Why Pray?
What Happens In Heaven When You Pray on Christmas
Have you ever wondered what happens in the unseen realm when you kneel in prayer while the world rushes toward Christmas? Saint Teresa of Avila understood something profound about this sacred night. She taught that Christmas doesn't begin in the manger, but in the silence that precedes it. For Teresa, God reveals Himself not in the noise of the world, but in the heart that watches and waits. Christmas Eve is a sacred threshold where Heaven bends toward Earth, and eternity touches time.
The Mass is the
Highest Form of Prayer...
What Is Midnight Mass
for Christmas Eve?
In this video, Midnight Mass is discussed. It starts by describing what Midnight Mass is and its origins, including how it is celebrated across different Christian communities like Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. We'll discuss the timing of the service, typically held at or near midnight on December 24, and the symbolism behind the darkness of night representing spiritual hope and renewal. You'll learn about the key elements of the service, such as prayers, Scripture readings about the Nativity, hymns, and the Eucharist, which is a central part of the celebration.
Click the image above any time of day to view the latest Mass from Catholic TV.
Faith and Culture
Raised a Catholic in New Orleans, Louisiana, Amy Coney Barrett taught law for many years at the University of Notre Dame before receiving one of the highest honors in American life: appointment as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Barrett shares the philosophy that informs her judicial approach; the practicalities of Supreme Court decision-making; the Christian faith and family life that empower her to navigate public scrutiny; her new book, “Listening to the Law”; and more.
Please Pray for Vocations!
Discerning Your Vocation
Father Pine and Matt Fradd chat about what it means to have a vocation, and how we can feel paralyzed with options.
Jan 2025: Bernadette Rolewski, Marie Smetanka, Thomas Krupski, Patricia Carusone, Adolfo Marche, Barbara Linko Brown
Feb 2025: William Mason, Helen Rock, Marie Heinrichs, Frances Lewandowski
March 2025: Nancy Lee Schoedel, Rita Wapenski, Glenna Holt
April 2025: James Jordan, Peg Elsner, Sr Concetta Fabo
May 2025: Mary Moncini, Ronald Lotz, Larry Naugle, Sr Catherine O'Halloran
June 2025: Robert Koch, Patricia Buck, Joseph Ianotta, Charles Baer, Ralph Buzzelli
July 2025: Lucy Paulin, Clara Bayne
Aug 2025: Mary Bauer, Ronald Rademacher
Sept 2025: Mary Ann Skinger, Alison Wilson, George Brown
Oct 2025: Barbara Imhoff
Nov 2025: Mary Frances Lerch, Shirley Dickson, Richard Nolan
Ahaz, king of Judah, was faced with enemies who sought to conquer Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:1). So the prophet Isaiah told Ahaz that God would give him a sign: A virgin would bear a son who would be named Immanuel—meaning “God with us.” The sign was to convince Ahaz that God would be with him and deliver him from his enemies.
But Isaiah’s prophecy proved to be a foreshadowing of what would happen to another virgin some seven centuries later: Mary, the mother of Jesus. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that Mary’s pregnancy was from God (Matthew 1:20-21). And Matthew explains that Mary’s conception was a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Ahaz that a virgin would be with Child and bear a Son who would be called Immanuel, “which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). And it happened just as Isaiah prophesied and Matthew confirmed.
Christmas celebrates the reality that God came to dwell among us (John 1:14). And He is with us still by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
Nothing in or of this world measures up to the simple pleasure of experiencing the presence of God.
A. W. Tozer
-from Dr David Jeremiah
Memory Lane!
So many great memories of Christmas Eve Masses at St Athanasius with Fr Leroy presiding. Some of these pictures take us all the way back to 2011. Below the pictures, we have a video of the opening hymn, "O Come All Ye Faithful" from ten years ago, 2015.
Deacon Bill Homily Archive
Here are four recent homilies. Hover over the icons below to see the dates and topics.
Step Back and Reflect - An Essay
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Deacon Bill Palamara 412-596-3370