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Who is St. Justin Martyr? St. Justin Martyr was born around 100AD near the ancient biblical city of Shechem in Samaria. He studied philosophy, but he was not satisfied with the pagan philosophers. Eventually, he converted to Christianity. He became an early Christian apologist, defending the Christian faith. His works include “The First Apology” and “Dialogue with Trypho.” After defying an order to sacrifice to the pagan gods, St. Justin Martyr was beheaded, along with six other companions. Selected works…

The Way of Christ  Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) What does it mean that Jesus is the Way? The disciples of Christ were first called Christians at Antioch (cf. Acts 11:26); back then and now, to be called a Christian meant that one is a follower of Christ. But even before the term “Christian” was used, the followers of…

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The Divine Mercy of Christ In the 1930’s, a Polish nun named Maria Faustina Kowalska wrote a diary which communicated to the world the great message of God’s mercy and revealed the way of Christian perfection based on trust in God and on an attitude of mercy toward one’s neighbors. On April 30, 2000, the day when Sr. Faustina was canonized a saint, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the 2nd Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. God’s mercy has…

Step by Step in Faith A little background on John 4: Samaria was a region located between Judea in the south and Galilee in the north. In Jesus’ time, Samaria was joined to Judea under Roman rule. Travelers from Judea to Galilee and vice-versa had to pass through Samaria; otherwise, they had to make a detour through the Transjordan (region east of the Jordan River). Some Jews preferred to take the detour because of the hostility between Jews and Samaritans;…

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…

St. Peter Chrysologus homily (406-450 AD) There are three things, my brethren, by which faith stands firm, devotion remains constant, and virtue endures. They are prayer, fasting and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy receives. Prayer, mercy and fasting: these three are one, and they give life to each other. Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only…

Pope Francis has named Fr. John Nhan Tran Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Bishop-designate Tran, a native of Vietnam, will come to Atlanta from New Orleans, where he currently serves as pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace in Mandeville, Louisiana. The ordination will take place at St. Peter Chanel Chanel Catholic Church (11330 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA 30075) on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 2:00pm.

On November 1st, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation, honoring all the Saints in heaven. Throughout the month of November, the Catholic Church also remembers the faithful departed. Offering Mass and praying for the dead has always been practiced since the early Church. 2Maccabees 12:42-45 (c164 B.C.) gives the earliest account that prayers (v. 42) and sacrifices (v. 43) for the dead are efficacious. There is also ample evidence of the custom of…

National Vocation Awareness Week, celebrated November 6-12, 2022 is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.  National Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U. S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year for its observance. Beginning in 2014, National Vocation…