The Presentation of Mary is celebrated in the Church on November 21, one of the final feasts before the Advent season begins. While the connection might not appear obvious, 19th-century writer Dom Prosper Guéranger saw in the Presentation of Mary a preparation for Advent, as he explains in his Liturgical Year. [O]ur Lady’s Presentation also Read More…

The bishops of France met in Lourdes on November 8, 2023, and voted to open the cause for canonization of Dom Prosper Guéranger, a 19th-century reformer of the Solesmes monastery and the author of the book The Liturgical Year. The local bishops will now examine his life to determine if he lived a life of Read More…

Within Christianity, and particularly in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, distinct forms of veneration or reverence can be found, each one of them carrying specific connotations and finding different devotional expressions. These expressions (more like “levels of veneration”) are traditionally known (in the original Greek) as dulia, proskynesis, hyperdulia, and latria. It should be noted Read More…

Bishop Carl A. Kemme of the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, released a pastoral letter on September 13 in which he urged a return to traditional liturgical sacred music in the Mass. Titled “On Sacred Music: Let Us Sing with the Lord,” the missive outlines many reasons why sacred music should be the preferred music of Read More…

The entire Catholic Church rejoices at the beatification of the Ulma family on September 10, 2023. It will be the first time an entire family is beatified at a single celebration, as well as the only time in the history of the Church that an unborn child is beatified. As it has been explained in Read More…

At the conclusion of Mass, most of us have various commitments and responsibilities that prevent us from staying at church to remain in prayer. Living in a fast-paced world, it’s difficult to pause for a few minutes to give thanks to God for the gift of Holy Communion. However, many saints have encouraged the pious Read More…

It’s easy to overlook one important aspect of the biblical narrative of the Transfiguration. Jesus was transfigured while he was praying. Pope Benedict XVI pointed out this reality in an Angelus message in 2013. [W]e have a particularly beautiful Gospel, that of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Luke the Evangelist highlights in particular the fact Read More…

One unique aspect of the Easter season is the presence of the Easter or Paschal candle in the sanctuary. It is located next to the pulpit or ambo and lit during each public Mass offered. However, at the conclusion of the Easter season, the candle is removed and typically only brought out during baptisms and Read More…

Fans of Fr. Michael Rennier’s artistic, intellectual yet-approachable style are sure to be delighted by his new book The Forgotten Language: How Recovering the Poetics of the Mass Will Change Our Lives. I’ve followed Fr. Rennier’s work for years; he sits on the editorial board at Dappled Things Magazine and is a regular contributor to several Catholic sites, including Aleteia. It was a Read More…

What is the best gift a child could received on their First Communion? Is it a new toy, shiny new Bible or a fancy necklace? The best gift a child can receive on their First Communion is Jesus himself! This may seem like a “let down” to some, but in reality, we can cherish this Read More…

Children have more profound experiences of Mass than you might realize. That’s what I found out when I asked students in my Christianity and Mass Media class at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, about their younger selves. I told them about how movies can “hijack” your imagination, because your mind believes what it sees implicitly, Read More…

Currently the Catholic Church honors St. Joseph on two principal feast days: March 19 and May 1. However, historically these are not the only days the Church has honored St. Joseph, as there have been a variety of days the Church instituted to venerate the foster father of Jesus. The Carmelite Order honored St. Joseph Read More…