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Showing posts with the label Announcements

2018 Online Lenten Retreat

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During the solemn penitential season of Lent, we prepare ourselves physically and spiritually to walk through the desert with Jesus Christ. The use of purple vestments, and the absence of the Gloria and the Alleluia at Mass and in the Divine Office, are sober reminders of Holy Week and the great feast of Easter to follow. We should examine in earnest our sins and detachments. This period of atonement, prayer and fasting calls us to greater holiness in imitation of Christ. Lent is a time to strengthen our prayer lives — to pray more, and to pray better. Pray More Novenas  has a Lenten retreat starting Ash Wednesday, February 14 . The retreat features inspiring talks to deepen your prayer life and love of God. This online offering features sixteen talks on prayer . Each comes with a study guide of questions, prompts and reflections. You may download the talks as an audio recording should you wish to listen to them later. (See complete list below.) List of Retreat Speakers

Personality Quiz: Which Saint Are You?

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Ever wonder which saint you most resemble? Are you a Joan of Arc or a Thomas Aquinas? A Thérèse of Liseux or a Francis of Assisi? Are you made for modernity like Thomas Merton or a "man for all seasons" like Thomas More? Find out HERE . Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate the merits of all the Saints who see you face to face in heaven, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we so earnestly long. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns together with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

March for Life 2018

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Will you march to end abortion, the greatest human rights abuse of our time? The 45th annual March for Life is Friday, January 19, 2018, in Washington D.C. The gathering is the largest pro-life rally in the world. Please consider attending or supporting this event in person to help protect those who cannot speak for themselves. Even if you are not able to attend your voice is still important! Here are a few things that you can do: Show your support on social media. Support the March for Life and the pro-life cause on Friday using #whywemarch. We want our friends, family, and the world to know why we are marching. All of your #whywemarch and #marchforlife posts will be compiled at WhyWeMarch.org. ______________________________________________ Here is the schedule for the 2018 March for Life and a partial list of speakers. Schedule  11:30 a.m. Musical Opening featuring Plumb! 12:00 p.m. Rally Program. 1:00 p.m. March up Constitution Avenue to Supreme Co

Top Posts of 2017 | Feminine Genius Edition

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In his 1995 letter to women, Mulieris Dignitatem , Pope Saint John Paul II makes reference to the unique characteristics of women as the feminine genius. Indeed, the creation of Eve was the capstone of the creation story. Even now, women are called to be the moral safeguards of their families, for society, and for the world. A Catholic Wife Explains "Why I Don’t – and Won’t – Use Contraception" A Catholic Wife and Mother on Living Chastely in Marriage and in the Single Life The A-List Hollywood Actress Who Became Pro-Life Following Her Abortion St. Catherine of Bologna’s Seven Spiritual Weapons Against Evil Flannery O’Connor on Protestantism St. Therese of Lisieux. Patroness of Missionaries Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Why It is Proper to Call Mary Queen TOB Tuesday: Virginity for the Sake of the Kingdom 339 Years After Her Death, St. Teresa of Ávila Converted Edith Stein [St. Teresa Benedicta] Happy New Year  to one and all!

Top Ten Posts of 2017

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Here for your consideration are the top ten articles that appeared on Big 'C' Catholics in 2017 [plus two honorable mentions]. We are most grateful for the patronage of all of our readers. Thanks for helping to make this site what it is. Thanks to our top referrers Canon 212  and Spirit-Digest , both excellent sites. Twelve Things About Saint Thomas Aquinas That Every Catholic Should Know The Difference Between Love and Tolerance These Words of Ordination Should be the Personal Credo of Every Catholic Announcing the New Evangelization Award for Excellence in Catholic Blogging 2017 Blessed John Henry Newman on the Pastoral Office What It Means to Be a Christian Jesus' Golden Rule Perfects Aristotle’s Golden Mean "Progressive" Catholics Are Heterodox Catholics By What Vision? The Attack on Marriage and Family Pope St. Pius X, Undaunted Champion of the Faith The Church’s "Great" Popes Lived Out Heroic Virtue 339 Years After Her

2017 Online Advent Retreat

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We received the following from praymorenovenas.com about their online Advent retreat for 2017. A modest donation is requested to help offset the cost of their ministry. If you are financially unable, or wish to delay doing so, you are welcome to participate for free. For more information and to register, see the links below. ______________________________________________  We all need to pray. This Advent is the perfect time to work on our prayer lives. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) said, "Are we ready to receive Him? Before the birth of Jesus, his parents asked for a simple dwelling place, but there was none. If Mary and Joseph were looking for a home for Jesus, would they choose … your heart, and all it holds? Let us pray that we shall be able to welcome Jesus at Christmas..." This is exactly our goal with the Pray More Advent Retreat. If you want to answer the questions Saint Mother Teresa asks with a, "Yes," then consider joining us for thi

Thanksgiving 2017 | A Proclamation And A Prayer

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President Abraham Lincoln instituted Thanksgiving in 1863 during the Civil War in order for Americans to celebrate their blessings and good fortune as a sign of unity and thanksgiving to God. His formal proclamation expressly calls upon all citizens to observe the holiday in prayerful gratitude to Our Father and Creator: " I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. " — President Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation, October 3, 1863 We celebrate Thanksgiving as a sign of American unity and thanksgiving to God. No holiday so nearly reminds us of the symbolism and meaning of the Eucharist. Here is a Thanksgiving day table blessing by Msgr. Bernard W. Bourgeois: Thanksgiving Day Table Blessing God our Father, on t

The Christ the King Novena Begins November 17th

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This feast day was instituted by Pope Pius XI on December 11th, in 1925, within the encyclical letter Quas Primas . The Holy Father was responding to the fact that the world was becoming increasingly nationalistic and secular. Governments were claiming more and more allegiance from citizens and attempting to replace God. While nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm his rights. – Quas Primas, 25 Pope Pius XI, therefore, created the feast of Christ the King to help the faithful to remember that our allegiance to Christ is above any allegiance to the government of a nation. Often, as society has grown increasingly secular, one pledges fidelity to ideas, ideologies or movements, in the hopes of fitting-in or winning favor: "The faithful...by meditating upon these truths, will gain much strength and co

Father Solanus Casey's Beatification Mass

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Venerable Solanus Casey, an American-born Capuchin priest, known for his great faith, dedication to the sick, spiritual counseling and miraculous intercession, is the second American-born male to be beatified. He was very highly sought-after throughout his life, in part due to the many physical healings attributed to him. The beatification Mass will take place November 18th at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. Capuchin provincial minister Fr. Michael Sullivan said the community is, "filled with joy," adding the Mass will be a, "beautiful way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his passing." Archbishop Allen Vigneron said, "The beatification of Fr. Solanus will be a tremendous blessing for the whole community of southeast Michigan, an opportunity for all of us to experience the love of Jesus Christ." Bernard Casey was born on November 25, 1870, the sixth child of sixteen to Irish immigrants in Wisconsin. He left home to work at various jobs at the ag

November's Liturgical Highlights

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November begins with the Feast of All Saints followed by the Feast of All Souls on which we remember those who have died and are in Purgatory. Although we may pray for the poor souls throughout the year, the month of November is especially dedicated to praying on their behalf. The solemn Feast of Christ the King is also celebrated, marking the end of one liturgical year and the beginning of another. During November, as in all of Ordinary Time (Time After Pentecost), the Liturgy signifies and expresses the regenerated life from the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is to be spent on the model of Christ's Life and under the direction of His Spirit. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world's. The culmination of the liturgical year is the Feast of Christ the King. "This feast asserts the supreme authority of Christ over human beings and their institutions.... Beyond it we see Advent dawning with its persp

The Best Catholic Aggregation Websites

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Here is a list of the top Catholic aggregation websites according to our readers. They are all worthy of your time and frequent patronage. As Catholics, we are called to live our lives in imitation of Christ in all things, in accordance with the teachings of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. These sites help us do so. Canon 212, News of the Church and the World New Advent, the Best of the Catholic Web Spirit-Digest, Guarding Our Judeo-Catholic Heritage Traditional Latin Mass in Maryland Creative Minority Report  [A semi-aggregation site] _________________________________________ Prayer Before Using the Internet Almighty and eternal God, who created us in Thine image and bade us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in the divine person of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, that, through the intercession of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor, during our journeys through the internet we will direct ou

World Mission Sunday 2017

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Since 1926, the third Sunday of October has been set aside for the Catholic Church the world over to renew its commitment to the task of evangelizing all nations, as called to by Christ. World Mission Sunday, the annual worldwide Eucharistic celebration for the Missions and missionaries of the world, will be on October 22th. The collection on the next-to-last Sunday in October is a unique, global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of over one thousand local churches in Asia and Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America, Europe [and the United States]. Through the work of these churches, and their witness to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love, mercy, hope and peace. This year, Pope Francis reminds us that mission is at the heart of our Faith. St. Therese of Lisieux. Patroness of Missionaries, pray for us.

Let There Be Light: The Movie Hollywood Won't Make

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In the golden age of Hollywood, movies extolling heroic virtue and Christian values were commonplace. Films were life affirming, their plots derived from saintly figures, or Scripture itself ( Ben-Hur and  The Greatest Story Ever Told ). Today Hollywood has little to offer Christians beyond mockery and derision. Let There Be Light is the movie Hollywood won’t make. In it an atheist goes through a near-death experience in an auto accident before converting to Christianity. Deadline has this summary : "After suffering the traumatic loss of his youngest son to cancer, Dr. Sol Harkens (Kevin Sorbo) loses faith and heads down a path of darkness. Distancing himself from his ex-wife Katy (Sam Sorbo) and their two remaining sons, Sol turns to alcohol to numb his pain. Soon his bad habits catch up to him, and Sol is involved in a serious car accident that leaves him dead for four minutes before he is resuscitated. What Sol experiences during this time changes his outlook on life a

FYI: Museum of the Bible

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The Museum of the Bible is an eight story educational museum as of this writing currently still under construction in Washington D.C. documenting the narrative, history and impact of the Bible. The museum will open on November 17, 2017. It will provide guests with an immersive and personalized non-sectarian experience. Museum of the Bible will be an unparalleled experience, using cutting-edge technology to bring the Bible to life. It will span time, space, and cultures, inviting everyone to engage with the Bible. With three permanent sections and space for temporary exhibits, there will always be something new to consider. The president of the Museum of the Bible, Cary Summers noted, "Our goal is straightforward: reacquaint the world with the book that helped make it, and let the visitor come to their own conclusions. The Museum of the Bible is a global education institution that invites all people to engage in the Bible. We don’t exist to tell people what to believe about

Blogroll Additions

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Big C Catholics is for Catholics who are faithful to the Magisterium and who seek the fullness of truth. Our guiding mission is to advance the culture of life and the imitation of Christ. To that end, we have added several new like minded websites to our blogroll for your consideration. (See the lower right side of the blog.] _____________________________________________ Prayer Before Using the Internet Almighty and eternal God, who created us in Thine image and bade us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in the divine person of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, that, through the intercession of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor, during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we will encounter. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Saint Isidore, patron of the internet, pray for us.

Announcing the New Evangelization Award for Excellence in Catholic Blogging 2017

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N.B.: It was brought to our attention that Canon 212 does not meet requirement #1. (Thank you Sister S.) Nonetheless, our readership's support and our staff's appreciation of the site was so strong, we are honoring Canon 212  just the same (the 3 year requirement is tabled now and forever). JMJ Br. Bartholomew Joseph We are pleased to announce the winners of the 3rd annual New Evangelization Award for Catholic bloggers and websites. The Catholic blogosphere is home to thousands of sites. These Catholic websites uniquely contribute to evangelizing and engaging a society which is hostile toward Judeo-Christian ideals and the "culture of life" of which St. John Paul II spoke. In order to qualify, a blog must: 1.) Have been in existence for at least 3 years 2.) Publish or feature content faithful to the Magisterium of the Church 3.) Evangelize and inform Catholics, and all who seek the fullness of truth This year's recipients are: Canon 212 Spirit

The Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America, July 1st — July 4th, 2017

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Via the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops This summer, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from all across the country in order to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the United States. This has been an ongoing initiative of the Bishops' Working Group on the Life and Dignity of the Human Person. The gathering will assemble Catholic leaders for a strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture. The Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America will be held in Orlando, Florida, from Saturday, July 1, to Tuesday, July 4, 2017. Inspired by Evangelii Gaudium , the Convocation will form leaders who will be equipped and re-energized to share the Gospel as missionary disciples, while offering fresh

Now Taking Nominations for the New Evangelization Award for Excellence in Catholic Blogging 2017

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**Nominations are now closed. Congratulations to the winners ** We invite you to nominate your favorite Catholic websites for consideration in the 3rd annual New Evangelization Award for Excellence in Catholic Blogging (see below). The Catholic blogosphere hosts thousands of sites. In choosing blogs of distinction, we will recognize three Catholic websites that uniquely contribute to evangelizing and engaging our society which is increasingly hostile toward Judeo-Christian ideals and the "culture of life." Winners will be announced on May 26th. In order to qualify, a blog must: 1.) Have been in existence for at least 3 years 2.) Publish original content that is faithful to the Magisterium of the Church 3.) Evangelize and inform Catholics, and all who seek the fullness of truth To Nominate a Blog or Website: You may nominate a Catholic blog or website through our Contact Page or in the comments below. Winners are based on reader input. Last year's recipi

Easter Homily | Note to Readers

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As we begin Holy Week, the most solemn time in the Church’s liturgical calendar, we reverently meditate upon our Lord’s Passion, Death and glorious Resurrection. In deference to the observances of Holy Thursday and Good Friday, Father Irvins’ and Father Butler’s Easter homilies will be published at noon on Holy Saturday. ____________________________________________________ Prayer for Holy Week Almighty Father, as we celebrate Holy Week, give us the grace to always remain steadfast in our faith, drawing ever closer to you by means of our prayers and sacrifices. As an example of humility for the human race to follow you willed that our Savior take flesh and submit to the Cross, graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering and so merit a share in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you, and with the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Announcing Flocknote's Daily Lenten Reflections

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Flocknote is offering both daily Lenten text messages and daily Lenten emails leading up to Easter this year! Each day you'll either learn something new about Lent or you'll get a tip or challenge that will make your Lent better. Many readers have benefited from Flocknote's offerings. To sign up go HERE . O gracious Master, infuse in our hearts the spotless light of Your Divine Wisdom and open the eyes of our mind that we may understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, so that having curbed all carnal desires, we may lead a spiritual life, both thinking and doing everything to please You. For You, O Christ, our God, are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies; and to You we render glory, together with Your eternal Father, and with Your all holy, life-creating Spirit, both now and forever. Amen.