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, according to the Mosaic law, a woman who had given birth to a male child was considered unclean for seven…
December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which is a holy day of obligation. This year, the Mass will be celebrated on Monday at 12:00 pm in Chinese. The Immaculate Conception is the patronal feast day of the United States. All are invited to attend. To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of…
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…
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. …
Stille Nacht (Silent Night)… Heilige Nacht (Holy Night)… a captivating song composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Austria. It embodies the peace and holiness of the night that our Savior was born. There is no better way to celebrate the night before Christmas than to be with family and friends. On December 24th, come and join our faith community for an hour of holy celebration. The Mass at Midnight will be celebrated in…
Christmas is a mystery because its true meaning is revealed only to those who seek it, while it is hidden to the rest. This mystery began even before the creation of the heavens and the earth, when nothing existed but God. At a moment of His own choosing and in a manner in which He determined, God manifested His Word, and through His Word, He created the whole universe and all things visible and invisible. He thought of it, willed…
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture; along with the Chinese New Year, it is one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture. Some call it the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is on September 17, 2024. The history of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years. As a harvest festival, it was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice and wheat with food offerings made in…
The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His Holy Name. The name Jesus means Savior. The Catholic Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. In addition, the month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The feast day is intended to impress on Christians the dignity of the Holy Name of Jesus. Since the Holy Name of Jesus…
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. God created man with a free will – the freedom to choose God or not to choose God. God did not want to force man to love Him; rather,…
OCIA means Order of Christian Initiation for Adults; some parishes still call it the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Either way you call it, it is a process through which unbaptized adults and children over the age of seven undergo formation in the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. The RCIA may sometimes include adult Christians (Protestants) who have already been baptized or adult Catholics who have already been baptized in the Catholic Church, but have not…