* * ***

“O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvelously brought to our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal)

May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character… (CCC 533)

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of […]

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father… For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1:14,17)

We wish you a Blessed Christmas! ~ from all of us at Midwest Theological Forum

* * *** St. John of Kanty, also known as John Cantius, was born in Cracow, Poland. He taught at the Jagiellonian University for most of his life and was noted for his piety and the humble, unassuming spirit of charity that pervaded his professional life.

~ Patron of St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, where both the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the Latin Rite are celebrated.

* * ***

— George Weigel’s publications include “Witness to Hope,” “The Truth of Catholicism,” and “The Courage to be Catholic.” He is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.

* * ***

— St. John was persuaded by Teresa of Avila to join her in reforming the Carmelites, and as a result he suffered many tribulations, including imprisonment. During his incarceration he wrote “Dark Night of the Soul,” a profound work of mysticism and study on the development of the soul. St. John’s writings are considered to […]

* * *** “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rev 12:1 ~ Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal)

— The miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the tilma of St. Juan Diego is preserved at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, in Mexico City.

* * ***

— On the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday), the faithful rejoice in hope as the Solemnity of Christmas draws near!

* * ***

— The Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to Juan Diego in 1531 at Tepeyac hill, leaving a miraculous image on Juan’s tilma. Nearly 500 years later, the tilma is still preserved at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage destinations in the world.

* * ***

— Pope Bl. Pius IX solemnly defined the traditional belief of the Church: the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived free from all stain of Original Sin. Her Immaculate Conception is the most beautiful fruit of the work of redemption accomplished by her Son, Jesus Christ. Chosen to be the Mother of the Savior, the Blessed […]

catholicchurch