The Guiding Light of Saint Lucia

In many parts of the world, especially Sweden, Norway and the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland, the Festival of Lights and Saint Lucia’s Feast Day mark the beginning of the Christmas Season. Saint Lucia is among the earliest Christian Martyrs. Her Feast Day honors her death at the hand of the Romans on December 13, 304.

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Feast of Saint Nick

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas. Nicholas of Myra was born in the 4th century in the fishing village of Patara, now modern day Turkey. Nicholas was Greek, born into a Christian family of wealth and means.

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Oh When The Saints

Come Marching In. Today is All Saints Day. I can’t help it, when I think All Saints then I hear music and suddenly I’m transported to a place I’ve only seen in my dreams – New Orleans. More on that later.

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Celebrating a Saint with Tacos

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Many churches hold a special mass outdoors so children can bring their beloved pets to church for a blessing. Often churches ask the faithful to bring animal food or blankets that can be collected and donated to a local animal shelter.

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Saint Teresa of Calcutta and a Simple Fire-Grilled Pizza

The Bible tells us that we (all of human kind) are created in the image of God. Yet people get image, as in outward appearances, confused with who we are inside. It is the human spirit that is the image of God.

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Observing the Traditions of this Day

Today is the Feast Day of John the Baptist, also known as the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist or the Beheading of John the Baptist. John was the forerunner to Jesus. As a man of God, John openly denounced Herod Antipas for having left his lawful wife and taken up with Herodias, the wife of his own brother. This public display of condemnation set into motion the martyrdom of the profit in the wilderness.

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Saint Anne, Our Heavenly Grandmother

So often in our Christian Faith, we forget about the human side of Christ’s divine life. He was born to Mary, just as Mary was born to Saint Anne. Saint Anne was the Lord’s maternal Grandmother, and is considered our Heavenly Grandmother, too.

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Mary Magdalene and Simple Goodness

July 22 marks the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. She is no longer saddled with the mistaken identity of Prostitute. Hers is a story of torment, forgiveness and is key in understanding Christ.

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The Nativity of John the Baptist

Few Nativities, or birthdays are celebrated within the liturgical year. The feast days of Saints are celebrated on the day of their death, their birth into eternal life in heaven. While there are exceptions to the death date, only three Nativities are celebrated in the liturgical year.

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Saint Bernadette and a Lovely Brunch

On this day in 1879, a 35-year old woman named Bernadette dies in a nunnery in Nevers of tuberculosis. Her fame began at age 14 in Lourdes, with her claim of visitations by a young woman, believed to be the Virgin Mary, now known as Our Lady of Lourdes.

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Feast of Saint Joseph and 5th Friday of Lent

On the National Calendar, March 19th is Poultry Day – a day to enjoy all things poultry, from eggs at breakfast to fried chicken for supper. Poultry actually refers to all domestic birds that are raised for their meat and eggs. Poultry includes chicken, turkey, ducks, geese, quail and even pheasant. The most common farm raised poultry are chickens.

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Grab the Whiskey, Forgo the Cabbage

Each year on March 17, America becomes one giant Emerald Isle for an entire day. We wear green clothing, guzzle green beer and in Chicago, even dye the rivers green. All things thought to be Irish are actually American Made.

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A Modest Take on the Feast of Saint Bernadette

As a girl growing up, my Catholic faith was a deep and defining part of my life. Although I attended public school, most of my classmates also attended the Saturday Catechism classes as I did. We made our First Communion together. Looking at our group photo outside Saint Paul’s Church and our class picture that same year, nearly all of the faces were the same.

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A Simple Feast for a Scholarly Saint

Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Years ago, we belonged to a parish that had the tradition of handing out small loaves of dark bread at the end of Mass in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Tucked inside the wrappings were quotes from Saint Thomas Aquinas. I miss that tradition.

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