BIG C CATHOLICS

St. Andrew was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee, a fisherman by trade, and a former disciple of John the Baptist. He was the one who introduced his brother Peter to Jesus, saying, "We have found the Messiah." Overshadowed thereafter by his brother, Andrew appears again in the Gospels introducing souls to Christ. After Pentecost, Andrew evangelized on a wider scale, and was martyred at Patras in southern Greece on a cross in the form of an "X". This type of cross is known as "St. Andrew's cross." St. Andrew the Apostle Andrew, Peter's brother, and John were the first disciples to follow the Lord. The Gospel of John [1:35-42] describes their initial meeting with Jesus. Andrew did not belong to the inner circle of the apostles, Peter, James and John, and the evangelists narrate nothing extraordinary about him [John 6:8]; but tradition extols his great love for the Cross and for the Savior. The Church distinguishes him in the Mass [his name occur...

Please remember the Holy Father Pope Francis' intentions in prayer through the month of December: General Intention : That all may experience the mercy of God, who never tires of forgiving. ***  Missionary Intention : That families, especially those who suffer, may find in the birth of Jesus a sign of certain hope.

Below are seven saints whose various commemorations occur during the liturgical season of Advent — the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, St. Francis Xavier, St. John Damascene, St. Nicholas, St. Ambrose, St. Lucy and St. John of the Cross. MARY We call the Blessed Virgin the " Theotokos ," ["Mother of God" or "God-bearer"] to reaffirm the central truth of what occurred in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Our Lady's Fiat, her "Yes" to God exhibits her total trust and devotion to the Father's Will. We must live our lives for God by emulating Mary's example. Two Marian feasts occur during this season of Advent: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception [Dec. 8] and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe [Dec. 12]. From Mary we learn: love, humility, justice, openness to God's grace and the willingness to act. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER (DEC. 3)  St. Francis Xavier [1506-1552] tirelessly evangelized the Far East. He converted...

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) We spend enormous amounts of our resources, time, and energy on things that give us a sense of security. We buy expensive insurance policies to protect ourselves from any and every sort of disaster. We have high-tech alarm systems in our businesses, homes, and automobiles. Some of us work and even live in buildings surrounded with security fences. Closed circuit television eyes balefully stare at every living thing from the nooks and crannies of our habitats continually recording every movement. And still we are not secure. Moreover, no amount of money, protection systems, medical effort, or bodyguards can protect us from the ultimate confrontation we each will individually face. For each one of us, you along with me, will one day stand face to face before Christ at the end of our earthly existence. Yet we live our lives awash in distractions, busily engaged in a whole lot that’s see...

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Catherine Labouré. She was a member of the Daughters of Charity. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her three times in 1830 and commissioned her to have the Miraculous Medal made and to spread its devotion. She humbly dispensed her duties, devoting herself especially to the care of the elderly men in the poor Paris suburb where the Daughters ministered. The discovery that her earthly remains were intact spurred calls for her sainthood. St. Catherine Labouré was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. Her incorrupt body is encased in glass beneath the side altar in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France. The Life of St. Catherine Labouré St Catherine Labouré was born May 2, 1806 in Fainles-Moutiers, a village of Burgundy, France. She was the ninth of eleven children. God made known the choice of this soul by marking her at an early age with the seal of suffering. She was only nine years-old she lost her mother. ...

The 21 Coptic-Christian martyrs of Egypt. We have observed in recent years increasing attacks on Christianity and public expressions of Christian belief by militant atheists, academia and secular authorities in the United States. Today’s climate of government intrusion on the Church, fueled by political correctness, means Catholics must prepare to be mocked, ridiculed and even jailed for living their faith. Yet, as bad as things seem, we must remember that in other parts of the world Christians are fairing even worse : I received the following from a reader in Canada [where the currents of secularism and radicalization are stronger] which I submit for your consideration: _____________ A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. Very few people were true Nazis, but many enjoyed the return of Ger...

O God, the beginning and the end of all things, Who are always the same, and Whose promises fail not. We kneel in adoration before You, and offer You our deepest thanks for the fatherly care with which You have watched over us during the past year, for the many times You have protected us from evils of body and soul, and for the numerous blessings, both temporal and spiritual, which You have showered upon us. Please accept the homage of our grateful hearts, which we offer You in union with Your divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You forever and ever. Amen.

In preparing to celebrate the liturgical season of Advent, consider former Vatican Chief Exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth’s articulation of the reasons for Christ’s Incarnation. Fr. Amorth asserts Jesus became man to: destroy the works of the devil, free man from Satan's slavery, and establish the kingdom of God. This is part 2 of " An Exorcist Tells His Story: Fr. Gabriele Amorth on the Power of Satan ." I have put excerpts in, "The Power of Satan,"(pages 25-36) from  An Exorcist Tells His Story   into the following "interview" format: What harm can the devil cause to the living? Ordinary activity . This is "temptation", which is the most common activity of the demons, and it is directed against all men. When Jesus allowed Satan to tempt him, he accepted our human condition. I will not talk about this common diabolical endeavor, because the purpose of this book is to highlight Satan's "extraordinary activity", which can tak...

On February 3, 2015, Pope Francis asked Cardinal Angelo Amato to officially authorize Archbishop Oscar Romero's decree of martyrdom, a major step toward his beatification. (A miracle is not required for beatification candidates who the Pope decrees as martyrs to be beatified.) Romero’s beatification was held in San Salvador on May 23, 2015. CNA/EWTN News  reports that:  On Oct. 30th, Pope Francis reflected on the life and death of Blessed Oscar Romero, who was recognized as a martyr earlier this year, stressing that each Christian ought to be ready to give their life for the faith. "A martyr is not born. It's a grace that the Lord allows, and that in a way concerns every baptized person," Pope Francis told a group pilgrims from El Salvador. Bl. Oscar Romero was Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until his March 24, 1980 martyrdom. Quoting a phrase of Bl. Romero, the Pope said that "We must be willing to die for our faith, even if the Lord does n...

As we prepare to celebrate the liturgical season of Advent, it is appropriate that we consider the threefold reason for Christ’s Incarnation: 1.) to destroy the works of the devil, 2.) to free man from Satan's slavery and 3.) to establish the kingdom of God. Fr. Gabriele Amorth was the Vatican's Chief Exorcist. In that capacity he performed thousands of exorcisms through which he has garnered innumerable insights into the works and slavery of the devil. I recently read Fr. Amorth's An Exorcist Tells His Story . To highlight his wisdom, I have reframed excerpts from, "The Power of Satan,"(pages 25-36) in An Exorcist Tells His Story into a Q & A or "interview" format: Some priests rarely mention Hell and the power of Satan, preferring instead to focus on the love and forgiveness of Christ. Why is that bad? Christ is the center of the universe. Everything was created for him and in view of his Coming, in the heavens (angels) and on earth (the t...

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) It is no secret that there is widespread distrust of authority these days, a distrust of our basic institutions and their leaders that, in many cases, arises from understandable reasons. In reaction, personal individualism has been advocated to such an extreme that for many people the only acceptable authority is the individual self. The only authority that I will allow to tell me what is right and what is wrong is myself. Many are therefore uncomfortable with idea of Christ as ruler. With the exception of a fascination with England’s royal family we balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be either oppressive or no longer relevant. The titles of “lord” and “king” for Christ are unsettling for some folks because they believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive and irrelevant systems of government. I am troubled by all of this hesitancy because it casts Christ as b...

  Death does not herald the end of personal existence but rather a new triumphal beginning. Although we are faced with the certainty of death, we are at the same time consoled by the promise of a glorious bodily immortality. What Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body, did for Himself He will also do for His members. The same divine power is always operative within Him. As we continue to pray especially for the souls of the faithful departed in November, I present to you this reflection by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (pictured). Praying for the Poor Souls in Purgatory The practice of recommending to God the souls in Purgatory, that He might mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that He may soon bring them to His glory, is most pleasing to the Lord and most profitable to us. For these blessed souls are His eternal spouses, and most grateful are they to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments. When,...

In many societies today, the utterance of a simple phrase, "I am a Christian," is a crime punishable by death. So widespread is this persecution that Pope Francis called it a "third world war, waged piecemeal... a form of genocide." In To the Martyrs: A Reflection on the Supreme Christian Witness, Cardinal Donald Wuerl urges solidarity with today’s persecuted Christians and recounts the recurrence of martyrdom throughout Church history. His Eminence’s poignant insight into the spirituality of martyrdom will challenge all Christians to courageously emulate the steadfast commitment of those who have followed Christ—even unto death. Order To the Martyrs: A Reflection on the Supreme Christian Witness   on Amazon or through Emmaus Road Publishing . If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.  — John 15: 20 About the Author His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl is the Archbishop of Washington, DC. He serves on the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the...

Slavs, Latin, and Hebrew immigrants are human weeds... a dead weight of human waste... Blacks, soldiers, and Jews are a menace to the race. — Margaret Sanger [We should] apply a stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation to that grade of population whose progeny is tainted, or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring. Margaret Sanger, "Plan for Peace" from Birth Control Review (April 1932, pp. 107-108)  The following video was brought to my attention recently. I do not endorse said video's proprietor, however, the information contained therein is accurate. It underscores the racist, inhumane and truly diabolical origins of America's largest abortion provider.

This Sunday, the Solemnity of Christ the King according to the Church's liturgical calendar, marks the 52nd anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The recollection of that fateful day by family members, teachers and others, all of whom were young men and women on November 22, 1963, created a kind of "Arthurian legend" nostalgia surrounding JFK in my youth. As one historian put it: With Kennedy's death, America lost its innocence - and the rebellious, violent, war-torn 1960's began. Kennedy's serial adultery, known to a lesser degree, and misogynistic attitude towards women did not detract from the lionizing of the man and the incessant burnishing of the Kennedy presidency each November. George Weigel's " Camelot Revisited " [November 2007] and " JFK After 50 Years " [November 2013] consider Kennedy's legacy, and the mythology surrounding it, without tears or sentimentality. In "Camelot Revisited"...

No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus.   — Otto Betz One assertion detractors of Christianity make to sow seeds of doubt about Jesus is the alleged lack of historical evidence for Christ outside of Sacred Scripture. Such claims are counterfactual and easily refuted. Here are five, first-century, non-biblical, historical references to Jesus of Nazareth. Publius Cornelius Tacitus (55-120 c. AD) was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. His two major works, the Annals and the Histories, record the reigns of seven Roman Emperors: Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who ruled in the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD). These works span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus in 14 AD to the 1st Jewish – Roman War in 70 AD. In the Annals , [XV,44] Tacitus mentions the death of Christ and the existence of Christians in Rome at the time of the great fire: "But not all the relief that could come from man, not al...

A grieving statue, (detail) Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris Father of mercy, You invite all who are burdened to come to You. Embrace the victims in Paris; bring them comfort and hope. Most loving Jesus, we know that in the fullness of time You will wipe away every tear. Restore those who suffer and grieve to wholeness; let them know Your gentle compassion. Bless those You have called to Yourself, lead them into the light of Your love. May we never forget that every knee will bend at Your name. On that day, an occasion of unrivaled joy, sin and death will be no more, and we shall see You face to face. Amen.

Orthodox Icon - The Last Judgement Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) "My world has come crashing down." You’ve heard those words spoken by others around you who have faced calamities, real or imagined. Many of you have, I am sure, in the midst of your own tears uttered those words. Every year at this time the Church has us deal with the apocalyptic, those terrible endings we face in our own personal lives, as well as cataclysmic endings of our collective civilizations and our human epochs and eras. History is replete with them. Questions and concerns about the end of the world abound in our day as they have throughout past. Is there an asteroid headed directly at us? Will the sun burn out? Will we all be destroyed in a nuclear holocaust? Concern about the end of the world and the coming of God’s Messiah was very intense when Jesus of Nazareth came on the scene. The wise men who came from the east follo...