The beginning of Lent is exactly one month from today. We all know that the hectic pace of life has a way of reeling out-of-control, which often means neglecting what we cherish for the sake of doing what “has to get done.” Lent is the perfect time to reel it back in, to pay attention to what’s really important – including our marriage!
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by Theresa Cavicchio
“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] took [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord … “ (Lk 2:22)
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Photo by DNK.PHOTO on Unsplash
by Theresa Cavicchio
As a form of prayer, the litany can yield spiritual benefits on many levels. By definition, a litany is a form of prayer which includes a number of petitions within a specific format. Certain litanies approved by the Church may be recited or sung in public (communal) or private prayer; others are designated for private prayer only.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
To view the feast of Christmas through Franciscan eyes, we turn to the two saints who most embody that spirituality: its founder, Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226), and his beloved spiritual daughter, Saint Clare of Assisi (1193 - 1253). One of many hallmarks of Franciscan spirituality which they shared was a deep, intense love for the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, in the poverty of His birth. Both were gifted with evidence of this love in miraculous ways.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
How is your Advent going so far? Now that we’re about halfway through this season of waiting and preparing, it may be a good time to switch spiritual gears, so to say, and to introduce a prayer that wouldn’t necessarily be associated with the Advent season, despite its appropriateness.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
Just a year ago, the faithful received the welcome news that Pope Francis had proclaimed the time beginning last December 8th through the same date in 2021 as the Year of Saint Joseph, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his designation as Patron of the Catholic Church.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
The Mysteries of the Rosary close out in a blaze of glory, in keeping with the spiritually powerful events they signify. Elevating our spirits to the interplay between heaven and earth, they lift us outside the realm of strictly human experience. The Glorious Mysteries traditionally are prayed on Sunday and Wednesday.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary follow the Luminous in exact sequence. As one group ends and the other begins, the events of Holy Thursday evening descend from the heights -- the solemnity of the upper room -- to the depths at Gethsemane. Following traditional practice, we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday and Friday.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
As we continue our month-long look at the events of Our Lady’s rosary, we turn toward the second group of Mysteries. The Luminous Mysteries, filling the gap between the Joyful and Sorrowful, were given to us by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2002 as an addition to the three traditional groups of long standing.
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by Theresa Cavicchio
During this Marian month of October, we delve into the four groups of life events that we call the Mysteries of the Rosary: the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries.
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