2016-09-30T15:58:12-05:00

This morning in Rome, Pope Francis presided over the Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.  Some 1,600 priests joined him for the traditional Holy Thursday Mass, during which the pope blessed the oils used during the rest of the year. This morning in Detroit, Archbishop Vigneron presided over the Chrism Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  Many priests and deacons from throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit joined him, as he blessed the oils which will be used... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:12-05:00

What the heck was Jesus talking about, anyway? I mean, he’s holding up a piece of bread and he says, “This is My Body.”  Does that even make sense?! Ask any group of Christians in your workplace or in your neighborhood what Jesus really meant, and chances are you’ll get a broad range of answers.  Their explanations may follow strict denominational lines; but even within church communities, you may find people who draw different conclusions about this singularly important tenet... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:12-05:00

Well, okey-dokey…. A “beefy Jesus”? Stephen Colbert makes fun of the History Channel’s new miniseries, “The Bible” by Mark Burnett (Survivor) and his wife Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel).  Colbert’s humor is, as we’ve come to expect, cheeky and irreligious; but you’ve gotta admit, he’s a pretty funny guy.   The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive Read more

2015-03-18T17:05:05-05:00

“Why yes [eyelids fluttering], I’ve been to the Pope’s new home….”  And I’ve got photos! Here’s how it happened:  Some years ago, I was leading a group of Catholic business leaders to Rome and almost to Poland.  (I say “almost” because I broke my foot on the cobblestones in Rome and had to fly home—and I will likely die without ever having visited the birthplace of Blessed JPII.) To help with the Poland portion of the trip, we enlisted a... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:13-05:00

Who’d have thought that I’d love a commercial?! But this one has such grace, such nobility! Here is a British commercial for Google+. The ad features the voice of English film, television, and theatre actor Benedict Cumberbatch, whose acclaimed roles include Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking (2004) and William Pitt in the historical film Amazing Grace (2006). Cumberbatch is reading Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQDYt61yHdg   Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:13-05:00

On March 25—exactly nine months before Christmas—the Catholic Church commemorates the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish girl and told her that God would like her to be the mother of the Savior.  “How can this be,” Mary responded, “since I know not man?” Contemporary artist John Collier tells the story of the Annunciation in a fresh way in this painting, which can be found in the narthex of St. Gabriel Catholic Church in McKinney, Texas.... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:13-05:00

Holy Week—the week from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday—falls this year on March 24-30.  Holy Week is a sacred time on the Catholic calendar, for it is the period when we commemorate the last week of Jesus’ life on this earth. These are the days leading up to the great Easter Feast. The Lenten season of sacrifice and self-denial is about to come to an end, but this coming week is extremely important for all Christians. The greatest focus of... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:13-05:00

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but the day is upon us and it bears repeating: On Tuesday, March 26, defenders of traditional marriage will gather in Washington DC for the March For Marriage.  The U.S. Bishops, recognizing that marriage is the God-given union of one man and one woman, have called for Catholics and other Christians to oppose efforts by special interest groups to redefine marriage to include other types of relationships.  The USCCB has urged Catholics to... Read more

2015-03-24T13:07:01-05:00

For just one week, the stage at Detroit’s Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts will be transformed into the hills and dusty roads near Jerusalem, as “The Cross and the Light” is performed live each day from Palm Sunday through Easter. The acclaimed musical dramatization of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection is the creation of executive producer Kelly Nieto.  The first half of the program, titled “The Living Stations of the Cross”, was produced first at Our Lady of... Read more

2016-09-30T15:58:13-05:00

It’s been 600 years since such a meeting could take place. Today at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Francis paid a visit to his predecessor, Pope-Emeritus Benedict.  The two greeted one another warmly, prayed together in the chapel, then enjoyed a long private conversation before sharing lunch. Benedict seemed frail, clutching his cane as he met his successor near the helicopter.  Together, they walked to the Chapel for a brief prayer. A report by Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See... Read more




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