Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Being Catholic”
You probably already know that Pope Francis has declared this year the Year of Mercy. On December 8 they opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. Pilgrims who walk through the Holy Door can receive a plenary indulgence. But not everyone can get to Rome, so the grace has come to us. There are extra locations for earning the …
Bandana Color: Purple and Yellow Departure: Holy Trinity Parish Church, Oconto, WI Arrival: Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, Champion, WI Total Distance: 55 miles (88.6 km) Total Time: 5 days (Monday-Friday)
One of the reasons I love being Catholic is that our church knows how to party. Most people think Easter is over now. For Catholics we’re just getting started. We start with the “Octave” meaning that Easter itself is 8 days long. Every day until the Sunday afterwards is considered a feast day. That includes no fasting from meat on …
Catholics have an obligation to attend Mass every single Sunday, barring cases of illness and emergency. I know many people that feel bad if they miss Mass simply because they love coming to Mass. That’s the right attitude to Mass. But not every Catholic is there, and I get that. Then there are those who tell me, “I believe in God …
Not really. The first Pope was actually a fisherman. But back then meat wasn’t a staple food. For most ancient peoples, “flesh meat” (birds and mamals) was a luxury enjoyed by the rich. The rest of the people only ate meat on special occasions. Abstinence from meat meant everyone had to eat like the poor.
I presented recently at a Diocesan meeting of youth ministers. I was given the topic, “How to Stay Spiritually Healthy in Ministry.” The first thing I thought of was how to stay physically healthy: diet and exercise, avoid junk, get good sleep, and friends who support and encourage you. So I came up with five parallel habits for spiritual health: …
Subtitle: Is the 20+C+M+B+16 written over your doorway some kind of secret code? Catholics love stuff. From Holy Water to holy medals, we like things we can see and touch. We also like to bless everything: our food, our home, our car, hospitals, boats… We will even bless bridges and airports if you ask. Some brilliant Catholics found a way to combine …
Everywhere you go these days, you see Christmas decorations and hear Christmas music. Everywhere except a Catholic Church. We have purple decorations and keep singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” The Church is not anti-Christmas; we are just celebrating the forgotten season of Advent. The word advent comes from the Latin ad-venio meaning to come to, come towards, or come near. It …
Are you looking for a way to make this Advent special? Try gathering with your family each day to pray a decade of the Rosary. The Rosary is a classic Catholic prayer. The Rosary is a form of imaginative prayer that mediates on the life of Jesus through the eyes of His Mother Mary. Children can learn the Rosary once …
The Burning Question One day we discovered two bags of old Bibles and Lutheran hymnals abandoned in the church lobby. Someone figured the church would know what to do with a bunch of old Bibles. They were pretty worn out; I decided that I should burn them reverently. So I piled them in a little metal fire pit and put a lighter …
