Reverent Liturgies at the National Eucharistic Congress?

July 23, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

The 10th National Eucharistic Congress in the United States has been the most important stage so far of the National Eucharistic Revival. This movement is a pastoral initiative of the USCCB aimed at recovering, strengthening, and revitalizing faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The congress was held in Indianapolis. Around 50,000 Catholics of all ages, including lay faithful, nuns, and ordained ministers, traveled from all over the country to gather at Lucas Oil Stadium and the... Read more

The 10th National Eucharistic Congress In The United States

July 17, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

The 10th National Eucharistic Congress is paramount moment in the National Eucharistic Revival movement initiated by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops —a major pastoral effort to recover the faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which has been plummeting down through the years in this country. According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) in the United States say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine... Read more

Did Jesus Have Biological Brothers And Sisters?

July 7, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

After having listened on recent Sundays to different accounts of portentous deeds by Jesus, culminating on the most-impressive revival of Jairus’ daughter, in the Gospel reading on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time we find Jesus back in Nazareth, unable to perform a single miracle due to the lack of faith of those of his own home [Mk 6:1-6]. As a rabbi, he preaches in the synagogue on sabbath. The crowd who listens to his words, is astonished, even offended.... Read more

Astonishment In The Gospel According To Mark

June 30, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

In the Gospel reading on the 13th Sunday in ordinary time, we listen to Mark’s pericope of the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter (Mk 5:21-43). Jairus was one of the synagogue officials. He approached Jesus, fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” Jesus took with him Peter, James and his brother, John. They followed Jairus to his house. Some... Read more

2025 Jubilee: Getting Ready By Living A Year of Prayer

June 11, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

Every 25 years, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee. 2025 will be special for several reasons and Pope Francis wants all Catholics to prepare ourselves for this special Holy Year of grace by living 2024 as a Year of Prayer. The celebration of Holy Years has its roots in the ancient Hebrew tradition of the jubilee (yobel), which was a special time devoted to forgiveness and reconciliation. For Catholics, since year 1300, the Holy Year is a special occasion... Read more

Transforming Illness Into A Moment Of Spirituality

May 31, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

Two days ago, one of my sons graduated from his Catholic boys-only high school. With great joy, we gathered in the cathedral for the celebration of the Holy Mass and in the evening, in the auditorium for the baccalaureate commencement ceremony where each student would receive his diploma. Being the end of spring, we have had an unusually cold weather, almost similar to that of winter. Upon arriving at the cathedral, a torrential freezing rain fell inclemently on all the... Read more

Liturgy: Demystifying The Ordinary Time

May 24, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

The Time of Easter concluded after the Second Vespers of Pentecost Sunday. We are back into the Ordinary Time. It always helps to understand the richness of this liturgical time, and how its liturgical celebrations are set in the calendar. Christmas Time and Easter Time highlight the central mysteries of the Paschal Mystery, namely, the incarnation, death on the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Sundays and weeks of... Read more

Christ Priest, Altar And Victim In Preface V Of Easter

May 16, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

We conclude this special series, reflecting on the Christology expressed by each of the Easter prefaces. On this occasion, Preface V, which has the title, “Christ, Priest and Victim”. As always, we will focus only on the preface embolism. The explanation of the structure of the prefaces and the introduction and conclusion of the Easter prefaces are developed in the first article of this series. The embolism It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all... Read more

The Renewal of Creation In The Preface IV of Easter

May 7, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

We continue this special series, reflecting on the Christology expressed by each of the Easter prefaces. This time, Preface IV, which has the title, “The Restoration of the universe through the Paschal Mystery”. This preface helps us to contemplate Easter as a new creation. Once again, we will consider only at the preface embolism, which is the shortest in the five Easter prefaces. The explanation of the structure of the prefaces and the introduction and conclusion of the Easter prefaces... Read more

Be Authentic Fathers: Pope Francis’ Letter To Parish Priests

May 3, 2024 By Mauricio Pérez

In a letter addressed to the priests who participated in the meeting “Parish Priests for the Synod”, Francis points out three paths to follow: recognizing the gifts of the Spirit in the faithful, resorting to community discernment and maintaining communion between priests and bishops. The Pope emphasizes that a Church committed to the Synod needs parish priests and affirms: “We must listen to them to move forward.” It is the letter of a father who understands the difficulties of his... Read more