Faith and Practice

Lucia of the Jerusalem community wrote to us about Mother Teresa, a glowing icon of God's love for the poorest of the poor. Her feast is celebrated on September 5.

On September 4, the Church celebrates the memory of Moses who gave the law. A central figure in the Old Testament, Moses is also mentioned many times in the New Testament.

Pope Gregory I was a trained Roman lawyer and talented administrator, a monk, a missionary, a preacher, above all a physician of souls and a leader of men. His great claim to remembrance lies in the fact that he is the real father of the medieval papacy.

In 2015 , September 1st was designated as the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Here is the prayer Pope Francis wrote for this day :

Augustine of Hippo (a city in Algeria today) is one of the most outstanding thinkers in the history of the Church. His many writings in Latin continue to influence Christian theology until today.

On August 26, the entire Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the “Little Arab”, the Carmelite nun Mary of Jesus Crucified. The Arab nun from Galilee was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1983 and Pope Francis proclaimed her saint in 2015.

Bartholomew is counted among the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and ancient tradition identifies him with Nathanael in the Gospel according to Saint John.

Rosa of Lima was the first saint recognized by the Catholic Church from the Americas. She became known in Peru, her homeland, because of her deep spiritual life and her acts of love to the poor.

On this day, August 15, the Catholic Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven, after she fell asleep at the end of her life. The belief that Mary was assumed bodily into heaven is an ancient belief among Christian faithful who had  always stressed the fact that Mary was born, lived and fell asleep without sin and thus did not suffer corruption. However, this belief was only defined as a fundamental essential of the faith in 1950. Here we publish a short homily of Father David Neuhaus in honor of the feast.

Daniel from the Jaffa community sent us an article about Saint Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast is celebrated on August 14.

Clare (1194-1253) (Chiara Offreduccio) was an Italian noblewoman who became the foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares".

On August 9, the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of Edith Stein, the German Jewish philosopher and Catholic mystic who became a Carmelite, taking the name Teresa Benedikta of the Cross. She perished at Auschwitz together with her sister.

Saint Dominic is the founder of one of the most important orders of monks in the Catholic Church. His feast is celebrated on August 8.

Lucia from the Jerusalem community writes about the feast. This feast was established in order to remember an event which is described in the three Synoptic Gospels as well as in the Second Letter of Peter. As his passion and death approached, Jesus allowed three of his chosen disciples to see his glory.

Saint Jean-Marie Vianney is known as "the parish priest of Ars" and serves as a model for parish priests. In humility, he worked for many years cultivating the faith of those faithful whom he directed with commitment and love.

In the days of King Antiochus Epiphanes IV (175 – 163 BC), severe edicts were issued against the Jews in the attempt of the king to wipe out the belief in the God of Israel and life according to the Torah of Moses. II Maccabees, a book that is not in the Jewish TaNaKh but is preserved within the Christian Bible, describes the suffering of the people of Israel at that time.

Ignatius of Loyola founded the order of the Jesuit Fathers, which he named "Society of Jesus" in the 16th century. He also bequeathed to the Church a method to do "Spiritual Exercises", which help the faithful to discern their way in life.

These two sisters welcomed Jesus to their home in Bethany and later led Jesus to the tomb of their brother Lazarus.

Joachim and Anne are the parents of Mary, mother of Jesus and thus they are the grandparents of Jesus Christ. Although they are not mentioned in the New Testament, later writings tell their story.

Sharbel, a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest, lived a life of devotion to God as a man of prayer. In the Maronite Church, Sharbel is one of the most loved of the saints.