BIG C CATHOLICS

This year (2017) Advent is unusually short, Sunday being the only day in the fourth week. In the General Roman Calendar, December 24th, Christmas Eve, is the last day of Advent as well as (beginning with the vigil Mass) the first day of Christmas time. This raises the question as to whether the fulfillment of one's Sabbath obligation may also fulfill the Christmas obligation to attend holy Mass. The answer is no . A February newsletter issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship observed that a "two-for-one" Mass cannot occur in the very rare circumstances when two of the six holy days of obligation, such as when the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary or the Christmas solemnity of Our Lord's Nativity fall the day before or after Sunday. The committee stated, "When consecutive obligations occur on Saturday-Sunday or Sunday-Monday, the faithful must attend Mass twice to fulfill two separate obligations.&quo

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or Breviary is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer. At times the dialogue is between the Church or individual soul and God; at times it is a dialogue among the members of the Church; and at times it is even between the Church and the world. The Divine Office "is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father." (SC 84) The dialogue is always held, however, in the presence of God and using the words and wisdom of God. Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation. The two most important or hinge Hours are Morning and Evening Prayer. These each include a Gospel canticle: the Canticle of Zecharia

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

In the wake of revelations that Democratic political operatives tried to pressure the Catholic Church by instigating a "Catholic Spring" in opposition to its most fundamental beliefs, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, released a statement condemning such activity as a gross infringement of religious liberty in violation of the 1st Amendment: At this important time in our nation's history, I encourage all of us to take a moment to reflect on one of the founding principles of our republic – the freedom of religion. It ensures the right of faith communities to preserve the integrity of their beliefs and proper self-governance. There have been recent reports that some may have sought to interfere in the internal life of the Church for short-term political gain. If true, this is troubling both for the well-being of faith communities and the good of our country. In our faith and our Church, Christ has given us

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice saying, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Luke 1:39-56 ). Respect Life Sunday is October 2, 2016. The American Catholic bishops initiated Respect Life Sunday in 1972, the year before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States. Since that time, Catholics across the country observe the month of October with devotions and pro-life activities in order to advance the culture of life. Prayer for the Unborn in Danger of Abortion Prayer for an unborn baby in danger of being aborted by Venerable Fulton J. Sheen to our Lady of Guadalupe intercessor for the unborn. Jesus, Mary and Joseph; I love you very much, I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted; who is in danger of abortion. Amen. Say this prayer each day for one year and a child

Each year, October is designated as Respect Life Month by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This year’s theme, "Moved by Mercy", draws on a quote from Pope Francis when he called for the Jubilee Year of Mercy: "We are called to show mercy because mercy has been shown to us." The first Sunday of October is Respect Life Sunday. It kicks off a yearlong pro-life program for the U.S. Catholic Church highlighting human dignity and the need to protect, defend and cherish all persons. The USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities has prepared a packet for the 2016-2017 program containing materials and resources that can be downloaded in English and Spanish. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities stated : "Every person is sacred and must be treated with the dignity they deserve. No one should ever be treated callously or carelessly — everyone should be cherished and protected!" He added: From eac

USCCB Fact Sheet: Frequently Asked Questions on  Religious Liberty What do we mean by religious liberty? In Catholic teaching, the Second Vatican Council “declare[d] that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits.” ( Dignitatis Humanae , No. 2.) Religious liberty is protected in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and in federal and state laws. Religious liberty includes more than our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home; it also encompasses our ability to contribute freely to the common good of all Americans. What is the First Amendment? The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states the following: “Congress shall mak

Unfortunately today, there is growing confusion in society about gender, to the extent that gender ideology has destroyed personal meaning throughout North America. In response to the Obama administration’s recent guidelines on the use of bathrooms by those who call themselves transgendered, Cardinal Donald Wuerl emphasized that the human body "is not extraneous, but goes to our very essence." The Cardinal added: One of the enervating forces of our culture is the assertion that everything is up for grabs. What was once grasped as objective truth is now dismissed as mere construct, and there is a growing relativism that seeks to reconstruct the most fundamental realities. Last year we saw a societal redefinition of marriage and family. Today, the concept of humanity itself is called into question with an aggressive "gender" ideology which holds that whether a person is male or female is not an objective reality, but is subjectively determined. Increasingly, t

What is the Fortnight for Freedom? The "Fortnight for Freedom" is 14 days of prayer, education and action for religious freedom in the United States and around the world. It will take place from June 21 to July 4, 2016. The theme of this year’s Fortnight is "Witnesses to Freedom." During this time, the Church's liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution: St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, Sts. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. Four Ways to Celebrate the Fortnight for Freedom Pray Hold a prayer vigil for religious freedom. Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet could all be forms of intercession for our country and our first freedom. Gather Get together and celebrate religious freedom with a parish picnic or barbecue. Hand out religious freedom conversation starters as a way to spur discussion about our first,

H/T  ChurchPOP    The Little Sisters of the Poor face a dire threat to their religious freedom in the United States. Find out more about what the Catholic Church teaches on religious freedom, including the groundbreaking Declaration on Religious Freedom ( Dignitatis Humanae ) from the Second Vatican Council. Via the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' YouTube channel . From the USCCB'S  Religious Liberty Page . Religion [cannot] be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life.       — Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 183. In insisting that our liberties as Americans be respected, Pope Benedict XVI said that this work belongs to "an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture." Therefore, catechesis on religious liberty is not the work of priests alone. If religious liberty is not properly understood, all people suf

From L-R: Sr. Anselm, Sr. Reginette, Sr. Judith, Sr. Marguerite. Credit: The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Committee issued a statement, March 8, honoring the work and the lives of the four religious sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, who along with 12 other people were murdered in Yemen, March 4. The Bishops also renewed their call for an increase in the international response to violence in the Middle East, including the ongoing, systemic persecution of Christians. Honoring the "Martyrs of Charity" A Statement from the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops March 8, 2016 Caring for the aging and dying is an act of love and mercy. Giving totally of oneself to serve the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters is an act of courageous faith. Thus, it is always a great sorrow when such acts of mercy lead to martyrdom. On March 4, four sisters f

The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy began on December 8, 2015, the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. Here are a few important themes for reflection during this time of repentance and renewal. Jesus is the "face" of the Father’s mercy  Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Francis writes in Misericordiae Vultus , the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy , is the "face" of the Father’s mercy — he reveals the mercy of God by his words, actions, and person. We follow Jesus’ example when we open ourselves to the Father’s mercy by looking "sincerely" into the eyes of our brothers and sisters, including those "who are denied their dignity." How have you experienced the Father’s mercy in your own life? How might Jesus be calling you to look "sincerely" into the eyes of those who are denied their dignity? Mercy is "the beating heart of the Gospel" Pope Francis writes: “It is absolutel

Mosaic of Christ being placed in the tomb at the Church of the  Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel. Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, former chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offers "10 Things to Remember for Lent": Remember the formula. The Church does a good job capturing certain truths with easy-to-remember lists and formulas: 10 Commandments, 7 sacraments, 3 persons in the Trinity. For Lent, the Church gives us almost a slogan — Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving — as the three things we need to work on during the season. It’s a time of prayer. Lent is essentially an act of prayer spread out over 40 days. As we pray, we go on a journey, one that hopefully brings us closer to Christ and leaves us changed by the encounter with him. It’s a time to fast. With the fasts of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, meatless Fridays, and our personal disciplines interspersed, Lent is the only time many

Via the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops . Pop culture tells us love is mostly about feeling good, but true love is about wanting the absolute best for the person we love. Jesus wants the absolute best for us, and he asks us to follow his example of self-sacrificial love so we can live in union with him forever. Jesus showed us what real love looks like when he died for us on the Cross. He is the only one who can fill our hearts, and when we grow in love — becoming more like him — we become more fully the people we were created to be. Part of this growth includes living out the virtue (a habit of doing good) of chastity. While practicing chastity does require saying "no" to some things, it is actually a much bigger and better "yes" to love and the life God has planned for us. Respecting and living out our sexuality means that we're called to discover how to love all people and develop healthy relationships (not just romantic ones) in the u

(Via  the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ) Brothers and Sisters, Gathered together as God’s family and inspired by our faith, we raise our minds and hearts to the Father, that our families, sustained by the grace of Christ, might become true domestic churches where all live and bear witness to God’s love. Together we pray: Lord, bless and sanctify our families. For Pope Francis: the Lord has called him to preside over the Church in charity; sustain him in his ministry of service to the communion of the episcopal college and the entire People of God, we pray: For the synod fathers and the other participants at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: may the Spirit of the Lord enlighten their minds so that the Church might respond, in faithfulness to God’s plan, to the challenges facing the family, we pray: For those who have the responsibility of governing nations: that the Holy Spirit might inspire programs which acknowledge the value