Catholic Fire

The Saint of the day for December 16th is St. Adelaide of Burgundy. St. Adelaide was a marvel of grace and beauty, according to her spiritual director and biographer, St. Odilon of Cluny. She was born a princess in 1931 and was to became not only the Queen of Italy, but the Empress of Italy. More importantly, this woman of grace lived a holy life, which wasn't an easy endeavor, given her circumstances in life, and was later canonized a saint. The daughter of King Rupert II of Burgundy, France, at age 16, she married Lothar of Italy, who eventually became king of Italy. She was widowed in 950 while still a teenager. Lothair was thought to be poisoned by his successor to the throne, Berengarius. As part of his attempt to solidify his grip on power, Berengarius ordered Adelaide to marry his son; she refused, and was imprisoned. It is believed that a priest came and dug a tunnel to where she was being kept and helped her escape. She remained hidden in the woods until the Duke o...

By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.  For anyone who seeks out the real meaning of the holidays, the last few days before Christmas are the most powerful period of Advent and an intensely beautiful time of year. This weekend we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, with its spirit of joy and its rose liturgical vestments as an alternative to the season’s violet. The day takes its name from the opening words of the Introit at the beginning of Mass: Gaudete in Domino semper, or “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4,5).  And it’s followed just a few days later by the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, the time of the “O Antiphons.” In Christian worship, an antiphon is a special prayer recited or chanted before a psalm or canticle. The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons recited before the Magnificat during Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours. They entered the Church’s liturgy as early as the fifth century. By the eighth century they were a regular part of Chri...

December 14th is the feast of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church. St. John of the Cross (along with St. Teresa of Avila) is one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites and today is one of their principal feast days. Among the Church's contemplatives, St. John is one of the acknowledged masters of mystical theology. Indeed, perhaps no other writer has had greater influence on Catholic spirituality. Gonzalo de Yepes, John's father, was disowned by his wealthy family of silk merchants for marrying a humble silk weaver, Catalina Alvarez. When forced to adapt to surroundings of poverty and hard work, Gonzalo died young, shortly after the birth of John, his third son. John received his elementary education in Medina del Campo at an institution for the children of the poor, in which he was also fed and clothed. At 17 he found work at a hospital in Medina and was able to enroll in the Jesuit College, where he received solid training in the humanities. ...

In just nine months the Pope's words have inspired millions of people. In fact, his very first words as Pontiff left everyone at St. Peter's Square completely speechless. And speaking about words, ever since that night some of his expressions have become all too familiar. March 13 "Now I ask you a favor. Before the bishop blesses his people, I ask that all of you pray to the Lord so that He blesses me.” Even Sundays aren't the same if Pope Francis doesn't end his prayer of the Angelus with a unique yet endearing remark. March 17 "Have a good Sunday, and a good lunch!” But one thing is clear from the beginning. He isn't a fan of written speeches. An example was seen during his meeting with journalists after the Conclave when he made this request. March 16 "How I would like a Church that is poor and for the poor!” A Church made out of shepherds close to their sheep. That is one of the ideas Pope Francis always tries to communicate. H...

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony in St Peter' Square officially marks the start of Christmas at the Vatican. In fact, the colors chosen to decorate it this year are those of the Vatican flag, white and yellow. Some inhabitants of Waldmünchen, in Bavaria (Germany) took part in the ceremony. They gifted the huge fir tree that stands in the middle of the Square and the little ones spread throughout the Vatican. During the last week, workers perfected the tree, brought all the way from Bavaria, homeland to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. It arrived on December 5. That same day it was installed at the Square and workers also started to decorate it. The tree is almost 100 feet high and weighs seven tons.

Bringing the joy of Advent and the promise of Christmas into the marketplace, more than 100 Thomas Aquinas College students descended on Ventura's Pacific Mall on December 7, 2013,for a choral "flash mob." After stealthily gathering around the mall's Christmas central lobby — by the Santa Claus photo center and a Nativity display — the students simultaneously burst into song. They began with "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night," and then concluded with "O Holy Night." The mall's surprised customers and employees seemed to delight in the performance, stopping whatever they were doing to take in the music, to sing along, and to cheer wildly afterward.

December 13th is the feast of St. Lucy (283-304), a noblewoman who was born in Syracuse, Italy, during the Diocletian persecution. She made a vow of virginity and distributed her wealth to the poor. This generosity angered the pagan youth to whom she had been unwillingly betrothed and who denounced her to Paschasius, the governor of Sicily. When it was decided to violate her virginity in a place of shame, Lucy, with the help of the Holy Spirit, stood immovable. A fire was then built around her, but again God protected her. She was finally executed by a sword. As the name, Lucy, derives from 'lux' or 'light', she has become associated with festivals of light and with invocations against afflictions of the sight. Legend has it that she was blinded by her persecutors. The church of San Giovanni Maggiore at Naples even claims to possess her eyes. In the old Julian calendar, Lucy's feast fell on the shortest day of the year. She continues to be associated with the...

The Pope welcomed 16 non-resident ambassadors to the Vatican's Clementine Hall and one by one, they presented their credentials before Pope Francis. Different cultures and even languages, came together to represent their country before the Holy See. The Pope, even got to practice his French. POPE FRANCIS "Thank you very much.  I hope you have a great visit. Please pray for me.” Then he spoke his native Spanish. POPE FRANCIS "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you feel at home.” Just months away from the Pope's trip to the Holy Land, Palestine's ambassador, Amad Rashid, also presented his credentials. AMAD RASHID Palestine's Ambassador to the Holy See "Your Holiness, I'm honored to give you my credentials on behalf of the Holy Land and the Palestinian people. It' a pleasure.” Among the diplomats were ambassadors from Jordan, Kuwait, Sweden, Pakistan, Malta, Sierra Leone, Norway and Denmark. The Pope called on all of them to ...

(Vatican Radio) Preparing for Christmas, we would do well to take a moment of silence to listed to God who speaks to us with the tenderness of a father and of a mother. That was the message of Pope Francis at the morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, on the second Thursday of Advent. Beginning with the reading from the Prophet Isaiah, the Pope emphasized not only “what the Lord says” but “how He says it.” God speaks to as a father or a mother speaks to their children: “When the child has a bad dream, he wakes up, cries . . . the father goes and says, ‘Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, I’m here.’ That’s how the Lord speaks to us. ‘Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you maggot Israel’ (Isaiah 41,13). The Lord has this way of speaking to us: He is near . . . When we look at a father or a mother who speaks to their little child, we see that they become little and speak with a voice of a child and with the manners of children. Someone looking in from the outside think, ‘This is ridiculous!’ Th...

Related: The Miracles of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Yesterday and Today POPE FRANCIS SENDS MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAS FOR THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Today we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe -- one of my favorites Marian feast days. Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, brings hope into our lives. She covers us in the folds of her heavenly mantle and cradles us. She is the Mother who tenderly consoles us and protects us from evil. She is the one who crushes the head of the wicked serpent. History Five centuries ago, in the country now known as Mexico, senseless human sacrifices were performed. Between 20,000 and 50,000 human beings were murdered a year in the Aztec empire. Most of them were slaves and included men, as well as women, and children. An early Mexican historian estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico was sacrificed to the gods. The climax of these ritualistic killings came in 1487 when a new temple (ornately decorated with snakes) was dedicated in what is now modern day Mexico City. In a single ceremony that lasted four days and four nights, accompanied by the constant beating o...

Vatican City, 11 December 2013 (VIS) – The Pope dedicated his final catechesis on the Creed to its last article: “I believe in life everlasting”, focusing in particular on the final judgement. “When we think of Christ's return and of His final judgement, which will show, up to the very last consequences, the good that each person will have done or omitted to do during his or her earthly life, we realise that we find ourselves before a mystery that overwhelms us, that we cannot even imagine. A mystery that almost instinctively arouses in us a sense of fear, and perhaps even trepidation. However, if we reflect closely on this fact, it cannot but enlarge the heart of a Christian, and constitutes a great reason for consolation and trust”. Pope Francis explained that “in this respect, the witness of the first Christian communities is very interesting, since their celebrations and prayers were generally accompanied by the exclamation 'Maranatha', an acclamation made up of...

Many of this remember this, but to those who have forgotten or have not heard this story, this is a must-see. 20 years ago Mother Teresa was invited to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. alongside Bill and Hilary Clinton. Nobody expected what she would say.

To mark the upcoming Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Francis explained why She is so important for the Americas. During his weekly general audience, the Pope described the encounter between Our Lady and St. Juan Diego as a 'prophecy of an embrace.' The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th, to mark the day when Our Lady appeared before a humble Indian man in Mexico. Now, Our Lady of Guadalupe is known as the Patroness of the Americas. The Pope encouraged Latin Americans to open wide their arms, with love and tenderness, just like Our Lady did. READ TEXT IN ENGLISH: Tomorrow is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas.  I would like to greet all my brothers and sisters on that continent, and I do so thinking of the Virgin of Tepeyac. When Our Lady appeared to Saint Juan Diego, her face was that of a woman of mixed blood, a mestiza, and her garments bore many symbols of the native culture.  Like Jesus, Mary...

Pope Francis has been named 'Person of the Year' by TIME Magazine. The American publication made the announcement on Wednesday morning, citing the humble ways of the Church's first Latin American Pontiff. Known as the People's Pope, the magazine highlighted the Pope's call for a Church that embraces healing and reform. Upon hearing the announcement the Vatican's spokesperson, Fr. Federico Lombardi, issued a statement. It explained that the Pope isn't looking for praise or fame, but rather in preaching and living the Gospel. He added, that if  being person of the year draws people to this very message, then the Pope welcomes being selected. The other four runner ups include Edward Snowden, Edith Windsor, Bashar Assad and U.S Senator Ted Cruz.

Today Catholics commemorate Pope St. Damasus I, who led the Church through a critical part of the fourth-century Arian controversy over Jesus' divinity. Pope Damasus I made decisions that shaped the future of Western Catholicism and the universal Church. During his pontificate, Latin became the official liturgical language of the Roman Church, which had used Greek extensively in the past. The same Pope authorized St. Jerome to revise the Latin translation of the Bible into what became the widely-used “Vulgate” edition. Pope Damasus also authorized the decrees of the Second Ecumenical Council, which expanded the Nicene Creed's profession of faith in the Holy Spirit and added portions on the Church, baptism, and the resurrection of the dead. Pope Damasus' letters testify to the origin of the papacy as a office instituted by Christ. The need to articulate this doctrine grew during the fourth century, after the Emperor Constantine and his successors increased the profi...

This is a wonderful interview with Fr. Robert Barron, containing some little-known facts about him! Fr. Robert Barron is the Francis George Cardinal chair at St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Illinois and director of Word on Fire ministries. He talks with Fr. Rosica about spreading the Gospel message using new media and evangelizing the culture.

Rome, Italy, Dec 10, 2013 / 04:07 am (CNA).- “The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning” has 95 percent five-star reviews on Amazon.com. Despite its growing popularity and critical acclaim, however, the book's author humbly describes herself as “a housewife with a bunch of blogs.” Continue reading.