Take a breath. The holidays and Holy Days are behind us. St. Francis’ Day, Halloween, All Saint’s Day, All the Faithful Departed, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the coming of the Wise Men, the Baptism of our Lord, and the Epiphany. We’re now in Ordinary Time. The English name is...
Happy New Year! At least to those whose new year begins on January 1, because it doesn’t really begin now for everyone. We all live with different ways of measuring things: years, time, distances and lengths, volumes, temperatures, etc. For example, there are six principal calendars in current use — which replicate astronomical cycles...
In March 1616, the Catholic Church issued a prohibition against the Copernican theory, which claimed that the Earth was not at the center of the universe (geocentric), but that it rotated around the Sun (heliocentric). This led to the Inquisition and Condemnation of Galileo Galilei (in 1633) as a suspected heretic for his subsequent astronomical observations (such...
When I was growing up, there were certain things –– like clothing –– that you just couldn’t buy on Sunday. Entire sections of department stores were simply roped off. And retailers respected the rhythms of the seasons –– you never saw Christmas displays or heard Christmas music or read Christmas newspaper ads until after Thanksgiving...
We need volunteers. Our churches, and churches in general always need volunteers. To serve on leadership. To serve on or head up committees. To run the A/V equipment. To set up for and clean up after Communion. To set up for and clean up after Coffee Hour. To count the offering. To serve as...