Corpus Christi Blog

The Catholic Church normally celebrates the Solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25, but since it lands on a Sunday this year, it is superseded by the Liturgical Sunday. A reformed persecutor of Christians, St. Paul became one of the most significant evangelists of the early Church and the most prolific author in the New Testament. He took Jesus’ final command, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,” literally and seriously, traveling extensively throughout the known world, as well as sending letters and appointing representatives to places when he could not be there in person. St. Paul’s zeal for converting hearts to Jesus and to Christianity earned him the title, Patron Saint of Missionaries and Evangelists.

As Christians, we are called to be "perfect just as [our] heavenly Father is perfect" and to always strive for a life of holiness (Mt. 5:48). Yet, due to our fallen human nature, living out that call is often fraught with pitfalls and setbacks in the form of sin. Whether our sins are mortal or venial, persistent in one area or spanning across many, we are all sinners with imperfections to overcome on our personal journeys to sainthood. Fortunately, in his infinite mercy, God has given us the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we can confess our sin, have it forgiven, make reparation, and begin anew. But then, we have to go back to the same world to face the same challenges we faced before. Rather than thinking about how we are going to avoid that sin again, perhaps there is another way to think about it. Every sin begins with a seed - the seed of temptation. The following are practical insights from a little handbook titled How to Resist Temptation, by Fr. Francis J. Remler, C.M.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord highlights Baptism’s foundational role in the Christian life as the Sacrament of Initiation into the Church and a sign of new birth in Christ. “The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them” (CCC 1257). The purpose of Jesus’ own baptism in the Jordan River, administered by his cousin, John, was to mark the beginning of his public ministry, to reveal the Blessed Trinity, to show solidarity with us sinners by providing an example of baptism, and to sanctify the waters of baptism. By entering the waters, Jesus consecrates them as a sacramental sign, making the water capable of conferring grace and thus enabling the person to be born into new life. God could have chosen the Sacrament of Baptism to be conferred in any number of ways, but his choice of water is most fitting in light of the context of all of salvation history.

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is the day the Church recognizes the universality of Jesus’ mission of redemption and salvation. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphaneia, which means “manifestation” or “appearance.” The Magi who followed the star to find the newborn King of the Jews were not Jews themselves, but came from other lands. At the end of their journey, when the Magi encountered Jesus in the arms of His mother, Mary, it signified his manifestation to all the world. Epiphany celebrates that the messiah, who came as the King of the Jews, is accessible and King to us all.

The Feast of the Holy Family is a good reminder that the family is the domestic church. Jesus learned his Jewish faith from his mother and father, Mary and Joseph. At home, he studied scripture, learned prayers, and celebrated liturgical feasts. Through his family, Jesus first learned that his Heavenly Father was loving and merciful, and that heaven was his eternal home. The Holy Family provides a perfect model of a domestic church for our own families to follow.

It is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. We have been reflecting on some of the titles for Jesus taken from the ancient prayers of the O Antiphons, which the Church sings during Advent in anticipation for the coming Messiah — Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Dawn, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. As humanity cries out for its savior, the Church uses these various titles to emphasize the truths of who this savior will be and the revelations that will come with him. Now, we will take a look at his most important title, the one which all of the others point to as the climax.

As we continue to await Christmas, we come to the third installment in our four-part Advent series exploring the titles of the Messiah from the O Antiphons, the ancient prayers sung by the Church in the final days before Christmas. Each Antiphon reveals a facet of Christ’s identity and mission foretold in Scripture — He is Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Dawn, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. We have already covered the titles of Wisdom and Root of Jesse. Now we continue to meditate with anticipation, the coming Messiah under another title:

As we begin the second week of Advent, the Church invites us to deepen our understanding of whom it is we are awaiting. Advent is not simply a countdown to Christmas; it is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ—past, present, and future. This year, we are reflecting on four prophetic titles for the coming Messiah from the ancient O Antiphons. From within the ancient prophecies of Isaiah and other Old Testament texts, seven titles of the promised Messiah are revealed to us: Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Dawn, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. Each title helps us recognize how Jesus fulfills God’s plan of salvation throughout history.

The Church is entering into a new liturgical year with the anticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ in the season of Advent. For this year’s Advent reflection series, we will reflect on four of the prophetic titles for the Messiah taken from the O Antiphons. The O Antiphons are among the Church’s most ancient prayers, dating back at least to the eighth century. They are sung as part of Evening Prayer (Vespers) in the Liturgy of the Hours from December 17-23. Each antiphon begins with the exclamation “O” followed by a prophetic title for the Messiah found in the Old Testament, especially the Book of Isaiah: Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King of the Nations, and Emmanuel. These titles use theological imagery to reflect the hope of the coming Christ, and they serve as poetic invocations and foreshadowing into the mystery of who Christ is, what he fulfills, and how he continues to come into our lives today. As we move through this season of Advent, we will reflect on four of these messianic titles, focusing on one each week.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Of all the kings and emperors that have ruled on this earth over the millennia, none have been or will ever be as mighty and powerful as Jesus. Earthly kings rule from thrones as symbols of majesty, power, and glory. They are often ornately adorned with gold, and when the king sits on his throne, he is surrounded by his loyal subjects. The throne of Christ the King, however, is not made of beautiful, expensive, or comfortable materials, but of rough wood. The cross, which for the Roman Empire was an instrument of humiliation and torture, is the exalted throne of the crucified Lord in the light of faith. The Catechism tells us, “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle” (CCC #2015). So, through Jesus Christ, the cross is transformed from a mere place of suffering to the seat of his kingship. Let’s take a closer look at the paradox of the cross as the throne of the almighty King of the Universe.

This week, the Catholic Church commemorates the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on November 21. I would like to explain the foundations and significance of Mary’s presentation, and then use it as a springboard to demonstrate just a few of the ways in which Mary is a model for our Church today.

One thing that unites all Christians is a shared belief in Scripture as the inspired Word of God and a source of divine revelation. However, one of the most significant sticking points between Catholics and our Protestant brethren is whether Scripture is the only source of authority. The Catholic Church relies on three sources for faith and practice — the divine revelation of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and the authority of the Magisterium to faithfully interpret divine revelation — while Protestants adhere to the doctrine of sola scriptura, which holds that Scripture alone is the sole authority for Christian faith and practice.

On All Souls’ Day the Church invites us to remember and pray for all the faithful departed. It is a day where we acknowledge that death is the one certainty that each of us must face, but it is also a day of hope because we trust in God’s mercy and his promise of eternal life. For Catholics, All Souls’ Day is not a gloomy day of remembrance but an invitation to live now in such a way that we may die well, reconciled with God and at peace. Considering death as the most important event for which a person ought to prepare, St. Robert Bellarmine, a 16^th-century Jesuit and Doctor of the Church, wrote a spiritual treatise entitled The Art of Dying Well (De Arte Bene Moriendi) to aid souls in obtaining eternal happiness. While written over four hundred years ago, Bellarmine’s wisdom remains as relevant today as it was then, so let’s explore some key principles for dying well.