Morning Prayer, No Chant

Deacon Greg emailed me yesterday that one of his readers wished he would send him to someone podcasting hours of the Divine Office without chant. Well, I never said I was much of a singer, so I’m not hurt. But for this morning, to please this reader, I bring you Morning Prayer Without the Chant. [...]

Welcome to Retreat!

:NOTE::::Check this post (below photo) for links to latest retreat posts::::END: Welcome to our first Online Retreat! Each day of the retreat (from now until sundown, August 16) will be found on its own page, and this notice will remain at the top of the “blog proper” until the retreat ends. In the interest of [...]

If it's Tuesday…

…I’m not in Belgium, but I’m probably itching to get home. Not exactly a world-traveler type. Although I’ve always wondered about visiting Ephesus. Bethlehem Crypt at St. Mary Major, burial spot of the fascinating St. Jerome Today is the day we remember the Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica, in Rome. When I was a [...]

The Angel of the Lord appeared unto Mary…

A long, long time ago, in answering a question from a reader about why we Catholics make such fusses about things I wrote of Advent and the Incarnation: God kisses the earth, and nothing has been the same since…But no, maybe that’s not quite it, maybe God doesn’t just kiss the earth, for a kiss [...]

Martin on Lourdes

It is, of course, as I have written elsewhere, the 150th anniversary of Our Lady’s appearances to Bernadette Soubirous at the grotto at Lourdes. Fr. James Martin, who writes beautifully about his experiences at Lourdes in his book, My Life With the Saints, has taken another trip there, to help out with the pilgrims and [...]

Hillary wears a Marian bracelet

The American Papist has a good eye. He zeros in on Hillary Clinton wearing what is popularly known as a “Madonna bracelet” – a bracelet with images of Mary, the Mother of God, painted all around. Mrs. Clinton will do anything – anything to win! Even court the Catholics! Go check out the pics! More [...]

Anger, Expectations, Palms & the Crucifix

In England, a vicar was attacked by “Asian youths” and beaten badly enough to be brought to the hospital. The Reverend Alan Green, Area Dean for Tower Hamlets, said it was the latest in a series of “faith hate” crimes in the borough. He said: “It was a nasty cowardly attack. There were several groups [...]