A Treasure To Be Shared

Photograph: ARD1 It’s been said that many people, especially younger generations, are joining the Church in significant numbers across Europe, America, and elsewhere. Seekers and converts have a clear idea of what the Church should be, thanks to their access to reliable online resources. But do they discover genuine substance and authenticity when they step into a typical diocesan parish? https://www.catholicregister.org/item/3353-archdiocese-of-paris-convenes-council-in-response-to-historic-rise-in-catechumens Catholic Light or Catholic Lite? Younger Catholics and Catholics-to-be are interested in finding the Jesus known by the saints, not some Pop-Tart religion where Jesus is reduced to a social justice warrior cast in the image of modern ideologues. Seekers are not interested in the politicized religion of the Jesuits. If online videos and everyday conversations are any indication, they’re drawn to the Church of Aquinas, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, Palestrina and chan...

Cain Slays Abel Is your workplace beset with individuals who take offence at matters that trigger them and them alone and who then proceed to torture others? Do you view the world through the lens of your wounds and feel justified in cursing others with false accusations simply because you need to feel powerful and in total control? Do you inflict as much or even more harm on others than you yourself have endured? Do you attempt to control circumstances—work, play, church—because you lack the ability to interact in mutually affirming ways? Do you lack a sense of humour, and so playful banter becomes a threat? Do you feel inadequate and looked down upon, though there is no condescension on the part of others? Do you use religion or politics as a means to insulate yourself from confronting your own foibles? Do you persist in projecting your anger onto others and attempt to blame others for making your life miserable? An exasperated acquaintance recently shared workplace tensions. He ...

View Through GN2026 Know your identity, know your role. Look carefully at matters that inspire you, that draw your attention to good things even while you may be reluctant to follow such promptings. All good things in life require some kind of constructive investment, even the littlest of ventures. Weighing & Observing You may desire a family or even a career in a given field, but does the frequency of your thoughts and actions suggest another path or at least a reconsideration of your current plans? You may desire to be a priest or a religious, but are your thoughts pulling you elsewhere? Do you find contentment in supporting others, in listening, in serving? What else do you enjoy or see a need to be involved in? Do you take the time in silence, say on a walk or just sitting in peace, to observe your thoughts? Do you take time in prayer to ask God for guidance, for opportunities to explore and apply yourself? What motivates you to action? What gives you joy? What attracts you to ...

Caritas Sunday Veritas Monday Bonitas Tuesday Pulchritudo Wednesday Sanctitas Thursday Unitas Friday Haereditas Saturday + + + Charity Sunday Resurrection Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. A heart of love offers the mercy of healing to others. Be ready to accept humiliations. They can hurt terribly but they can help to keep you humble. (Whether trivial or big, accept them). All these can be so many chances to be a little nearer to our Lord. There is nothing to fear if you are near to the Lord and in His Hands. Michael Ramsey, excerpt from  Five Helps for the New Year . Almighty Father, help us to be ever mindful of Thy gift of salvation in Christ Jesus, Thy Son, who died so that we might have life and love Thee for all eternity. May we abide in humility, that we be numbered amongst those within Thine everlasting Kingdom. Grant that we be ever merciful, welcoming others into Thine embrac...

Tertullian (d. ca. 250) In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the Sign of the Cross (De corona, 30). The Sign of the Cross is both a prayer and a ritual blessing. The way in which a worshipper makes the Sign of the Cross can say a lot about a person's intentions and practice of the Faith. Is the gesture deliberate and reverent, or careless and rushed? Is the gesture lazy or haphazard? Does someone look like they're swatting flies? Are some words omitted? Picture any of the above scenarios, but replace ‘Sign of the Cross’ with a loving gesture toward a spouse. Now imagine it as a half-hearted kiss, a limp hug, or even a weak handshake with a friend. The way the gesture is carried out can say a lot about what the other person may or may not be feeling and thinking. What do we want t...

Divine Worship is a form of the Roman Rite celebrated with solemnity, sacred music, and the hallowed cadence of traditional liturgical English. This sacred liturgy is not simply a rite, but a profound encounter with the living God, drawing souls into the mystery of Christ and the worship of the Church through time-honored forms. St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne Catholic Church The Ordinariate Form of the Mass, Divine Worship, is especially rich in symbolism and gesture. Divine Worship: The Missal, approved by the Holy See, draws from the rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the English and Anglican traditions, incorporating elements from the Use of Sarum, various editions of the Book of Common Prayer, and the English and Anglican Missals. Divine Worship is a miraculous assertion of the authentic liturgical renewal desired by the fathers of the Second Vatican Council. Humans can communicate in a variety of beautiful and meaningful ways that capture and orient intention to God. Ritual a...

The Arrival | WGNC Hail Mary!   May the greeting that was first offered to thee by the holy Gabriel, which has been recited and sung by innumerable witnesses who have trusted in thy intercession down through the ages, join my weak plea for thy help, this prayer that reaches out in love and hope toward the Lord our God. O Mary, mother of all Christians, join me in prayer to God for a pure heart, a clear mind, and a ready will, so that this disciple of Jesus the Saviour Whom thou didst bear for man's salvation, may live forever in communion with the Most Holy Trinity. HEAVENLY Father, Almighty and eternal God, hearken to me in my need, and grant an increase of grace to assist me, Thy child, to grow in likeness to Thee and Thy Son, Christ Jesus our Lord, the Redeemer Whom Thou didst send among us; Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, ever One God, world without end. Amen.