Germany, and other German-speaking countries, have a beautiful custom called "Erntedankfest" (translated: Harvest Thanksgiving Festival). In Germany, they celebrate this on the first Sunday in October. They offer thanksgiving for the good harvest, and they implore God for His blessing for the fruits of the field. Being a German-speaking community, with half of our number [...]
Birthday of who's Mama? And who is the Mama? Today, September 8, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Mary's Birth. We, Catholics, indeed celebrate our Blessed Mother's birthday and we give her gifts of love and sing songs of gratitude and joy. It is just fitting and right that we call her "Mama." Our [...]
The ninth day from the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (i.e., if we celebrate it on a Thursday), we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is like a continuation of the celebration of Corpus Christi. Has not His Body a Heart which pumps Blood throughout our body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to our cells and [...]
On June 7, we solemnly celebrated the central mystery of our faith, namely, the Most Blessed Trinity. Thursday after this, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or what is called Corpus Christi. (Some countries celebrate this on a Sunday after Trinity Sunday). What does this Feast mean? Why do we [...]
On June 7, the Church celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity, the central mystery of our faith, which also is the principal feast of our congregation. Our contemplative-missionary calling takes its origin in the mystery of the Trinity (cf. C.411). "It is our constant endeavor to glorify the triune God by responding to [...]
We come now to the end of the Easter season, climaxing at Pentecost, the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. Watch and listen to Dr. Brant Pitre as he clearly explains the meaning and origin of Pentecost. Pentecost is also known as the Birthday of the Catholic Church. "It is called that because Pentecost is [...]
The Lockdown that COVID-19 imposed on us all has been painful and unbearable the longer we stay in it. Active people are not used to being locked down in a place for an extended period. As contemplatives who do not go out unless necessary, the Lockdown may not be strange to us. Unfortunately, it affects [...]
Despite the pandemic and the lockdown that ensued, we celebrated the Easter Triduum, i.e., Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and the Easter Vigil that followed, with greater solemnity. Because we are offering to God everything in union with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, our liturgical celebrations were all the more meaningful. We [...]
Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter, Motu proprio "Aperuit-illis", published on 30 September, establishes that "the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study, and dissemination of the Word of God." Our Holy Father, in his sermon on this day, said: "Dear brothers and sisters, let us make room inside ourselves [...]
This year we have the joy of welcoming and meeting with the different groups of the SVD-SSpS Tertiate Course participants. Every year different Tertiate groups at different time come to Steyl, the Netherlands for a renewal course because Steyl is the place where St. Arnold Janssen started his three missionary congregations: the Society of the [...]
