Blog & News
Forgotten Sacrament
Two questions faithful Catholics often hear from Protestants, non-believers, and, unfortunately, fellow Catholics are: (1) Why do Catholics have to confess their sins to a priest? and (2) Why can’t Catholics simply make a confession directly to God? Since Vatican II, lines for Confession in Catholic churches have become much shorter, while the lines for Communion have become much longer. Why is this?
Humanae Vitae
The following excerpts are taken from a longer article published in the online news magazine, The Catholic World Report, on 23 May 2018, about the prophetic encyclical written by Pope Saint Paul VI, dated 25 July 1968. Humanae Vitae is Latin for “On Human Life.”
Key to Success
Greetings! My name is Scott Brouk (second from left), and I am a lifelong parishioner of Saint Wenceslaus Church in Saint Louis, Missouri. I went to my parish school for grades one and two, and I remember how cool it was to actually run home for lunch because I lived just a block away (and I still do!).
Guadalupe Explained
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born.
Be My Valentine
The upcoming observances of National Marriage Week (February 7 - February 14, 2019) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, February 10, 2019) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. True marriage as defined by Jesus Christ and His Church is one man and one woman.
Open the Womb
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 -- as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord.” -- 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Your Strength
1 All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. 2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.
Wine Ran Short
1 On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Holy Spirit & Fire
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
Three Kings
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: