From antiquity Roman Christians have celebrated the day Saint Peter first arrived to Rome and presided over the Christian community.  Early records show that Romans remembered this event on January 18th.  Records also show that by the early fourth century another celebration linked to Peter called the Chair of Peter was celebrated in the city on February 22nd.  Both days became great celebrations of Rome’s first bishop, January 18th celebrated at a cemetery on the Via Salaria outside the city... Read more

  Desde la antigüedad los cristianos en Roma han recordado el día en que San Pedro llegó a Roma a dirigir la comunidad cristiana.  Récords antiguos revelan que los romanos conmemoraban este evento el 18 de enero.  También demuestran que a inicios del siglo IV otra celebración vinculada a San Pedro llamada la Cátedra de Pedro era celebrada en la ciudad el 22 de febrero. Ambos días se convirtieron en grandes conmemoraciones del primer obispo de Roma.  El 18 de... Read more

Have you ever been served a delicious-looking plate of food and when you took a bite of it, it was the blandest thing you had ever tasted?  You perhaps politely looked around the table for a salt shaker.  Not finding one, if you knew the host well, you asked for some salt to give the food some flavor. Salt makes the bland flavorful.  Salt makes the insipid tasty.  Salt makes the dull interesting. If you’ve ever lost electric power at... Read more

  Un dos de febrero hace ocho años me levanté temprano y tomé un autobús desde donde me estaba quedando en el centro de la ciudad de Génova a la estación de tren. El tren me llevó a lo largo de la costa ligure del norte de Italia, lamentablemente no podía ver la costa ya que aún no había salido el sol. Me bajé del tren en la ciudad de Bogliasco y vi afuera de la estación una camioneta pequeña... Read more

On February 2nd eight years ago I woke up very early and caught a bus from where I was staying in downtown Genoa to the city’s train station.  The train took me along the beautiful Ligurian coast of northern Italy, though I could not see it well since the sun had not fully risen yet.  I got off the train in the town of Bogliasco.  Outside the station I spotted a small van with the same logo as the public... Read more

Today’s Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a feast that reflects the one light of Christ from different angles and in different ways.  Historically the feast has been known by different names, each stressing a different aspect of the same mystery: the mystery that God has chosen to dwell among us. Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem to present him at the Temple.  This was the first time Jesus entered the... Read more

In Germany, everything is forbidden except for what’s permitted. In France, everything is permitted except for what’s forbidden. In Russia, everything is forbidden including what’s permitted. In Italy, everything is permitted especially what’s forbidden. Read more

Outside the magnificent city walls of Avila, Spain is the 12th century Basilica of Saint Vincent, built over the spot where Saint Vincent was martyred by Roman officials in 304 AD.  Vincent was a nobleman and an archdeacon of the church of Zaragoza, Spain.  During the persecution ordered by Emperor Diocletian, Vincent spoke up in defense of his bishop and himself before the Roman official Dacian.  Dacian ordered that Bishop Valerian be exiled and Vincent be executed.  Vincent was first... Read more

David defeated Goliath.  It seemed impossible.  It seemed useless for David to fight him.  Yet the Lord was with David and Goliath came tumbling down.  Little David with a sling shot killed the feared Philistine. Every period of history has faced its own Goliath.  Throughout her history the Church has done battle with many Goliaths and has remained victorious because the Lord is with her as He promised.  The Goliath of our times began on a date like today 41... Read more