Friday, December 24, 2010
Vigil of the Nativity/Nativity of Our Lord
From the 1945 Marian Missal: The Station Church [the churches at which it was formerly the custom for the Pope to personally celebrate the principal liturgies on certain important days] for Christmas Eve is at St. Mary Major in Rome with a Privileged Vigil of the First Class. It was only when Our Lord’s nativity […]
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Friday, December 17, 2010
The Greater Advent Antiphons (“O” Antiphons)
The O Antiphons are Magnificat antiphons used at Vespers (around sunset) of the last seven days of Advent preceding the vigil of Christmas. Each antiphon is a name of Christ, one of his attributes mentioned in Scripture. They are: December 17: O Sapientia (O Wisdom) December 18: O Adonai (O Lord) December 19: O Radix […]
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Advent Embertide
Zacharias 8:19 records the tradition of fasting four times a year to focus on God through His creation: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Juda, […]
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Adult Stem Cells: Better, Safer, Moral
German researchers claim to have cured an HIV patient using bone marrow from an AIDS-resistant donor. Writing in the medical journal Blood, they claim “[O]ur results strongly suggest that cure of HIV infection has been achieved in this patient.” More details here. Data is coming in every week proving that adult stem cells too are […]
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
From the 1945 Marian Missal: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman.” In these words the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was announced to our first parents. It was to be the reversal of the friendship with the serpent contracted by Eve, when she listened to his voice and fell under […]
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Friday, December 3, 2010
Last Word on Condoms
For me, anyway. Courtesy of AmP Thomas Peters, via a reader in Australia: And there you have it, folks.
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To Be or Not to Be a Friday Penitent
Over on the Emerald Isle, the Bishops Conference is busy trying to decide whether to reinstate meatless Fridays, since so few people observe any form of penance anymore. A bit of history first: The abstinence requirement still exists as Canon 1251, but in 1966, U.S bishops issued “Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence,” releasing American […]
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