By David Kilby This is the fifth article in a series about the five pillars of the Eucharistic Revival, a three-year-long initiative of the United States’ Conference of Catholic Bishops. The initiative aims to promote faith in the Real Presence...
"But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life.” ~ Romans 6:22
November 1st is the feast of All Saints. The Catholic Church celebrates all canonized and not canonized saints on this day and offers the sacrifice of the mass in thanksgiving to God for their exemplary lives and encourages the laity to work towards attaining Heaven. This day is so important to the Church that it is a holy day of obligation, which means we should all attend mass.
Love is our primary vocation, and as we learn about the lives of the Saints, we realize that they made the ordinary extraordinary by doing it with God's grace and led by the Holy Spirit, for His Glory. Like Mother Theresa said, "Love until it hurts." We are encouraged to live our lives serving God through loving our neighbor, even if it is difficult. Saints radically loved God, in complete openness to their daily missions. Even though these known and unknown saints have attained eternal life, God has given them the task to intercede for us. Christians can have their personal "army of saint friends" that inspire them and root for them on their pilgrimage to Heaven.
In honor of the feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo, today, August 28th, I will highlight some fascinating stories about his journey to the Heart of God.
Bishop, Doctor of the Church and Patron Saint of Brewers, because of his conversion from his former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions.
His complete turnaround is an inspiration to many who struggle with a particular vice or habit they long to break.
Have you ever wondered why some Catholics wear a brown cord around their neck? Perhaps, you thought it to be a new type of rosary, a baptismal keepsake, or a “trendy” catholic sacramental. But no, all these assumptions are far from the truth. A scapular is more than that! and its evolution will surprise you.
Let us go back in time to discover what this ancient tradition is all about.
Around the ninth century, a monk received the scapular after the profession of vows, and it became known as "the yoke of Christ" (iugum Christi) and "the shield of Christ" (scutum Christi). Over centuries religious orders adapted the basic scapular as they considered appropriate for themselves, and as a result, we have a myriad of distinct designs, colors, shapes, and lengths.
Inspired by the original version, the scapular that the laity wears today is made out of two small pieces of wool, connected by a cord or ribbon, and hangs down one’s front and back. Some scapulars are made out of different materials ( precious metals) and represent devotions to The Virgin Mary, The Sacred Heart or St. Benedict. The most popular one is the brown scapular, known as the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Scapular. The brown scapular was revealed to a Carmelite priest, St. Simon Stock in the year 1251 AD.
Eventually, these smaller scapulars were marks of membership in confraternities, groups of the laity who joined together, attaching themselves to the apostolate of a religious community and accepting certain rules and regulations. However, popularly you do not need to belong to a confraternity to wear one.
One of the primary reasons Catholics wear a scapular today is the promises attached to it. They are guaranteed special protection, the loving intercession of Our Blessed Mother, and a special grace at the hour of death. Scapular wearers will not perish in Hell but would be taken up to Heaven by her on the first Saturday after their death.
You might have heard of the term “practicing Catholic”. In fact, being a “practicing Catholic” becomes a “requirement” in some circumstances. For example, if you want to apply for a teaching position in a Catholic institution, one of the qualifications for you to be hired is that you must be a “practicing Catholic”. Or if you are to be a godparent for a child of your close friend, then being a “practicing Catholic” is a must.
But what does being a “practicing Catholic” mean? Standards for Educators in Catholic Schools and Parishes by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference defines a “practicing Catholic” as “a Catholic in good standing who participates fully in the worship and life of the Church, and who understands and accepts the teachings of the Church and moral demands of the Gospel, as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”
The Christmas season is meant to be merry because it reminds us that God is faithful and keeps His promises. The above passage is an excerpt from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2, where we are given the reason for our Hope and Joy through the beautiful story of the birth of Jesus Christ, a story that took place over 2,000 years ago. With the birth of Jesus, Christianity also started.
One thing Saints have in common is their radical love for Christ, and it shows in the way that they lived out sacrifice and penance. From cutting hair, flagellation, fasting, sleeping on needles, suffering, praying for hours, offering discomfort, etc. The saints were very creative and unique in the way they worshiped God and prepared for Heaven. Thanks to their powerful witness and God’s mercy, we enjoy their friendship today. Saint Rose of Lima was not shy of those sacrifices; she was pious and faithful.
Our friends at Agapao are such a blessing to us. We can call them or email them, and they help us find what we need quickly and efficiently. The products are wonderful.
Thank you so much for this great crucifix
I’m so grateful to have come across this statue. I had never see one like this.
She embodies the spirit of 'Christmas' for me in a deeply meaningful way, especially after the loss of my adult son. She represents a mother’s anticipation and joy as she awaits the arrival of her child, a reflection that touches my heart profoundly.
The copes and humeral veils are of decent quality. I was expecting them to be lined, but I may have missed that they were unlined in the product description.
The only initial problem I saw was that, right out of the box, one of the clasps was unstitched. I took a photo, but cannot upload it into this box (but found I could do so below). Some quality control on those minor things would be great.
Also, the hook side of one of the clasps is surprisingly sharp, almost like a needle. Thank you!
