February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This special feast day was first celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church in the 6th century. It was first called the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was accompanied by solemn blessings and processions with candles; hence, it was popularly called Candlemas. In the Bible, the Mosaic Law commanded that a woman who had given birth to a son should, after 40 days, offer a…
February 3 is the Feast Day of St. Blaise. Saint Blaise was a physician and the bishop of Sebastea in Armenia. During his lifetime, St. Blaise was known to be a healer. People often turned to St. Blaise for healing miracles. In 316 AD, St. Blaise was arrested for being a Christian. On his way to prison, he cured a child who was chocking to death on a fish bone. But because St. Blaise would not renounce his faith, he…
The Blessing of the Throats through the intercession of St. Blaise and the Anointing of the Sick will be held next Sunday, February 5, 2023 after the 10:30am Mass.
It was on Thursday, March 25, 1858, at the 16th apparition of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes that she revealed herself, saying: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” God, who is all-knowing, already knew about the Fall of Man; but God still carried out His plan of creation and created man; not only because He wanted to give them human life, but more importantly, to offer him eternal life; i.e., to share in the Life of the Holy Trinity. …
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday; it has been observed by many Christians as a day to examine one’s sins, as well as to decide what kind of sacrifice one would offer during Lent. Shrove Tuesday is observed by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists. For Catholics, it is an ideal time to go to confession. Shrove Tuesday is also known as Fat Tuesday; since it is the last day before the beginning of Lent, it is also…
Septuagesima Septuagesima has traditionally been the period of time which is observed before the start of Lent; hence it is called pre-Lent. It begins on Septuagesima Sunday, which is three Sundays before the First Sunday in Lent and ends on Ash Wednesday. This year, Septuagesima begins on February 5, 2023. In the traditional Latin calendar, the season of Septuagesima comprises the Sundays of Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima. Septuagesima is an appropriate time to tone down our bodily appetites, as well…
February 22, 2023 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. Mass in Chinese and the imposition of ashes will begin at 12 noon, followed by Stations of the Cross in Chinese. The practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful is normally done during Ash Wednesday, reminding us that it is a special time for repentance.
40 Days of Lent February 22, 2023 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. The practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful is normally done during Ash Wednesday, reminding us that it is a special time for repentance. According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan; accordingly, the Lenten Season was first observed as a period of fasting for 40 days in…
Passiontide Passiontide refers to the last two weeks of Lent; it begins on Passion Sunday until the Easter Vigil. During Passiontide, the practice of covering crosses and other sacred images in the church may be observed. Crosses are covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. Other sacred images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. The practice of covering crosses and sacred images is based on the Gospel reading on Passion…
The Sacrament of Baptism Isaiah 49:1-7 contains the second of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles. It contains the prophecy: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” In the context of the Old Testament passage, these words were meant for Israel. However, could it be that like many of the Old Testament prophecies, this one was also fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the Gospels? Let us…