A Treasure To Be Shared

Procession of the Blessed Sacrament | Corpus Christi The Lesson | Requiem for Monsignor Peter Wilkinson, PH | D. Duchesne Boat Bearer, Entrance Procession | Andrea Collins Photography Solemn High Mass | Andrea Collins Photography First Communion | D. Duchesne Holy Matrimony | Andrea Collins Photography Solemn High Mass | D. Duchesne Lift high the Cross! Elevation of the Precious Body | Andrea Collins Photography Elevation of the Precious Blood | Andrea Collins Photography Holy Baptism | D. Duchesne Lectors at the Easter Vigil 2026 | D. Duchesne Midnight Mass | D. Duchesne The Churching of Women | Procession to the Altar

Glory At The Tomb | WGNC 2025 The Sacred Liturgy constitutes the heart of Catholic worship, encompassing the Church's official, public acts of praise, thanksgiving, and sanctification through which Christ unites Himself with His people. It is not merely a collection of rituals but an encounter with the divine, where the faithful participate in Christ's priestly office, offering themselves in union with His sacrifice. Rooted in Scripture and Tradition, the liturgy—particularly the Eucharist—serves as the "source and summit" of the Church's life, drawing believers into the mystery of salvation and fostering communion with God and one another. God being infinite beauty, the soul united to Christ draws upon himself the admiring and tender gaze of the Angels, who, were they capable of any passion, would be filled with envy at his lot. Pope St. Pius X Immersion in the Eucharistic Liturgy offers the believer an opportunity to grow in holiness, to grow in likeness to the...

(CNS photo/Vatican Media) Lights, smoke, an elevated platform, guitars, drums, keyboards, and a large crowd facing the performers. A religious service or a rock concert? Candles, incense (... maybe), an elevated platform, guitars, drums, keyboards, and a large congregation facing the clergy. Same question. 'Praise and worship' is a label borrowed from evangelical and charismatic Protestant lexicons. The Catholic understands that God desires to be worshipped and praised in the Divine Liturgy. In the Mass, the Catholic can say, "I was gathered into the offering of the Son to the Father. I participated in the self-offering of God today." God has revealed to us how He wants to be worshipped. Jesus established the model for Catholic worship (St. Matthew 26:17-30). The Latin Rite liturgy has expanded or contracted over the centuries. Universal adjustments were modest until the Bugnini Concilium (1964 - 1969) instituted considerable revisions. A later council of ten faithful...

Catholics, specifically we of the Latin (Roman) Rite, use unleavened bread in the Eucharist (Holy Communion) primarily because it is acknowledged to be the type of bread that Jesus used at the Last Supper, which coincided with the Jewish Passover Seder, where unleavened bread is traditionally used. The practice acknowledges the connection of the Mass to the Last Supper and Jesus's sacrifice. Historical Context During the time of the Last Supper, the Jewish Passover meal (Seder) was being celebrated, and Jewish law mandated the use of unleavened bread (matzah).  Symbolism Unleavened bread, lacking leaven (yeast), symbolizes purity and the absence of sin.  Tradition and Continuity By using unleavened bread, the Catholic Church maintains a link to the historical Last Supper and emphasizes the continuity of the Eucharistic sacrifice from that event. Eastern Catholic Churches While the Eastern Catholic Churches also celebrate the Eucharist, some of them use leavened bread, reflecti...

Say 'no' to communion in the hand... to say 'yes' to the profound adoration of God by receiving the Holy Eucharist on the tongue. I mention, for example, a change not proposed by the Council Fathers or by the Sacrosanctum Concilium, Holy Communion received in the hand. This has contributed to some extent to a weakening of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This, and the removal of altar rails and kneelers in church and the introduction of practices which oblige the faithful to sit or stand at the elevation of the Sacred Host, weakens the genuine significance of the Eucharist and the Church’s profound sense of adoration for the Lord, the Only Son of God. Albert Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith (November, 2007) | Behind communion-in-the-hand – I wish to repeat and make as plain as I can – is a weakening, a conscious, a deliberate weakening of faith in the Real Presence.  Father John Hardon, S.J., November, 1997 |  One receives in the mouth what one believes ...

Catholics have the Holy Eucharist.  Protestants have something resembling the Eucharist but not actually the Eucharist established by Jesus and conserved by the apostles .  The first "protestants" were those who rejected Jesus' teaching about the Eucharist ( St John 6:52-65 ). Catholics celebrate the season of Christmas lasting from Christmas (December 25th; 24th among Eastern Catholics) to the Baptism of the Lord or in some precincts until Candlemas .  Though some Protestant denominations celebrate a season of Christmas, most Protestant groups only celebrate one day, Christmas Day. The Bible is a Catholic book . Catholics have 73 books in the Bible affirmed by the Council of Rome (AD 382), the Synod of Hippo (AD 393), two of the Councils of Carthage (AD 397 and 419), the Council of Florence (AD 1431–1449) and finally, as an article of faith, by the Council of Trent (AD 1545–1563).  The writings that found their way into the canon of Holy Scripture were those books ...

Is it even possible to issue a charge against anyone for violence against the Sacred Liturgy?  Why issue a charge of abuse?  To identify the abuse of the Holy Eucharist, which is at the core of our faith as Catholics, is a step toward identifying reasons for a loss of faith among Catholics, a drop in Mass attendance and a rise in other forms of abuse. As a concept, liturgical abuse barely appears on the radar screens or in the vocabularies of many - most? - Latin Rite Catholics because of poor formation in the ritual languages and practices of the Church.  An Eastern Catholic tends to have a much clearer understanding of that which constitutes fitting liturgical worship.  Why is that? Like our Eastern brethren, Ordinariate Catholics share a strong sense of liturgical propriety. Liturgical action must comport with the Church's theology of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is defined as the Sacrament that contains the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Chr...

[Read time: 4 minutes] Eucharistic evangelization is based on the understanding that the Eucharist is the centre of Christian life.  Jesus is Present to us in His Eucharist.  The Eucharist is referred to as "the source and summit of the whole Christian life," highlighting its crucial function in the lives of Catholics. In the Eucharist, the faithful experience communion with Christ and the Church, which is essential for evangelization. It is through the celebration of the Eucharist that Christians are nourished and transformed into the Body of Christ, enabling them to participate actively in the mission of the Church.  The Eucharist not only strengthens the bonds of charity among believers but also empowers them to live out their faith in various aspects of life, including their social and communal responsibilities. Moreover, the Eucharist serves as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, which inspires believers to share the message of salvation with others.  The act o...

[ Estimated read time: 9 minutes ] Cotidiana Sanctitatis There are many reminders available to help believers grow in wisdom and holiness, including the writings of holy people, sermons about the spiritual life, and accounts about the saints and how they lived their lives.  The loving action of the Holy Spirit drawing men, women and children into communion with Jesus and His Church is highly evident in the lives of the saints. Discipleship First and foremost, we have the Holy Eucharist and Holy Scripture to support us in our walk with God.  The Daily Office is a particularly satisfying treasury of wisdom.  The Rosary, especially prayed daily, certainly deserves mention as a vehicle through which the believer can receive, with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, many graces from the Lord to help one grow in holiness and virtue. What does the spiritual life entail for the Catholic?  The Church affirms with good reason that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summi...

There are far too many of the brethren acting like their evil inclinations and bad actions will have no consequences. Think again. Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers. What makes a Catholic a Catholic? It's easier to say what doesn't make one a Catholic or, more precisely, what is unbecoming a Catholic. Arrogance, conceit (James 4:16). "As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." Lying . The liar is a murderer, like his father the devil (St John 8:44). Pro-choice, i.e., pro-abortion.  Canon 1398 provides that "a person who procures a successful abortion incurs an automatic (latae sententiae...