(Feast Day ~ March 12) Our holy father in God, St. Gregory, has many appellations – “the Great”, the “Dialogist”, “Apostle to the English”; Patriarch (Pope) of Rome; “Servant of the servants of God”; Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church. Each of these titles represents a facet of the saint’s life and brings with […]

(Feast Day ~ March 11) Christian literature – from Holy Scriptures, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, and the lives of the saints to the writings of present-day theologians – is full of “the journey” as a metaphor for the spiritual life. The liturgical year and the ceremonies and rituals of the Church use […]

(Feast day ~ March 10) We have heard the term “martyr” used often in the news lately. Many cultures and religions have a definition of this term – and many of these are completely foreign to the Christian understanding of martyrdom. From the witness of the Holy Innocents, who were martyred for being in the […]

(Feast Day ~ March 9) It is wonderful to see how, in so may families, physical characteristics are shared by members of the family. The mother’s blue eyes are reflected in each of her children; the father’s red hair has been inherited by several of his offspring; and a prominent nose appears in all the […]

(Feast Day ~ March 8) The Apostles of our Lord took literally His command to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” [Matt. 28:19]. And their disciples did the same and the bishops, priest, monks, and […]

(Feast day – March 6) Autobiographies provide a wonderful “inside” story that mere biographies cannot match. Diaries offer the reader not just the external facts but also the thoughts and feelings of the writer. Eye witness reports give more detailed information than can be gathered later by someone who was not there. We are blessed […]

(Feast Day ~ March 4) In the lives of the saints, we frequently encounter the phenomenon of affinity with wild animals: we read of St. Kevin of Glendalough, holding a bird in her nest on his outstretched arm while in prayer; and of St. Kenneth, who stilled the chattering of the birds during the Liturgy […]

(Feast Day ~ March 2) During the presidential election of 2004 we heard much about “chads”. After the reporters had exhausted their supply of words about such things as “dimpled chads” and “hanging chads”, they moved on to enlighten us about the country Chad and then to teach Americans – many for the first time […]

(Feast Day ~ March 1) Nationalism and the fervor of a people for their heritage can be stirred by many things: the desire for independence from a ruling power; a common enemy or threat; the danger of losing customs and language. But how wonderful it is when the national pride of a people can be […]

(Feast day ~ February 28) Oswald was the son of Danish parents, but his extended family had long been established in Anglo-Saxon society. The boy was given to his uncle Odo, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to raise, and was educated in Canterbury by the Frankish scholar, Fridegode. Anglo-Saxon customs were based on the ties of […]