How important was the Blessed Virgin to the faith of the early Church? She was essential. Writing in the middle of the third century, Origen of Alexandria evoked the scene at the cross, as the Beloved Disciple stood with Mary, and Jesus said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother,” and said to his mother, “Woman, behold your […]

Image: The great controversy between Christ and Satan during the Christian dispensation | from a book by White, Ellen Gould HarmonSaint Gregory VII Saint of the Day for May 23 (c. 1025 – May 25, 1085) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMay23.mp3  Saint Gregory VII’s Story The 10th century and the first half of the 11th were dark days for the Church, partly because the papacy was the pawn of various Roman families. In 1049, things began to change when Pope Leo IX, a reformer, was elected. He brought a young monk named Hildebrand to Rome as his counselor and special representative on important missions. Hildebrand was to become Gregory VII. Three evils plagued the Church then: simony–the buying and selling of sacred offices and things; the unlawful marriage of the clergy; and lay investiture—kings and nobles controlling the appointment of Church officials. To all of these Hildebrand directed his reformer’s attention, first […]

Reading 1 Acts 15:7-21 After much debate had taken place,Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,"My brothers, you are well aware that from early daysGod made his choice among you that through my mouththe Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.And God, who knows […]

Old Testament1 Samuel 14:24-52, 1 Samuel 15New TestamentJohn 14:1-31Psalms & ProverbsProverbs 12:28, Proverbs 13:1-9 […]