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ROME (CNS) -- As a Peace Corps volunteer, Tom Bissell was hiking through a village in Kyrgyzstan one day, and an old Russian woman offered to take him to see the tomb of St. Matthew. "I remember thinking: 'The tomb of Matthew? I thought he was buried in Jerusalem or Italy or somewhere like that,'" Bissell recalled in an interview with Catholic News Service. But Kyrgyzstan, he soon learned, also had a claim on the apostle's final resting place. The woman led Bissell to the ruins of a monastery next to Lake Issyk Kul, where according to local legend...

The Early Fathers believed that authentic teaching and authority came through apostolic succession.Clement of RomeOur Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned, and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry (Letter to the Corinthians 44:1 [A.D. 95]). Ignatius of AntiochYou must all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows the Father, and the presbytery as you would the Apostles. Reverence the deacons as...

The Early Church Fathers recognized Oral Tradition (as taught by the Church) as being equally authoritative as written Tradition (Scripture) because they both came from the same God through the same Church. Papias Whenever anyone came my way, who had been a follower of my seniors, I would ask for the accounts of our seniors: What did Andrew or Peter say? Or Phillip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew, or any of the Lord’s disciples? I also asked: What did Aristion and John the Presbyter, disciples of the Lord say. For, as I see it, it is not...

Traditional Mass Propers, CommemoratingSaint Birgitta of Sweden, Widow( Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost ) 01 October 2006 A.D. Missa Da Pacem "....My son thy sins are forgiven thee...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

by Mickey Addison Other Articles by Mickey Addison I Believe 10/04/06 We begin each rosary with the words, "I believe," the first words of the Apostle's Creed. It is our "statement of faith," one that is more written on our hearts rather than in a book. To “believe" is something more than "guess" and something slightly less than "know." In fact, the first dictionary definition of "believe" is to "have confidence." This, of course, describes our Catholic faith quite precisely. We have great confidence in our Lord and His Church, and we have a number of good reasons for this confidence....

Traditional Mass Propers, CommemoratingSaint Remigius, Bishop and Confessor ( Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost ) 01 October 2006 A.D. Missa Justus es, Dómine "....Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Traditional Mass Propers, CommemoratingThe Order of Our Lady of Ransom( Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost ) 24 September 2006 A.D. Missa Miserére Mihi ".... "He that hunbleth himself shall be exalted."...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Traditional Mass Propers, Commemorating forthe Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi( Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost ) 17 September 2006 A.D. Missa Inclina, Dómine ".... Young man I say to thee, Arise...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Traditional Mass Propers For The Feast Day ofSaint Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor( Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost ) 10 September 2006 A.D. Missa Protéctor Noster "....No man can serve two masters...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

The Apostle Philip "He Invites Us to Come and See Jesus" VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 6, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience, held in St. Peter's Square. The Pope dedicated his talk to present the figure of the Apostle Philip. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters: Continuing to sketch the portrait of the various apostles, as we have been doing for some weeks, we meet today with Philip. In the lists of the Twelve he always appears in fifth place (in Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13),...

Traditional Mass Propers For The Feast Day ofPope Saint Pius X( Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost ) 3 September 2006 A.D. Missa Réspice, Dómine "....Go thy way for thy faith hath made thee whole...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Traditional Mass Propers For The Feast Day ofSaint Joseph Calasanctius ( Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost ) 27 August 2006 A.D. Missa Deus, In Adjutórìum Meum "....Go and do thou in like manner...." "Nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass, said as it is among us. I could attend Mass forever, and not be tired. It is not a mere form of words; it is a great action. The greatest action that can be on earth. It is. . .the vocation of the Eternal." -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Question 12 of The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church now asks the following: "What is Apostolic Tradition?" Answer: "Apostolic Tradition is the transmission of the message of Christ, brought about from the very beginnings of Christianity by means of preaching, bearing witness, institutions, worship, and inspired writings. The Apostles transmitted all they received from Christ and learned from the Holy Spirit to their successors, the bishops, and through them to all generations until the end of the world." The notion of Sola Scriptura, or "Scripture alone", as the definitive source of all that is genuine, all that...

Ten Things That Would Be Different If The 12 Apostles Had Been Gay 10. The Last Supper would have been brunch. 09. The Beatitudes would start, "Fabulous are they....." 08. Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem screams for a production number with lots of ostrich feather palm fronds and a large oyster shell, instead of just a donkey and some palm leaves. 07. The water at the wedding feast of Canaan would not have been changed to wine, but to extra dry Bombay Sapphire martinis with a touch of Curacao for color. 06. The temple would not only have been cleansed...

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 22, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The first apostles, like today's, were not heralds of an idea but rather witnesses of Christ before the world, says Benedict XVI. The Pope delivered that message today in his second general audience address dedicated to explain the relationship between Jesus and the Church. In an address before 35,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father focused on Jesus' call to the Twelve Apostles. In particular, the Pope recalled the dialogue recounted by John the Evangelist on the banks of the Jordan, when John the Baptizer presented Jesus as the Lamb of...

BOSTON - Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley declined to wash the feet of women during a Holy Week ritual that symbolizes Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples. O'Malley, heeding instructions from the Vatican on the subject, washed the feet of 12 men - representing Jesus' 12 male disciples - as he celebrated Holy Thursday Mass. The practice of including women in the foot-washing ritual is controversial among some clergy. Traditionalists oppose inclusion of women in the ritual, but others see it as an outdated rule that can alienate women from the church. In Atlanta, about 100 men and women gathered...

by Mark Shea Sr. Content Editor Other Articles by Mark Shea More Than Our Father 1/4/2006 The Creed balances many difficult ideas and paradoxes (as that God is one and three; that the immortal Son became mortal man; that life issues from death; and a thousand other mysteries). In This Article...The Titles of the Father"Almighty""Creator" The Titles of the Father But the very first bit of balancing the Creed does is to propose three different titles by which we must think of the first Person of the Trinity. The first title is the most familiar, since Jesus Himself explicitly commands us...

October 28, 2005Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles Psalm: Friday 46 Reading IEph 2:19-22 Brothers and sisters:You are no longer strangers and sojourners,but you are fellow citizens with the holy onesand members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.Through him the whole structure is held togetherand grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;in him you also are being built togetherinto a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Responsorial PsalmPs 19:2-3, 4-5 R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.The heavens declare the...

Divine Authority and the ApostlesConnie W. AdamsJesus did not come into the world to stay physically. When he offered his blood as a sacrifice for sins, once and for all, his divine mission in the world was finished. In the shadow of the cross, Jesus said in prayer to the Father, "I have finished the work which thou gayest me to do" (John 17:4). Then he added in verse 11, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee." Notice that statement "but these are in the world."...

    ORIGIN OF "THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS" An Underground CatechismYou're all familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" I think. To most it's a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written.It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a...