Whether you’re a regular Mass-goer, or you attend Church once a year at Christmas, chances are high that you have come across a liturgy that either had a boring homily or painful music. If not these, then perhaps you have witnessed a priest introduce liturgical...
All of us have surely noticed the jump in Mass attendance at Christmas. Many Catholics who don’t attend Sunday Mass regularly, make it a point to attend either a vigil Mass on Christmas Eve or a Mass on Christmas Day, in an attempt to add a spiritual dimension to...
The Holy Mass There are two main parts of the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: the liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two main parts “together form ‘one single act of worship… (CCC 1346).’” Let’s...
Fr. Brice Higginbotham from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux provides excellent insight into the meaning and significance of the altar as he answers many of the questions you've probably never even thought to ask about this fixture present in every church. Take a minute...
Habits and routines form and shape our experiences and our lives. These habits will help you make going to Mass more than a habit. Going to Mass is the ultimate form of prayer and should be a spiritual encounter with Christ. I invite you to reconsider your Mass...
Did you know that there are three prayers in the Mass that, like the readings, are different for each Mass? It wasn’t until I had a recent conversation with my dad that I realized that I had been letting the words of these prayers wash over me without paying any...
"A foretaste of the Heavenly Liturgy"¹ Several years ago I stumbled upon a video of a lecture given by Denis R. McNamara, that blew me away, and has subsequently traveled with me, so to speak, in my meditative, Mass-going, beauty-loving journeys as a Catholic. Every...
This article is for you, especially for you, if you have been thinking about going back to Mass. On the part of all of us at Catholic-Link, let me personally invite you back to mass (we even wrote a letter for you!): We want you back! Today's article looks to give you...
If you have paid attention at Mass or at other liturgies at Church, you will have noted how the priest’s vestments change through the various seasons. It’s possible that you might have asked yourself why the change and what the different colors might mean. Put simply,...
Last week, Cardinal Robert Sarah who is the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship (the person in the Vatican in charge of Liturgy) said that priests should celebrate Mass ‘ad orientem’ (facing East) rather than facing the congregation as they currently do,...
A few weeks ago during Mass the people in the pew behind me would not stop talking. They chatted away throughout the whole celebration. Needless to say, it was driving me crazy. I was getting more and more aggravated mostly because I was struggling to keep my own...
This article is for you, especially for you, if you have been thinking about going back to Mass this Christmas season. On the part of all of us at Catholic-Link, let me personally invite you back to mass (we even wrote a letter for you!): We want you back! Today's...
Each time I hear the phrase “Holy Day of Obligation,” I cringe just a little. Not because I don’t want to go to Mass. Just the opposite. The Mass is such a gift that I hate to hear it referred to as an obligation. I’m sure that, in our Church’s tradition, there’s a...
Do you ever think about these words said to us by the priest at the end of Mass? Too often, I’m flicking through the hymn book to find the last hymn, and I miss their significance. Every phrase said in the Mass is there because it is important, so this isn’t just a...
This short video from Mark Hart, “Bored at Mass?”, will most likely speak to each and every one of us since it hits upon a very real struggle that many face – not only in the past, but also presently, and potentially in the future. But why? Why is it that we can...
When someone wants to show you their affection and friendship, they invite you to their home. There are two important things which occur next: conversation and a meal. In the celebration of the Mass, it is Jesus who invites us to participate in his friendship, during...
We have all experienced the joy of sharing what we have with others, especially when we do so for those in need. When we share, we do not lose, rather we gain. Not only do we have more, we are more and our heart is filled with joy. How much greater would that joy be...
The Mass is the sacrifice of Christ. He offered Himself once and forever on the cross. The Mass is the Center of our Christian life and the thanks offering that we present to God for His great love toward us. It is not another sacrifice. It is not a repetition. It is...
This could quite possibly be one of the cutest videos on the internet, as well as the goal of every Catholic parent of young children. Don’t we all wish our children could perform the Mass as beautifully as Isaiah does? Right now, it’s just a struggle to get my...
People have become more casual when dressing for mass. Jeans and t-shirts replace what had been the Sunday best - dresses, formal outfits, and suits complete with ties and nice shoes. Still, we learn, he makes it a point to put on a suit jacket, so he can show respect...
Are you smarter than a 2nd grader? It is amazing the information that we forget over time. Take our quiz to see if you are still as sharp as the day you received First Holy Communion. We did add a few more challenging questions to keep you on your toes! Good...
It's all too easy to find some reason not to go to Mass. All of us probably have at least one good excuse that we could use to try to justify skipping Mass, but the Mass is the greatest gift that God has given to us. Today’s post takes a look at some of the...
Today's video offers a brief and condensed explanation of Holy Week, a time in the liturgical calendar very rich in meaning and symbols. It is important that we continue to deepen the meaning and the reality behind these symbols. This Holy Week, we are invited to...
To go to Mass, to enter into a moment of prayer, to say the name of “Jesus,” to meditate upon his death and resurrection, what does it all really mean? Is it just a routine, a family tradition, a myth, a joke? Is there anything real behind it? Nominated "Best...
Father, you want me to be what? A Eucharistic minister? Oh no, Father, I am not worthy! There were my responses – thirteen years ago – when my parish priest approached me to consider serving the People of God as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist (the more...