Traditions
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The Sign of the Cross: Bookends for our day
The Sign of the Cross is a venerable ritual dating back to the earliest days of Christianity. The earliest form consisted of tracing a cross on the forehead with one’s thumb. So popular was the practice that Tertullian, writing in the third century… read more
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Praying and living the Lenten season
It's a common practice to "give things up" for Lent. But when we give up something we desire, we create an empty space in our minds and hearts that is ready to be filled by something else. We have an opportunity to replace something we desire… read more
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How can I help children understand Lent?
Q. How can I help those I teach understand that Lent can be a season of joy?A. During Lent, we, as Church, prepare for the most wonderful and important celebration of the year—the Easter season. Prayers at Ash Wednesday Mass call Lent “… read more
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“Remembering” Advent and Christmas
I was a little girl at Bible Camp, and I was sitting in the shade behind the public school listening to the young Protestant youth minister urging us to memorize our daily Bible passage. I don’t remember any of the passages exactly, but I do remember… read more
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Thankfulness is a human trait. The moon and stars, roses, and robins cannot thank their creator or anyone else. Only we, who are conscious of the good done for us, have the power to acknowledge our indebtedness to others. The word "thank" is derived … read more
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We do not live “on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3). In our gospel for the First Sunday of Lent (Year A), we hear Jesus quote these words from Deuteronomy. Catechists might want to … read more
