Category: Columns

On
Fr. Donald Lange

Celebrating Lent as family

Lent is the Church’s primary penitential season. It is the season of conversion when we seek to become more Christ-like by choosing a Lenten penance which helps us to renew our Baptismal promises at Easter with a deepened faith.

The three traditional practices of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. A genuine commitment to these practices leads to a deepened awareness of God and conversion of the heart. Since the family is the domestic Church, in this article I will focus on some ways that we can live Lent as a domestic family. Some of these ways may also apply to the extended family and the Church family.

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Damian Lenshek

Planning a Catholic funeral and burial

Death: Our Birth into Eternal life

Damian Lenshek

The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.

One of the saddest situations I encounter is when a daily Mass attendee, after decades of devotion, dies and does not receive a Catholic funeral or burial.

Usually, this happens when the deceased’s children are not practicing Catholics and, either through ignorance or rejection of the Faith, do not seek a funeral Mass for their devout parent.

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Julianne Nornberg

First spiritual steps: Humility, prayer, surrender

It’s a scene I’ll never forget: my one-year-old son taking his first steps, placing one foot uncertainly in front of the other, arms outstretched toward my hands, eyes wide open in wonder, and a big awe-struck smile on his upturned face.

As he closed the gap between us and finally grasped my hand, I swooped him up in a bear hug, and we all cheered for him. Amazingly, after months of crawling and pulling up and falling and getting up again, my baby had learned to walk.

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Michael Lancaster

Recognizing Catholic school ‘heroes’

“Not all heroes wear capes.” I’m sure that you’ve heard that saying before.

Well, it’s true, and you don’t have to go to your local hospital, fire, or police station to find them. All you have to do is look as far as your local Catholic school.

Take a look at the teachers, principals, secretaries, aides, administrative assistants, custodians, cooks, and counselors.

In Catholic schools, the heroes are everywhere.

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Fr. Joseph Baker

The Power of Attorney for Health Care

Death: Our Birth into Eternal life

Fr. Joseph Baker

The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end-of-life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.

Last week, we began to explore the topic of advance health care planning.

This planning is necessary not only because of modern medical advancements, but most especially because we may find ourselves in a position when we are not able to express our wishes about the use of a particular treatment at the end of life.

That being said, not all forms of advance health care planning are equal.

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Fr. Joseph Baker

Important questions and decision

Death: Our Birth into Eternal life

Fr. Joseph Baker

The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end-of-life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.

We should all be prepared for those difficult situations when end-of-life medical decisions need to be made.

Modern medical advancements have given us wonderful opportunities to bring about cures, to slow the progression of diseases, and to alleviate many symptoms.

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Damian Lenshek

Truth and meaning in death

Death: Our Birth into Eternal life

Damian Lenshek

The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.

Death has taken a prominent place in the headlines this past year, as in the public consciousness.

Daily death counts are now part of every day’s news.

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On
Fr. Donald Lange

Observing the week of prayer for Christian unity

The theme for the 2021 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18 to January 25) is “Abide in my Love. You shall Bear Much Fruit.”

This theme finds its origin in John’s gospel (cf. John 15:5-9). In Jesus’ time, important people often shared what was important to them in a farewell discourse. In chapters 14-17 of John’s gospel, Christ’s farewell discourse shows that unity is important to Him.

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