Mary's Birthday
On September 8 we celebrate Mary’s birthday. No one knows for sure what day Mary was born, of course. (I did read, however, that at Medjugorje in 1984 Mary supposedly said her birthday was really August 5.) But the Church celebrates September 8 because it is exactly nine months after December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The planners of the liturgical calendar reasoned, if we celebrate Mary’s conception on December 8, then we should celebrate her birthday on September 8. (more…)
Mary’s Birthday
On September 8 we celebrate Mary’s birthday. No one knows for sure what day Mary was born, of course. (I did read, however, that at Medjugorje in 1984 Mary supposedly said her birthday was really August 5.) But the Church celebrates September 8 because it is exactly nine months after December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The planners of the liturgical calendar reasoned, if we celebrate Mary’s conception on December 8, then we should celebrate her birthday on September 8. (more…)
Pope Francis' Encyclical: On Care for Our Common Home
Pope Francis’ new encyclical is called Laudato Si’. The title is Latin for the first words of St. Francis of Assisi’s beautiful Canticle to Creation: “Praised be to you.” The encyclical is a call for all people to enter into a dialogue with one another about planet earth, our common home. The encyclical is long (the version I read is 160 pages). It draws on the best scientific research (refreshing to see in a church document). It also quotes from a wide variety of individuals, organizations, and documents. (There 172 footnotes.) (more…)
Pope Francis’ Encyclical: On Care for Our Common Home
Pope Francis’ new encyclical is called Laudato Si’. The title is Latin for the first words of St. Francis of Assisi’s beautiful Canticle to Creation: “Praised be to you.” The encyclical is a call for all people to enter into a dialogue with one another about planet earth, our common home. The encyclical is long (the version I read is 160 pages). It draws on the best scientific research (refreshing to see in a church document). It also quotes from a wide variety of individuals, organizations, and documents. (There 172 footnotes.) (more…)
The Big Yellow School Bus
This time of the year, kids are returning to school. And where I live that means one thing: big yellow school buses everywhere! Whenever I’m driving and I get behind a school bus, I experience several emotions. The first emotion is frustration—especially if I’m running late. “Darn it!” I say to myself when I spot the bus ahead of me. For I know what the next several miles are going to be: Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. If the bus eventually turns down a side road, I immediately breathe a sigh of relief and hurry on my way. (more…)
