The Epiphany household blessing is a centuries-old tradition that invokes God’s blessing on all who enter one’s home. All you need for an Epiphany blessing is chalk, which the parish is handing out this weekend, or can be picked up in the parish office. There are a few different formulas for blessings out there, but…

GROW AS A DISCIPLE Deeply fatigued from their perilous journey, the three wise men must have been filled with doubt and hope in equal measure, wondering if the star would truly lead them to the promised King. “Is this really worth it?” they may have questioned. “Will we ever meet this child?” And then, in…

GROW AS A DISCIPLE Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are the attributes Paul instructs the Colossians in today’s reading to “put on” or to “clothe” themselves with. It’s quite a list, isn’t it? Paul goes on to talk about the virtues of the Christian family, which is fitting for today’s Feast of the…

Pope Benedict XVI once said: “The Christian faith can never be separated from the soil of sacred events, from the choice made by God, who wanted to speak to us, to become man, to die and rise again, in a particular place and at a particular time.” 2000 years ago, God himself became man, to…

Grow As a Disciple Ask a child, “Where is God?” and you’ll likely receive a variety of responses: “in heaven,” “in church,” “everywhere” and “in my heart” are all conceivable answers from a child’s lips. But the one we most easily write off as silly or sentimental is one that the saints would urge us…

By the Faithful Disciple GROW AS A DISCIPLE I want to be a sanctuary lamp,” Samantha, my childhood friend, once remarked. “To be the little flame that reminds everyone, ‘God is here.’” In those short phrases, Samantha summarized not only her personal vocation, but also the all-important mission of St. John the Baptist. Like the…