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As many of you already know, we are entering into the fall High Holy Days, comprised of the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Just as the spring Feastdays celebrate the First Coming of Messiah Yeshua, and Shavuot (Pentecost) celebrates the giving of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) to the Ekklesia in between the visitations of Yeshua, the Fall Feastdays look forward to His Second Coming—and in particular, the Feast of Trumpets looks forward to His Glorious Appearance in the clouds of heaven!The day which this year falls on September 23 (beginning at sundown the previous night) is known...

It is the Feast of the Cross. This is the last feast in the summer for the Lebanese Christians. On Monday September 11, 2006, the Christians of my town gathered in the church where I gave a teaching about how to Deny oneself, Take up the cross, and Follow Jesus. This teaching was liberating especially from erroneous thoughts and concepts. People were saying after this teaching: "How simple it is to deny oneself, take up the cross and follow Jesus. We had definitely different thoughts about it." On Tuesday, I had to visit a non-Christian hospital where one man...

September 14, 2006 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Psalm: Thursday 38 Reading 1Nm 21:4b-9 With their patience worn out by the journey,the people complained against God and Moses,“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,where there is no food or water?We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,which bit the people so that many of them died.Then the people came to Moses and said,“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.”So Moses prayed...

In August of A.D. 258, the emperor Valerian ordered that all deacons, priests, and Bishops be put to death. Tradition via the Golden Legend tells us that Pope Sixtus II met with Lawrence, saying to him: "I shall not leave thee, my son, but greater strifes and battles be due to thee for the faith of Jesu Christ. We, as old men, have taken more lighter battle, and to thee as to a young man shall remain a more glorious battle of which thou shalt triumph and have victory of the tyrant, and shalt follow me within three days...

August 6, 2006 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Psalm: Sunday 33 Reading 1Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was bright as snow,and the hair on his head as white as wool;his throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him.The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming,on the clouds of...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Because of conflicts in the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar, the Vatican has decided that in 2008 the dates of the feasts of St. Joseph and of the Annunciation of the Lord will be moved. Working a year and a half in advance to meet the needs of publishers of church calendars, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments published its notification on the 2008 changes in mid-July. In 2008, if the feast of St. Joseph were to be celebrated as usual on March 19, it would fall on the Wednesday of Holy Week and if...

People wearing traditional costume take part in a Corpus Christi procession in the village of Wackersberg, south of Munich, June 15, 2006. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle (GERMANY) People wearing traditional costume take part in a Corpus Christi procession in the village of Wackersberg, south of Munich, June 15, 2006. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle (GERMANY) People wearing traditional costume take part in a Corpus Christi procession in the village of Wackersberg, south of Munich, June 15, 2006. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle (GERMANY) People wearing traditional costume take part in a Corpus Christi procession in the village of Wackersberg, south of Munich, June 15, 2006. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle (GERMANY)...

What Are the Real Origins of Easter? Millions assume that Easter, one of the world's major religious holidays, is found in the Bible. But is it? Have you ever looked into Easter's origins and customs and compared them with the Bible? by Jerold Aust Easter is one of the most popular religious celebrations in the world. But is it biblical? The word Easter appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible (and not at all in most others). In the one place it does appear, the King James translators mistranslated the Greek word for Passover as...

Fitness guru Richard Simmons, who has been offering guidance to the out-of-shape masses on his Sirius Satellite radio program of late, reveals, "Now we're going to turn it into a television show. Right now everyone is offering me certain things, but I know the show I want to do." As in his radio gig, he'll respond to people who write to him about their weight -- and life -- problems. Simmons' ebullience is on hold when he soberly discusses the epidemic of obesity in America. "Bottom line, I think, is the fact that people have low self-worth right now. People...

February 22, 2006 Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle Psalm: Wednesday 11 Reading I1 Pt 5:1-4 Beloved:I exhort the presbyters among you,as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christand one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.Tend the flock of God in your midst,overseeing not by constraint but willingly,as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.Do not lord it over those assigned to you,but be examples to the flock.And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Responsorial PsalmPs 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6 R....

Per the 1962 Missal, today's Feast is that of St. Ignatius of Antioch, but St. Brigid, though not celebrated liturgically by those using the 1962 Missal, is still honored today, especially among the Irish.BR> St. Brigid -- her name is correctly pronounced "Brigg-id" or "Bree-id" but almost never is -- was born in A.D. 451 or 452 to a pagan father (Dubthach) and Christian slave mother (Broicsech) just after the time that St. Patrick was preaching (St. Patrick died in A.D. 493). It is said a Bishop -- a follower of St. Patrick -- met the pregnant slave woman...

The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ      With this Feast, Christmas ends liturgically, though it continues on in spirit and as a liturgical cycle until Candlemas when we recall Mary's post-birth Purification and Our Lord's Presentation in the Temple. On this, the Octave of the Epiphany, we continue to focus on the Mysteries that entered our hearts on Twelfthnight and the Epiphany, but today more specifically with regard to the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist in the River Jordan. He Whose birth we just celebrated now shows us how to be born again or...

Why Some Christians Don't Celebrate Christmas Many feel that Christmas marks Christ's birthday and that it honors Him. After all, can 2 billion professing Christians be wrong? At the same time, some few Christians don't observe Christmas, believing that Jesus didn't sanction it and that it dishonors Him. Who is right—and why? by Jerold Aust One day, years ago, someone asked me why I kept Christmas. "The Bible says to keep it," I responded. "Somewhere in the Gospel of Luke, it speaks of the nativity scene. An angel told some shepherds that were keeping their sheep in the fields at...

ot long ago, a friend and I were talking about children and holidays. "What am I going to do about Hallowe'en?" she asked. "My kids love planning costumes, figuring out jokes and riddles for trick-or-treating, and then there's the big night when dozens of neighbor children come to our door for handouts. But now I wonder if it's right for Christians to let our kids participate in pagan holidays like this at all."Her concern was real — and considering some of the adult Hallowe'en street celebrations in recent years, anyone would think this is a deeply pagan festivity. (The same...

The Biblical Feast of Trumpets: Foretelling 'the Day of the Lord' Does this ancient biblical feast hold great meaning for Christians today? by Gary Petty Every autumn the Jewish community observes a holiday called Rosh Hashanah (meaning "head of the year," because it begins the Jewish civil year). This is a biblical festival, known in Scripture as Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets, because the Israelites were to blow trumpets on that day (Leviticus 23:24). A shofar, or ram's horn, is blown calling the faithful to 10 days of repentance culminating in another biblical festival, Yom Kippur or the Day...

September 8, 2005Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Psalm: Thursday 39 Reading IMi 5:1-4a The LORD says:You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,too small to be among the clans of Judah,From you shall come forth for meone who is to be ruler in Israel;Whose origin is from of old,from ancient times.(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the timewhen she who is to give birth has borne,And the rest of his brethren shall returnto the children of Israel.)He shall stand firm and shepherd his flockby the strength of the LORD,in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;And they shall remain,...

1962 Sunday Missal Mass Readings/Propers for the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker   Colors:  White   INTROIT  Wisdom 10:17 Wisdom rendered to the just the wages of their labors, and conducted them in a wonderful way: and she was to them for a covert by day, and for the light of stars by night. [P.T. Alleluia, alleluia.] -- (Ps. 126. 1). V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- Wisdom rendered to the just . . .   COLLECT - O God, Creator of all things, Who dost impose on man the law of work; grant...

February 22, 2005Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle Psalm: Tuesday 11 Reading I1 Pt 5:1-4 Beloved:I exhort the presbyters among you,as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christand one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.Tend the flock of God in your midst,overseeing not by constraint but willingly,as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.Do not lord it over those assigned to you,but be examples to the flock.And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Responsorial PsalmPs 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6 R (1)...

1962 Sunday Missal Mass Readings/Propers for the Feast of the Holy Family Colors:  White   INTROIT  Proverbs 23-25 The father of the Just rejoiceth greatly, let Thy father and Thy mother be joyful, and let her rejoice who bore Thee. -- (Ps.88. 2, 3). How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! my soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- The father of the Just . .   COLLECT - O Lord Jesus Christ, who, being subject to Mary and Joseph, didst sanctify home life...

1962 Sunday Missal Mass Readings/Propers for Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Colors:  White   INTROIT  Philippians 2: 10,11 In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and let every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. -- (Ps.8. 2). O Lord our Lord: how admirable is Thy Name in the whole earth! V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- In the Name of Jesus . . .   COLLECT - O God, Who...