The most popular Marian devotion among U.S. Catholics presently is the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the most widely embraced Marian devotion in the entire American continent and perhaps the most revered religious icon in the world.
“Can you believe people are putting their Christmas decorations up already?” an acquaintance asked me the first week of November. “I’m used to the stores starting Christmas earlier and earlier every year, but not my family or friends.”
The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise to King David to establish a kingdom that would have no end. Jesus, the Son of God, comes to heal the wounds of sin and division, to cast down the mighty from their thrones, and to lift up the lowly.
Thanks to the evangelists, we can read the main teachings and actions of Jesus throughout his life. I believe, however, that Jesus spoke more than ever as a newborn in the manger in Bethlehem, when he had not yet learned to communicate with words. He was the Word made into man, as St. John says: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).
My mother lives in one of the nation’s hot spots for COVID-19 activity and my own health issues prevent me from traveling, so this holiday season will find us celebrating “together, but apart.” It’s not an ideal situation, but in these uncertain, unprecedented times, we are wise to be realistic and keep hope that soon, we will be able to visit “as of old.”
On the feast of St. Francis, Pope Francis issued a new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, calling for the building up of the one human family. “We were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love,” the pope wrote. “We cannot be indifferent to suffering; we cannot allow anyone to go through life as an outcast.”
“Every country has the government it deserves.” – Joseph de Maistre (1753–1821)
Did you know the Holy Father has a special prayer intention each month? Each member of the Church is asked to pray for his intentions, especially at Mass each day. I thought it would be helpful to talk about the Holy Father’s intention for this month of October:
That by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church.