The Church makes use of three holy oils: the oil of the sick, the oil of the catechumens and the holy chrism oil. The first two are blessed, and the bishop consecrates the third, ordinarily during the annual chrism Mass. Each has a distinctive purpose in the Church. Oil of the sick The oil of…
God created everything: the heavens, the earth, the trees, the flowers and every creature on the earth; God did not create worry. Call it by any name- despair, anxiety, concern -God did not create it. We mortals often get worried and preoccupied about something in the future that will never happen. The great American writer…
Have you ever noticed people leaving Mass before it’s over – even right after receiving holy Communion? It can be puzzling, given that the Eucharist is the centre of Catholic life and Sunday Mass is a grave obligation. Yet arriving late or leaving early has become common enough that many people barely register it. It’s…
Search the Scriptures and, apart from the Holy Family, no one is more highly favoured by God than St John the Baptist. All four Gospels honour him as the one chosen to announce, identify and prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus himself declared: “Among those born of women, no one is greater than John”…
During these celebrations, we unite our hearts with the faithful departed whether they be in heaven or purgatory writes D.D. Emmons It seems unusual that our Church liturgical calendar schedules two major celebrations on days that are back-to-back. But that is precisely the situation with the solemnity of All Saints, a liturgical feast, and…