturgy or the Divine Office as well. PALM SUNDAY Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (Latin Rite)...
It’s Easter! Yes, really, it is STILL Easter. The Church, in her great joy and celebration of Easter, celebrates eight full days of solemnities in honor of the Resurrection of Christ called the Easter Octave. The most obvious signs of this celebration are found in the...
What is RCIA? What are the Steps? For the past few decades, the normal way for an unbaptized non-Catholic to enter the Catholic Church is the RCIA process. This stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. There is an entire book of the Church (aptly named...
The Mother of All Vigils The Easter Vigil is the most extraordinary liturgy of the entire year in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. The Roman Missal guides the celebration of this great night and even refers to the Easter Vigil as the “mother of all vigils,”...
It's always so much fun filling a child's Easter Basket. There are many great Catholic children's books to choose from, Shining Light Dolls, Catholic coloring books, Saint stickers, and saint games available that help keep the focus of Easter on Jesus. Throw in a...
TXT Stories has imagined what communication would have looked like if the followers of Jesus had text messaging at the first Easter. Of course, this isn't scripturally accurate, but with Easter Sunday falling on April Fool's Day this year, we can all enjoy...
Back in January, I realized that I didn’t know my Mother. No, not my biological mother, my spiritual Mother…our spiritual Mother. The one who not only brought Jesus into the world in a stable, but the one who watched Him suffer, die, and who today can lead us closer...
In today's video reflection, Father Ian VanHeusen presents a spiritual exercise based on Luke 24:13-35. We hope you enjoy and use this Catholic Bible study. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week, two of...
One of the best ways to enrich your faith is to read the scriptures daily. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method which we explain here. The following is from the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35 with a Catholic Bible study that...
Every person who has an encounter with the Risen Jesus is changed. The accounts in the New Testament show the many different emotions and responses people experienced when they saw Jesus alive after they had witnessed His death on a cross and burial just three days...
One of the best ways to enrich your experience at Sunday Mass is to pray the Gospel Reading personally. A great way of doing this is using the "Lectio Divina"; this is a powerful method which we explain here. The following is the Sunday gospel reading with a...
St. Ignatius of Loyola explains, “By the term “Spiritual Exercises” is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities. "For just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and...
Most people can tell you that Lent is 40 days, but how long is Easter? One day? Yes, Easter Sunday is one day, but do you know how long the season of Easter really is? Seven weeks. Think about that. Do you celebrate Easter one day, one weekend, all season, or with...
Alleluia! Now what? Did you know that Easter is both an Octave (8 days) and a season (Eastertide is 50 days long!)? We are an Easter people, as the saying goes, and, as such, we ought to know how to pause in, or stretch out, what really is the center and foundation of...
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 20:1-9 On the first day of the week, Remember, before Christianity, Sunday was the first day of the work week. Imagine that you are like the disciples, concerned about the Lord, but all around you everyone is going...
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year for Christians. This is the day when we remember Christ's death on the cross for us. We remember the suffering He endured for our sake. We are reminded of the depths of His love for us. Do not let Good Friday go by as...
Each year during Holy Week, we celebrate the most fundamental aspects of our Catholic faith. We remember the love of God, the sacrifice of His Son Jesus for our sake, the institution of the Eucharist, etc. Perhaps most importantly, we rejoice at the end of Holy Week...
The Case for Christ on DVD has just been released and I'm so excited to be able to view this great film and discuss with both my small group Bible study and my family. I had the opportunity to watch an early screening of the film when the movie was released in...
What is the purpose of Lent? Lent is not simply a way to renew your commitment to a New Year's resolution or jump start your diet. It's much more than a tradition or ritual. Lent should be a time of spiritual renewal and purification that ultimately leads us to...
Holy Week should be the most important week of the year for all Christians. It should be the week in which we give of ourselves to the fullest in order to fully receive Christ during the Easter celebration. That's the ideal. However, we all know that sometimes...