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Featured Term (selected at random):PLAIN CHANT Sometimes inaccurately called Gregorian chant, but plain chant is a modification of the Gregorian, introduced among the Franks in the ninth century. It is unisonous and free-rhythmed and composed on a scale of four lines. The modes or scales of plain chant are limited to the natural intervals of the human voice and the melodies likewise confined to a person's natural range. Features of this chant are that the "leading note" is commonly avoided; also two choirs may be used while alternately singing the same melody. The beauty of plain chant derives from its...

There are 39 paid catechists and 1500 volunteer catechists. Evangelization a pastoral priority for Card. Tong. The story of Janet, who will be baptized tonight, along with her younger brother.Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - This Easter, 3,500adult catechumens in the Hong Kong diocese will receive the Sacrament of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion) at various parishes at the Holy Saturday Vigil today, April 7. In his Easter Pastoral Letter 2012, Cardinal John Tong of Hong Kong specially thanks priests, deacons, sisters and laypeople to offer their time and energy in teaching catechism. The catechists "not only carry out the...

April 9, 2012   Monday within the Octave of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 2:14, 22-33 On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,raised his voice, and proclaimed:"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. "You who are children of Israel, hear these words.Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by Godwith mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,you killed, using lawless...

Easter Changes Everything Columnists George WeigelApril 5th, 2012 George Weigel Christmas occupies such a large part of the Christian imagination that the absolute supremacy of Easter as the greatest of Christian feasts may get obscured at times. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, an Italian biblical scholar, suggests that we might begin to appreciate how Easter changed everything—and gave the birth of Jesus at Christmas its significance—by reflecting on the story of Jesus purifying the Jerusalem Temple, at the beginning of John’s Gospel.In this prophetic and symbolic act, Ravasi writes, Jesus draws a sharp contrast between a religion of superficiality and self-absorption and...

For Americans who don't share Christian beliefs, Easter -- Christianity's holiest day -- may mean little more than a family brunch and childhood memories of colored eggs hidden in all the usual places. To many of us, it's merely another Sunday. But could it be that Easter holds powerful lessons for believers and unbelievers alike? The day seems to offer a fitting occasion to reflect on our nation's enormous debt to Christianity. In some respects, these fruits are obvious. For example, our great civil-rights revolution was led by Christian pastors like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev....

ROC will call for a war against "aggressive liberalism" The Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a circular, calling on believers to fight the "anti-clerical forces" and "false values ​​of aggressive liberalism." According to the April 7 blog post on the website of radio station "Ekho Moskvy" religious scholar and journalist Valery Retired, the document will be read from the pulpits of orthodox churches on April 8, the feast of Palm Sunday. Next Retired leads the full text of the circular. According to the report, the ROC believes that in Russia there are "anti-clerical forces" who do not...

April 8, 2012 The Resurrection of the LordThe Mass of Easter Sunday  Reading 1 Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Peter proceeded to speak and said:"You know what has happened all over Judea,beginning in Galilee after the baptismthat John preached,how God anointed Jesus of Nazarethwith the Holy Spirit and power.He went about doing goodand healing all those oppressed by the devil,for God was with him.We are witnesses of all that he didboth in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be...

 Divorce and Remarriageby Sebastian R. FamaIt is a sad fact of life that divorce has become an all-too-common occurrence. Many marriages that began with joy and hope end in bitter separation. Unfortunately, the Church is not immune to this problem. As with marriage, many view the Church’s position on divorce and remarriage as archaic and unrealistic. But the Church’s position is nothing more than the direct teaching of Christ. In Luke 16:18 we hear Jesus saying: "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."Paul says essentially...

The buzz on the new "Exultet": here come the bees! Mar 15th, 2011 by Deacon Greg Kandra With Easter rapidly approaching, deacons everywhere will be clearing their throats and getting ready to give voice to the great hymn of the Paschal Proclamation — also known as “The Exultet,” a seven-minute a capaella chant that fittingly, as the lyric proclaims, “humbles earthly pride.”    It is the Mother of All Chants, an epic best approached with a strong heart and steeled nerves.(For those interested, there’s an excellent downloadable version here that I’ve used for the last three years.)My pal Elizabeth...

Follow Me… Apr 1st, 2012by Gary Zimak.  As Jesus passed on from there,He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9)As we head into the final 2 weeks our Spiritual Exercises retreat, I just wanted to reach out and share a few thoughts. Today, with the celebration of Palm Sunday, we enter into the holiest week of the year. Over the next five days, on my nightly radio show, we’ll meditate on Our Lord’s Passion and death. As we do this, we’ll recognize...

  The Fifteen Promises Granted to those who Recite the Rosary The Fifteen Promises of Mary Granted to those who Recite the RosaryThe Glory of St DominicGuido Reni 1613 A.D. FrescoSan Domenico, Bologna The Blessed Virgin Mary promised to Saint Dominic and to all who follow that "Whatever you ask in the Rosary will be granted." She left for all Christians Fifteen Promises to those who recite the Holy Rosary. Imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces. I promise my special protection and the greatest...

Meditating on Good Friday with St. Francis de Sales But could God not have provided the world with a remedy other than that of His Son's death? Certainly, He could have done so, and by a thousand other means. Could He not have pardoned human nature with absolute power and pure mercy, not invoking justice or the intervention of any creature? Doubtless He could, and who would have dared to question or criticize Him? No one, for He is Sovereign Master and can do all He wills. Besides, if He had wanted some creature to undertake our redemption, could He...

April 7, 2012   Holy Saturday - Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter   Reading 1 Gn 1:1; 2:2 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said,"Let there be light," and there was light.God saw how good the light was.God then separated the light from the darkness.God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."Thus evening came, and morning followed-the first day. Then God said,"Let there be a dome in the middle of the...

The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy Novena of Chaplets A novena is typically nine days of prayer in preparation of a celebration of a feast day. At the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Novena is recited perpetually at the Hour of Great Mercy — the three o'clock hour. The Chaplet can be said anytime, but the Lord specifically asked that it be recited as a novena. He promised, "By this Novena (of Chaplets), I will grant every possible grace to souls." Intentions For each of the nine days, our Lord...

No Greater Love… Apr 6th, 2012by Gary Zimak.   Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)On this day, approximately 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ suffered and died on a cross so that you and I can one day live in the eternal happiness of His kingdom. He gave everything, holding nothing back. As we look over our lives, what have we done to express our gratitude? Speaking for myself, I have to admit that the answer is “not much”. As a matter of fact, not only haven’t I...

Don’t Just Feel Sorry For Jesus… Apr 4th, 2012by Gary Zimak  For several years, my reaction to Our Lord’s Passion was the same:How could the authorities do this to Jesus?How could people cry out “Crucify Him”?What did He ever do to deserve this?How could Peter and Judas betray their friend?These people were really nasty!But eventually the sadness passed (usually by the evening of Good Friday) and nothing really changed in my life. As I started to learn more about my faith, however, I realized that my sins were responsible for the Lord’s suffering. Although that was a big revelation, the...

This week before Easter, I chanced upon the following two quotations. The first says: “Not for 2,000 years has it been possible for society to exclude or eliminate Christ from its social or political life without a terrible social or political consequence.” The second says: “Religion taught by a prophet or by a preacher of the truth is the only foundation on which to build a great and powerful empire.” The first is by Margaret Thatcher, opening her foreword to a book called Christianity and Conservatism, which appeared in 1990. The second appears in Tom Holland’s outstanding new book...

Bread from Heaven The Eucharist Sustains Us and Lifts Us Up From the very beginning of time, when God first created the universe, his intention was that we would all come to him to receive the grace, wisdom, and strength we needed. The Book of Genesis uses the image of the two trees in the Garden of Eden to convey this central truth: The tree of life held all the treasures of his divine plan, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil supported the philosophy that we could decide for ourselves what was right or wrong—we...

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.  And sitting down they watched him there;  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. . . . . Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My...

Hillsdale College First Principles on First Fridays lecture: “Obamacare's Assault on Religious Liberty” Funding for this month’s First Principles on First Fridays program has been provided by the Philip M. McKenna Foundation.Paul A. RaheCharles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in Western Heritage, Hillsdale CollegeDownload the Flier.Tuesday, April 10, 201212:00 - 1:00 p.m.Please note that this month’s program will take place on a Tuesday in deference to Good Friday.Paul A. Rahe holds the Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in Western Heritage and is Professor of History at Hillsdale College. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale University...