"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

Every year presents us with the singular opportunity to doubly celebrate. We celebrate two important and historical moments. The first is basically about Jesus, who has been born into the world. This is what we do on December 25, Christmas day. The second ushers us into a new year and is the first day of each year.  The secular year is taken up by the Church and we celebrate the motherhood of Mary on this day. What most Catholics think about is the very fact that we have entered a new year and we ought to thank God through the Holy Mass. Some are oblivious about the importance of this day and even if we know, I believe, we have not taken time to reflect on this important 'shelving of days' on the ecclesial calender which has surprised us on the secular calender also.  The Church starts a new liturgical year after celebrating the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe (or Christ the King Sunday) and not on 1st January. Why not celebrate the...

A question of this sort is astute. Martyrdom in the Church is a very sensitive issue and while not debating this it is worth noting that not all are called to die a martyr's death in order to see the Lord 'face to face'. Meanwhile, we can die as martyrs if we die to our ways of sin.  A martyr (Greek: μάρτυς, mártys, "witness"; stem μάρτυρ-, mártyr-) is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a religious belief or cause as demanded by an external party. Martyrs play significant roles in religions especially in the Catholic Church.  The Church celebrates Martyrs. Every 26th December is taken to be the veneration of St. Stephen who was stoned to death as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. Acts 6-7). The Church in the mood of martyrdom celebrates the Holy Innocents every 28th of December.  St. Stephen is acclaimed as First Martyr (Protomartyr). The problem lies in why St....

On this day the Church focuses especially on the newborn Child, God become human, who embodies for us all the hope and peace we seek. We need no other special saint today to lead us to Christ in the manger, although his mother Mary and Joseph, caring for his foster-Son, help round out the scene. But if we were to select a patron for today, perhaps it might be appropriate for us to imagine an anonymous shepherd, summoned to the birthplace by a wondrous and even disturbing vision in the night, a summons from an angelic choir, promising peace and goodwill. A shepherd willing to seek out something that might just be too unbelievable to chase after, and yet compelling enough to leave behind the flocks in the field and search for a mystery. On the day of the Lord’s birth, let’s let an unnamed, “un-celebrity” at the edge of the crowd model for us the way to discover Christ in our own hearts—somewhere between skepticism and wonder, between mystery and faith. And, like Mary and the she...