Catholic Church

By Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P., Catholic Education Resource Center - Often we forget that prayer does not start with us.  No — prayer is a response... the response to a loving invitation tendered by God.  The Lord himself always takes the initiative in the impetus of prayer.  Prayer, says the Catechism, is the "response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God"... He thirsts for intimacy with us.  He begs us, Everything is ready; come to the feast.

By Mary Rezac, EWTN News/CNA - This year, for Father Esequiel Sanchez, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe brings up terrifying memories - and a huge reason to be thankful... Sanchez was one of 103 passengers aboard Aeromexico Flight 2431, which crashed and burned in a field shortly after takeoff on July 31 of this year... While there were some injuries, no one died... “I personally attributed that to the intercession of Our Lady, and so did the other passengers, I think most of us...saw it as miraculous”

By Allison Low, The Catholic Stand - More than just preparing for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas, the Church reminds us that during Advent we are also to prepare for Christ’s Second Coming on the Last Day. “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” [MT 24:36].

By Fr. Raymond de Souza, Catholic Herald - Indeed, the establishment of German Catholicism battled with Ratzinger/Benedict in Rome, not knowing that its moment would come under his successor. There is nothing that the German establishment wants – liberalisation regarding divorce and remarriage, local authority over liturgical translations, Holy Communion for Protestants – that does not seem to be tacitly encouraged under Pope Francis. The abdication of the German pope surprisingly gave way to the German pontificate.