Catholic Fire

“Your birth, O Blessed Virgin Mary, fills the whole world with a sweet consolation and a holy joy, because of you was born our Jesus, our God, who has taken away from us the curse in which we were plunged by the sin of our first parents, and filled us with all kinds of blessings.”  ~ St. John Vianney The Catholic Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of September 8, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. History of this feast day The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest of the Marian solemnities, was mentioned by the Church Fathers in the early fifth century.  Like other Marian feasts, it began to be celebrated at the local level without any major solemnity. As the feast began to spread throughout the Byzantine world in the sixth and seventh century, it was celebrated with greater solemnity. The solemnity of the fe...

The Birth of Jesus is one of the favorite themes for artists of all times. Geniuses like El Greco, Rubens and Murillo have tried to represent the Holy Family. - Via Rome Reports.

(Vatican Radio) "Francis 1223 - Francis 2013" is the title of this year’s nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square, marking the first Christmas of the pontificate of Pope Francis. For the first time, a Neapolitan crèche will be used in the exhibit, created by Antonio Cantone of the firm Cantone & Costabile. The nativity scenes of Naples are world famous, and the material was donated by the Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, with the support of the president of the Region of Campania, Stefano Caldoro. The figures will be dressed in the clothing typical of 18th century Naples. The scene will be funded largely by donations from benefactors, limiting the expense of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Today, June 24th is the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. Jesus called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John....” But John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “[Y]et the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). John spent his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the coming of the Kingdom, and to call everyone to a fundamental reformation of life. His purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. His Baptism, he said, was for repentance. But One would come who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John is not worthy even to carry his sandals. His attitude toward Jesus was: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). John was humbled to find among the crowd of sinners who came to be baptized the one whom he already knew to be the Messiah. “I need to be baptized by you” (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted, “Allow it now, ...