by Greg Beben | Dec 23, 2022 | Seasonal Introductions
The Christmas Season takes its direction from the splendor of the light of Christ, which breaks into our Advent darkness with the three liturgical celebrations on Christmas Day. We then proceed into the Octave, which contains numerous feasts. There is an intensity of...
by Greg Beben | Dec 17, 2022 | Meditations
In the first reading, God sends the prophet Isaiah to bring a message of Good News to the troubled and fearful King Ahaz, who is facing a looming crisis. God invites Ahaz to have faith and rely completely on him. And to strengthen the weak king’s faith, he offers to...
by Greg Beben | Dec 10, 2022 | Meditations
The clergy may don rose-colored vestments at today’s Mass – one of only two times in the year that they do so. Rose represents joy (gaudium in Latin); hence the Third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday. What does joy have to do with the season of Advent?...
by Greg Beben | Dec 7, 2022 | Meditations
The document that declared the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a “doctrine revealed by God” is aptly titled Ineffabilis Deus, that is, “ineffable God.” When something is “ineffable” it is too great or extreme to be expressed in words. Certainly God...
by Greg Beben | Dec 3, 2022 | Meditations
“Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” When St. Paul wrote this to the Romans, he was referring to what we know as the Old Testament. We, however, apply his...