Theology on Tap on the Five Marian Doctrines

Tomorrow night I will be at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Leitchfield, KY, speaking for the local Theology on Tap group about the five Marian doctrines. I spoke there a couple of years ago and they have invited me back, which means I must be doing something right!

For the scripture passages I will be citing during the talk, as well as other biblical arguments I probably won't have time to use, see:

• In Defense of Mary's Sinlessness: Parts One and Two
• A Comprehensive and Biblical Defense of the Marian Doctrines
• Quick Explanation of Mary as Mediatrix of All Grace

The talk is in their new Parish Hall, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM CST. Please join us!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

How to Defend the Catholic Faith

This has been a long time coming, am I right? I've been blogging since 2006 and I never did a "How-To" on defending the Catholic faith? Crazy. A talk I gave recently gave me the opportunity to put my thoughts down and gather some resources together. This is the fruit of that opportunity.

BASIC PRINCIPLES

There are a few basic principles that everyone should keep in mind when they attempt to explain and defend the faith, especially online. Stick to these guidelines and you will begin to grow as a Catholic apologist.

Be informed: Read the Bible. Read the Catechism. Read the Bible some more. Find some good Catholic websites that defend the faith. You don’t have to be a genius; you just have to have some resources on hand. You can’t respond to anti-Catholic arguments if you don't know what the Church teaches or why She teaches it. Once you know your faith well, opposing views don't startle you as much because you either know the answer yourself or you know that the answer exists (you just need to find it).

Be prudent: One thing I learned the hard way is that you can't tackle every false argument that comes your way. I used to act as though the survival of the Church depended solely on me and thus I had to respond to every attack. Over the years I have learned to just let things go and to concentrate my efforts on what will be the most fruitful. If you try to be a one-man army, you will burn out quickly and then you won't want to defend the Church at all.

Stay calm: Many people tend to get very emotional when others say negative things about their beliefs. This hardly ever works out to your advantage. When you start calling people "bigots" and "haters" and saying things like "how dare you!" and "who do you think you are!" all you do is come off as someone who has to use emotional appeals to prove a point, instead of logic and reasoning. You also show the other person that he has gotten under your skin. Don't make yourself an easy target. Let the truth of what you believe speak for itself.

Stay on topic: This is easily the #1 mistake that I see people make when they engage others in debate. You have to stay on topic. Be stubborn about it. You must simply refuse to discuss anything that is not on topic. If you don't do this, then your discussion will go nowhere. You’ll go down rabbit holes that lead you where you don’t want to go and frustrate your efforts.

Practice: As with anything, you’re only going to get good at defending your faith by practicing. That means you have to be willing to put yourself out there. When I was first learning how to be an apologist, I purposefully entered into debates with Baptists on my college campus, and with various kinds of Christians online. It was an excellent experience because it revealed to me where the gaps in my knowledge were, and then I could go and learn more about that topic. Every encounter and every question made me a better apologist.

Remember, as Catholics we really do have nothing to be afraid of. The Catholic Church possesses the fullness of grace and truth. There’s no such thing as a bible verse or an argument that refutes what we believe.

Pray hard: Finally, you have to make prayer a central part of your work in responding to people who disagree with the Church's teaching. This is after all a spiritual battle we are waging (cf. Eph 6:12). Pray that God will grant you the patience, wisdom, and charity that is necessary to be an effective apologist. Pray that the Spirit will open the minds and hearts of those you encounter. Pray that He will give you the words when you don’t know what to say. God has promised that He will give us the words to say and lead us into all truth. But, we must pray.

FOUNDATIONAL BIBLE PASSAGES

Catholic apologetics should always be a scriptural enterprise. We aren't "sola scripturists," but our faith is biblical. The Catholic Church is the only church that has maintained a continuity of faith with the very same community that wrote the bible, so it really can't be any other way.

Despite that, we often lag behind our Protestant friends when it comes to literacy and familiarity with the bible. Since it can be a daunting task to unpack and digest all that the bible has to offer, start with a few basic passages. You should have at least one go-to passage for each of the Catholic teachings that are most commonly called into question. Start there, and then bring in the rest of the biblical evidence as you grow more familiar with it.

Here are the passages that I would recommend:

Papal Authority

• Mt 16:18-19 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Apostolic Succession

• Titus 1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Sacred Tradition

• 2 Thes 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.

Immaculate Conception of Mary

• Lk 1:28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

Mary, Mother of God

• Lk 1:43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Perpetual Virginity of Mary

• Lk 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Assumption of Mary

• Rev 11:19—12:1 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. 1 And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace

• Lk 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Real Presence of the Eucharist

• 1 Cor 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Baptism

• 1 Pet 3:20-21 God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Confirmation

• Acts 19:5-6 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Reconciliation

• Jn 20:21-23 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Anointing of the Sick

• Jas 5:14-15 “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

Holy Matrimony

• Mt 19:4-6 “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’? 6 So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Holy Orders

• 1 Tim 4:13-14 Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you.

Ministerial Priesthood

• Rom 15:15-16 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Praying to the Saints

• Rev 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; 4 and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.

Purgatory

• 1 Cor 3:12-15 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Mortal and Venial Sin

• 1 Jn 5:17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

To learn more about these Catholic teachings and the scripture passages used to defend them, see my Topical Index Page.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

Being an effective Catholic apologist doesn't always mean having all the answers. Sometimes it just means knowing where to go to find the answer. These websites have been a tremendous help to me. I suggest you keep them in your back-pocket (as it were).

• Bible Gateway (contains many Catholic translations of the bible, including the RSV-CE and the NABRE)
• Biblical Evidence for Catholicism (Dave Armstrong's blog. If you're looking for what to say next, after your first line of defense, his debates are priceless.)
• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Catholic Answers: Q&A;
• Catholic Answers: Tracts (here's where it all started for me, definitely read all of these)
• Catholic Culture (huge library of helpful articles)
• Catholic Educators Resource Center (another huge library of information)
• Catholic Force (quotes from the Early Church Fathers, grouped by topic)
• Electronic New Testament Educational Resources (one of the best sites for Catholic bible study and reference)
• EWTN: Catholic Q&A;
• EWTN: Document Library
• EWTN: Teachings (a great refresher, if you need to brush up on your faith)
• Navarre Bible Commentary Online (one of the best Catholic bible commentaries available; this Google group provides the Navarre commentary for each day's Mass readings)
• Scripture Catholic (all the biblical evidence you could ever need)

For more links to great Catholic resources, see my right sidebar.

For more on how to be a Catholic apologist, see the following articles:

• Starting Out as an Apologist
• How Do I Become an Apologist?
• Be a Catholic Apologist without Apology

CONCLUSION

Finally, I want to conclude with some scripture passages that have been an inspiration to me as I have attempted, in these last 11 years, to defend what I love and know in my heart to be true:

• Jer 20:9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
• Mk 13:11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 22:1 Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before you.
• 1 Cor 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
• Eph 4:15 Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ
• Col 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.
• Titus 1:9 He must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.
• 1 Pet 3:15 Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence
• Jude 1:3 Contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints

If there's ever anything I can do to help, please let me know. Good luck to you!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Bowling Green Theology on Tap

Tonight I will be at "The Duck Shack" in Bowling Green, KY, speaking for the local Theology on Tap group about the saints. Specifically, I will be addressing what a proper relationship with the saints looks like and what the biblical proof is for that relationship. We gather for snacks and refreshments at 6:30pm CST, and the talk begins at 7:30pm.

For the scripture passages I will be citing during the talk (and many more passages I probably won't have time to use), see: A Comprehensive and Biblical Defense of Praying to the Saints.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Memorial of St. John Bosco, priest

As a catechist, I have a special place in my heart for St. John Bosco. He is one of the premier models of what we are called to be as teachers of the Faith. Bosco had a very Christ-like ability to draw all people to himself (even the rowdiest street kids) so as to change their lives and convert their hearts to Christ. The boys under his care loved him so much that they couldn't stand the thought of doing anything to disappoint him, and they knew that all he wanted for them was that they live good and holy lives.

What we learn from Bosco's approach and methodology is that the person of the catechist is just as important as orthodox teaching. You can have all of your facts straight, but if the children don't see that the Truth is something that enlivens you and informs every decision that you make -- if they don't see that you are committed to the very salvation of their souls -- then they won't give your words any more than a passing thought. Street kids know when they're getting fed a line. They know who the phonies are, the teachers who just clock in for their 9 to 5 and could give 2 cents about them. In St. John Bosco they saw someone different, someone who truly loved and cared for them.

If I could only have half the passion, zeal, and charisma that St. John Bosco had ...

St. John Bosco, "Apostle of Youth" ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

RESOURCES:

• Liturgical Calendar: Memorial of St. John Bosco, priest
• New Advent: St. John Bosco
• CatholicSaints.Info: John Bosco
• Wikipedia: John Bosco
• Iuvenum Patris (On the Centenary of the Death of St. John Bosco)
• The Blessed Friend of Youth: St. John Bosco by Neil Boyton, S.J.
• Don Bosco: Seeker of Souls
• Pope Urges Salesians to Study Founder
• The Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality
• The Life and Work of St. John Bosco
• The Secret of St. John Bosco
• Unholy Anger: Disciplining Ourselves Before Disciplining Our Children
• Youth Ministry and Parenting: Guiding Principles by St. John Bosco
• St. John Bosco's Pastoral Approach
• The Preventive System
• Memoirs of Don Bosco
• Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact comic books:
  • The Apostle of Youth: Parts One and Two
  • The Boys' Friend: St. John Bosco
  • Father of Many Boys
  • You're Too Young! (on St. Dominic Savio, featuring Bosco)
• The Dreams of St. John Bosco
• The "Dream" of the Two Columns
• The Preventative System Applied to Young People at Risk
• Life of Dominic Savio by Fr. John Bosco
• Close-Up View of John Bosco: When He Was a Farm-Hand
• Narrative Spirituality and Pedagogy in Some of Don Bosco’s Important Texts: Method of Approach and Tools for Interpretation
• Heroes and Pioneers: Kindness
• An Exhortation to Educators

For the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor

In thanksgiving for the inspiring life and work of St. Francis de Sales on this his feast day, I offer the following resources:

• Liturgical Calendar: Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor
• New Advent: St. Francis de Sales
• Lives of the Saints: St. Francis de Sales
• CatholicSaints.info: St. Francis de Sales
• Rerum Omnium Perturbationem (On the Third Centenary of the Death of St. Francis de Sales)
• Predestination and Reprobation: The Teaching of St. Francis de Sales
• The Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality
• The Evangelical and Pastoral Heart of St. Francis de Sales
• Pope Benedict XVI: Catechesis on St. Francis de Sales
• Five Lessons from Francis de Sales
• Salesian Spirituality

Works by St. Francis de Sales:

• The Catholic Controversy
• Introduction to the Devout Life
• Meditations
• Mystical Exposition on the Canticle of Canticles
• Spiritual Conferences
• Spiritual Directory
• Treatise on the Love of God
• For his sermons, letters, commentaries, and other works, see The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture

In closing, and for old-time's sake (this used to be a regular feature on my blog), here is today's selection from "Daily with De Sales":

• During the course of the day, recall as often as possible that you are in God's presence. Consider what God does and what you are doing. You will see His eyes turned toward you and constantly fixed on you with incomparable love. Then you will say to Him, "O God, why do I not look always at You, just as You always look at me? Why do You think so often of me, O Lord, and why do I think so seldom of You?" Where are we, O my soul? God is our true place, and where are we? (INT. Part II, Ch. 12; O. III, p. 92)

St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Liturgical Calendar: Octave of Christmas and Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Mother of God

• Redemptoris Mater (On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church)
• Theotokos Sums Up All that Mary Is
• Wikipedia: Theotokos
• A Miracle of Humility: The Obedience of Jesus to Mary
• Catholic Answers: Mary, Mother of God
• Church Proclaims Mary "Mother of God"
• Council of Ephesus
• EWTN: Mary, Mother of God
• Mary, Mother of God
• Mary's Divine Maternity
• The First Marian Dogma: Mary, Mother of God
• The Mother of God
• The Nestorious Challenge
• Certain Christological Questions Surrounding the Title "Mary, Mother of God"
• Does Mary's Maternity End with Her Death?
• Two Evangelical Pastors Discover the Theotokos
• What Is the Meaning of Mary's Title Theotokos?
• For more on Mary as the Mother of God, see the collection of articles from the "Mother of All Peoples" website

Our Spiritual Mother

• Behold, Your Mother
• Eternal Mother
• Is Mary My Mother?: A Look at Rev. 12
• Mary, Holy Mother
• Mary, Mother of the Church
• Mary, Our Mother
• Mary's Motherhood Is Linked to the Spirit
• Message of Mary's Maternal Love
• Mother Mary
• Mother of the Church, Our Spiritual Mother

Mary, Mother of God, Theotokos, Redemptoris Mater....pray for us!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

The Holy Family: A Triple Threat

I suspect that when most people think about the Holy Family, they imagine a picture of total happiness, where there is no suffering of any kind and where every day just turns out perfectly. Yes, Jesus and Mary were completely sinless, and Joseph was a most chaste and righteous man. But, they still had their difficulties.

The movie The Nativity Story is what first gave me a sense of this, but if you think about it, Scripture reveals it too. The Holy Family had many trials, including public scorn, homelessness, harsh environments and traveling conditions, a power-hungry and blood-thirsty king, and the pressures -- and ultimately the suffering -- that comes with knowing that your son must die to save the world.

What we can learn from this is that the Holy Family can relate to a family that struggles. A sword pierced Mary's heart, so that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed (cf. Lk 2:35). Joseph, for his part, had always on his shoulders the task of protecting and providing for this holiest of holy families. They both had quite a scare when, for three days, they had no clue where to find their son (cf. Lk 2:41-49). Of course, if anyone knows suffering, it is Jesus. As a family, they are acquainted with struggle, but more importantly, they also know how to overcome and to survive.

Because of their family experience, they are powerful intercessors when we wrestle with family issues. If you suffer because of your mother, find solace in Mary. She cares greatly for the entire Body of Christ, just as she cared for the literal body of Christ. Just as Sarah was the spiritual mother of the Jews (cf. 1 Pet 3:6), Mary is the spiritual mother of "those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus" (Rev 12:17). Her prayer for us will always be powerful because her will is always united with her Son's, and because "the prayer of the righteous has great power in its effects" (Jas 5:16).

If you suffer because of your father, find solace in St. Joseph, Jesus' father in this world. St. Joseph will never forsake his fatherly duty. He is the patron saint and the protector of families. With his powerful intercession, he protects God's children, just like he protected God's Child. As Mary's most chaste spouse, he also teaches boys how to be good men, and men how to be good men too. Pray that St. Joseph will help your father to be the man that God is calling him to be.

Of course, there is no intercession, no solace, no love, no source of strength and courage and hope like that of the Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our Rock and our Salvation. In Him, we can do all things, overcome all things, be all things. Together, the mother, the father, and the Son are a triple threat against anything that threatens the integrity of the family.

For more on the Holy Family, see the following articles. I conclude with the words from a song about the Holy Family that we often sing at Mass.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary ... have mercy on us.
Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church ... pray for us.
Joseph, Protector of Families ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

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Articles:

• Liturgical Calendar: Feast of the Holy Family
• Holy Family Radiates Example of True Love
• Holy Family Teaches Us What Is Essential
• The Family at the Heart of a Culture of Life
• The Family for Families
• Mary and Joseph Lived Gift of Virginity
• The Holy Family as the Model for Contemporary Catholic Families
• The Holy Family: A Model for the Catholic Home
• Flight Into Egypt
• The World's Happiest Marriage
• What Makes a Marriage?: Consent, Consummation, and the Special Case of the Holy Family
• What Your Family Can Learn from the Holy Family
• Benedict XVI: General Address on the Feast of the Holy Family (12-28-08)

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Sing of Mary

Sing of Mary, pure and lowly, Virgin mothjer undefiled.
Sing of God's own Son most holy, Who became her little child.
Fairest child of fairest mother, God the Lord who came to earth;
Word made flesh, our very brother, Takes our nature by His birth.

Sing of Mary, pure and spotless, Born to bear the Holy Child;
Blest was she, to do God's bidding, Blessed, gentle, meek and mild.
Blessed, too, was good Saint Joseph, Foster father to the Lord;
Let us praise God's Holy Family Who brought forth God's Holy Word.

Sing of Mary, sing of Joseph, keepers of the wondrous Boy,
Called by God to high vocation, Sharing sorrow, sharing joy;
Sharing love, and by that loving in their home in Nazareth,
Forming One whose grace and glory suffered, died and conquered death.

Glory be to God the Father; Glory be to God the Son;
Glory be to God the Spirit; Glory to the Three in One.
From the blessed Virgin Mary, From Saint Joseph praise ascends,
And the Church the strain reechoes Unto earth's remotest ends.
- - - - -
Text: Vss. 1-2, Roland F. Palmer, SSJE, 1891-1985, © Estate of Roland Palmer. All rights reserved. Vs. 3, Herbert O'Driscoll, ©. Melody: Christian Lyre, 1830.

Online Catholic Scripture Commentaries on St. John's Gospel

In honor of St. John on his feast day, I present (as I do every year) the following online Catholic commentaries on his Gospel:

• Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
• Agape Bible Study
• Catena Aurea: Gospel of St. John [The Catena Aurea is a collection quotations from the Early Church Fathers arranged, by St. Thomas Aquinas, into a verse-by-verse commentary on the Gospels]
• Commentary on the Passion Narratives: The Passion in the Gospel of John
• Navarre Bible Commentary
• The Gospel of John: A Commentary and Meditation
• Reflections on the Scriptures of the Sacred Liturgy: The Gospel According to St. John
• Commentary on the Gospel of St. John by St. Thomas Aquinas
• Commentary on the Gospel of John by Origen
• Tractates on the Gospel of John by St. Augustine
• Homilies on the Gospel of John by St. John Chrysostom

Read John's Gospel ... and soar on eagle's wings to new heights of spiritual wisdom. If you know of any other Catholic commentaries on John's Gospel that exist online, please let me know.

St. John the Evangelist ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Celebrating the Feast of St. Stephen with Good King Wenceslas

Many of you may have forgotten (I know I almost did!) that today is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who's life and death is accounted for us in Acts 6 and 7. Well, a popular Christmas carol gives us a helpful reminder. Listen via the YouTube video below. Follow along with the lyrics underneath.



Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

The "fisheaters" website has more on the connection between St. Stephen and Good King Wenceslas:

Because St. Stephen was the first Deacon, and because one of the Deacons' role in the Church is to care for the poor, St. Stephen's Day is often the day for giving food, money, and other items to servants, sevice workers, and the needy (it is known as "Boxing Day" in some English-speaking parts of the world).

Fittingly, then, St. Wenceslaus came to be associated with Stephen's Feast. The Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslaus," which uses an old medieval melody -- that of the 13th century song about springtime, "Tempus adest floridum" (click here to hear melody) mentions this Feast as it tells a tale of charity. St. Wenceslaus was a Bohemian prince born ca. A.D. 903 during a pagan backlash. He was persecuted by his mother, Drahomira, and his brother because of their hatred for his Christianity, and was eventually killed by his brother in front of the doors of the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian in A.D. 938. Many miracles have been attributed to his intercession, and he is now the patron of Czechoslovakia (his Feast is on 28 September).

For more on St. Stephen, see the following resources:

• Catholic Culture: Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr
• Butler's Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints: St. Stephen, the first martyr
• New Advent: St. Stephen
• Patron Saints Index: St. Stephen the Martyr
• Fisheaters: Feast of St. Stephen the Deacon
• Wikipedia: St. Stephen

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Know the Reason for the Season

Merry Christmas!

The following links are to articles that explore the true meaning of Christmas. With all the hustle and bustle, it's good to have a reminder. "Let every heart prepare him room / and heaven and nature sing." After these links is a Christmas poem by G. K. Chesterton.

Let us all make room for the birth of Christ!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

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Articles

• Explore the Christmas Season
• About Christmas
• 12 Days of Christmas
• Prayers, Blessings, and Hymns
• Activities and Customs


• USCCB: Christmas Season
• Liturgical Calendar: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• Reflections of the Meaning and Lesson of Christmas
• Celebrating Christmas: With the Accent on Christ
• Seeing Clearly
• Introduction to the Christmas Eve Prayers from the Roman Martyrology
• The Christmas Tree: Legends, Traditions, History
• The Traditions of the Christmas Manger
• Pius XII's Christmas Radio Message
• Christmas Statement by Jerusalem Patriarch
• Making Christmas Come Alive
• The War Against the Light
• Benedict XVI Urges Rediscovery of Christmas Traditions
• C.S. Lewis on "Xmas" and "Christmas"
• Divine Revelation and Myth
• Bah Humbug
• Bring Back the Creche!
• The "X-mas" Files
• Hollywood Knows Him Not: Christmas Movies You Want to See
• Children's Literature for Christmas
• The Meaning of Christmas: Look Deeper
• The Holy Year Door
• Christmas Candles
• Silent Night
• The First Christmas
• St. Francis and the Christmas Creche
• The Tree of the Christ Child
• Are Christmas Decorations Pagan?
• The Peace of Christmas
• Christmas Eve with the Pope
• The Gift of Christmas
• Amid Roars of Happy Christmas Laughter
• Christmas Sacred and Secular
• The Real War on Christmas
• The Nativity Story
• Bringing Christmas to Life Again
• The Original Christmas Story
• A Hint for Next Christmas
• Breath of Heaven at Christmas Time
• Christmas in a Barn
• Is God Against Christmas?
• Night Before Christmas
• Oh Marvelous Exchange!
• Some Thoughts on the Star of Bethlehem
• Wood of the Cradle, Wood of the Cross
• The Family for Families
• True Christmas Spirit
• New Advent: Christmas
• Is Christmas a Pagan Feast?
• Santa or Satan?: A Reply to a Funny Fundamentalist
• Books that Celebrate the True Gift of Christmas
• 7 Good Reasons to Send Christmas Cards
• A Different Kind of Christmas List
• An Augustine Christmas: 10 Comments on the Incarnation of Christ
• The Apologetics of Christmas: Part 1 and Part 2
• Are You Lying to Your Children about Santa?
• Dec. 25: The Biblical Argument for the Birth of Christ in Late December (Answering Common Objections)
• Calculating Christmas
• In Defense of the Christmas Tree
• The Scandal of the Babe-God
• What Is the Nativity?
• Theosis: The Reason for the Season
• The Twenty-Plus Days of Christmas?
• Still Christmas: Advent and Christmas Family Traditions
• Still Christmas: Christmas Viewing (Good and Bad!)
• The Perennial Santa Question
• How to Understand the Christmas Proclamation
• 9 Things You Need to Know about Christmas
• Those (Besides Kids) Who Love Christmas for Completely Selfish Reasons
• Blessed Are the Uncertain
• How to Write a Family Christmas Letter

- - - - - -

A Christmas Poem
by G. K. Chesterton

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.

Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule tale was begun.

A child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost---how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.

This world is wild as an old wife's tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall all men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

Dec. 23 - O Emmanuel

Here is the final O Antiphon for the Advent Season:



Dec. 23 - O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” (cf. Isa 7:14)

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?".

Christ is near!!!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Dec. 22 - O Rex Gentium

Here is the O Antiphon for today:



Dec. 22 - O Rex Gentium: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” (cf. Isa 2:4; 9:7)

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?"

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Dec. 21 - O Oriens

Here is the O Antiphon for today:



Dec. 21 - O Oriens: “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” (cf. Isa 9:2)

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?"

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Dec. 20 - O Clavis David

Here is the O Antiphon for today:



Dec. 20 - O Clavis David: “O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.” (cf. Isa 9:6; 22:22)

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?"

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Dec. 19 - O Radix Jesse

Here is the O Antiphon for today:



Dec. 19 - O Radix Jesse: “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” (cf. Isa 11:1, 10)

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?"

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic