Most people - Catholics and non-Catholics alike - are very familiar with the word “alleluia.” It is used in all sorts of contexts, sacred and secular, as an outburst of joy and celebration. Fewer people, including Catholics, know the actual meaning of the word.
Read MorePope Francis has called upon Catholics throughout the world to observe October 7th as a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Middle East. After all, prayer - especially the powerful prayer of the Holy Rosary - has proved a powerful “weapon of choice” in many conflicts.
Read MoreFrom the earliest days of the Church, Christians have carried on the Jewish custom of singing the Psalms - those lyrical hymn-prayers of the Old Testament that express the whole range of human emotion and experience of God
Read MoreIn this little moment, you have the chance to silently gather up your intentions and place them upon the altar. Remember, the ordained priest is not the only one who offers the Mass! You, as a baptismal priest, are called to offer the Liturgy in your own way. For whom, or for what, do you offer it?
Read MoreThis Wednesday marked the beginning of a momentous occasion for the U.S. Catholic Church - the 10th National Eucharistic Congress! This “climax” of the National Eucharistic Revival has brought 50,000 Catholics to Indianapolis for 5 intense days of prayer, fellowship, and learning about our incredible Faith
Read MoreIf we participate actively and fruitfully in this seemingly small part of the liturgy, it will open our hearts to receive God’s grace more fully in the parts to follow. Let’s focus on just two elements of the Penitential Rite …
Read MoreOne of the central goals of the Vatican II Council Fathers was to promote active participation of the congregation in the sacred liturgy. This term has been subject to much interpretation - and misinterpretation! - over the years.
Read MoreBeginning tomorrow (April 23rd), our first group of Sisters will begin their annual 8-day retreat. As we’ve shared before, we like to refer to the nuns on retreat as “Marys,” while those who take on extra duties to allow for this are called “Marthas.” The roles will swap for the second retreat, which falls in mid-May this year.
Read MoreAlleluia! He is risen! The New Creation has begun in the Person of our Resurrected Lord, and every created thing shows forth His glory in a unique way. One of our novices caught a glimpse of this while visiting some of our spring flowers, and she was inspired to write the following hymn of praise — think Daniel chapter 3, Kentucky-style!
Read MoreEarlier this month, Sr. Rosemary, OP (a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia) began giving a series of classes to some of our Sisters in formation. The topic? The Wellspring of Worship, Fr. Jean Corban’s classic work on the liturgy. This beautiful book is based on the image of the River of Life — that is, the love of the Holy Trinity — as it overflows into our world, particularly by means of the Church’s daily liturgy.
Read MoreEach year, the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary — the prayer that our Blessed Mother has held up in numerous apparitions as a powerful means of obtaining graces.
Read MoreWe are remaining close in prayer to all those affected by Hurricane Idalia yesterday — especially those who have been left homeless or without power in Florida. May the Passion of Christ bring comfort and strength to all in this time of such great suffering.
Read MoreOver the next few weeks, our Sisters will be taking turns making their annual 8-day personal retreats. Please keep “Marthas” and “Marys” alike in your prayers!
Read MoreSpring in Kentucky is a glorious time — dogwoods and redbuds are blooming, the days are getting longer and warmer, and all sorts of birds are returning from their winter “vacation” farther south. New life is bursting forth at every turn, as if to join in our Easter celebrations of Christ’s Resurrection.
Read More“In the sacred books, the Father Who is in Heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it remains the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and perennial source of the spiritual life.”
Read More“O Jesus,
Life of my life,
Joy of my soul,
God of my heart,
receive my heart as an altar …”
“Since Our Lord dwells in our souls, His prayer belongs to us, and I wish to live in communion with it unceasingly, keeping myself like a little vase at the Source, at the Fountain of life …”
Read MoreUnlike the elections most people are familiar with, a monastic election does not involve campaigning, lobbying, or opposing parties seeking to gain power and influence. Quite the contrary! The members of the Chapter are seeking to choose the leadership that God Himself wills for the community in the coming three years.
Read More“I have strong confidence in God that He will pour the gifts of the Holy Spirit into your heart with greater fullness at the coming solemnity of Pentecost.”
Read MoreToday begins the Great Novena of Pentecost, where we unite ourselves to Mary and the Apostles as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. You can join us in our nine days of imploring Christ to send “the Promise of the Father” upon His Church!
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