Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Suburban Banshee wrote a lovely column here https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/?wref=bif about the reading for Sunday, June 29th, celebrating the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  Her discussion is both hilarious and informative. The reading from Acts 12:5-17 is about the rescue of Saint Peter from the dungeons of Herod, after Herod had executed Saint James the [...]

Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist with pictures from the National Gallery of Art

Today, June 24, is the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. He is so important that he actually gets two feast days, the other being his death, celebrated on August 29. As a solemnity there are extra readings at Mass and we say the Gloria and recite the creed. The first reading was [...]

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Hail, O Lady, unique gateway through whom the Lord alone has passed! Hail, O you who, through your maternity, have shattered the locks of Hades! Hail, divine access towards salvation for the saved, O you so perfectly worthy of our praise! From the Akathist hymn to Our Lady written by Saint Romanus in Constantinople around [...]