Catholic Church

By Allison Low, Catholic Stand - As we approach the octave before Christmas, there is a beautiful longstanding tradition in the Church of praying the “O Antiphons.” These short prayers help us more deeply prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior… The antiphons may be somewhat familiar to people because they are the inspiration for the well-known hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” These prayers have actually been a part of the Church’s liturgy for more than a thousand years. The origin of this tradition is not fully known but it has been in use liturgically since the eighth century. The composition of these prayers likely originated much earlier, however.

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture - The cycle of life for Catholics is both progressive and reactionary. Catholics hope for a perfect life for eternity and look back to the life of Jesus to show us the way. With the eyes of faith, we identify our hopes, evaluate the morality of them, and pursue them according to the light of God’s grace. With that grace we order our lives toward heavenly glory, and Jesus accompanies us throughout the cycle of life in the sacraments. At every moment we have our religion to fall back on.