by Emily Bartell
Special to The Catholic Times
What is the meaning of Christmas? We hear this question so often during the Christmas season. It seems like everyone is searching for an answer, including all of our favorite seasonal movies: “A Christmas Carol,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “A White Christmas.” It may seem cliché, yet have you really stopped to think about this question and what the answer is for you individually? What does the answer to this question mean for you physically, emotionally and spiritually, and how does Advent fit in to the whole picture?
These are questions I have pondered during this year’s Advent season. (more…)
By Fr. Richard W. Kropf
Special to The Catholic Times
Theologians have long debated over what is Christianity’s greatest or most central doctrine or mystery.
Many say it is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. No doubt the idea that the one God is nevertheless a trinity of persons is a mind-bender, but when one remembers that both God’s Holy Spirit and God’s Wisdom are often spoken of in the Old Testament, the latter even personified, then the idea of the trinitarian nature of God does not seem all that new or unique to Christianity. Then one must also recognize that even some “pagan” philosophers, such as Plato three centuries before and Plotinus two centuries after Christ, wrote about the three manifestations of God and that even the Hindus speak of the threefold nature of divinity as being, knowledge and love/bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). And if one becomes aware of the fact that the term “person” now means a lot more than what it originally meant when the Church’s theologians first used it, the whole trinitarian concept of God now seems much less unique or even all that mysterious. (more…)
St. Mary Cathedral in Saginaw celebrated Los Posadas on Monday, Dec. 19. The event commemorates the nine nights during which Mary and Joseph were on the road to Bethlehem. Young people played the parts of Mary, Joseph, the pilgrims and innkeepers.
By Fr. Joseph J. Krupp
Special to The Catholic Times
Emmanuel … God With Us. My favorite name for Jesus, hands down.
God with us in our work, God with us in our need. (more…)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
God has given us a gift — His Son! Like St. Paul, we want to hand on what we have received (1 Cor 15:3). How well are we doing with this great gift? (more…)
Bishop Joseph R. Cistone
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
In Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord” (Luke, 2:10-11).
Reciting the words of the prophet Isaiah at the beginning of His own ministry, Jesus proclaimed: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Then, taking His seat, Jesus said: “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke, 4: 18-21).Each year, we celebrate this marvelous truth that our Messiah has come; hope is alive; God is with us. Spiritually and liturgically, we prepare for His coming during the season of Advent; but truly, every moment of every day the Lord “visits His people,” inspiring us to faith, strengthening us in hope and calling us to loving service. The Lord, Jesus Christ, is always near.
Christmas is a time when the old and new, tradition and vision blend together. Christmas stockings and ornaments from previous years hang side-by-side with fresh greens and recent family pictures. Memories of joys and sorrows of the past fill our hearts with gratitude for present blessings and trust in God’s providential care for the challenges that confront us.
In this special year of pastoral planning and preparations for our 75th anniversary, I have invited you, God’s faithful children of the Diocese of Saginaw, to embrace a “Future Full of Hope!” This hope is founded in the person of Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate with tender love and strong commitment.
May this Christmas be for each of you a time of joy and consolation. I pray that you find your families and loved ones in good health, and that those who suffer in body or spirit find comfort in the healing presence of the Christ Child. May this new year usher in a “Future Full of Hope.”
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Joseph R. Cistone, D.D.
Bishop of Saginaw
By Austin Harper
Special to The Catholic Times
ADRIAN — Christmas is the time of year for families to gather, for trees and houses to be decorated, for shopping, parties, for baking and gift wrapping and gift giving.
While all of these traditions are wonderful and should be continued, the true purpose of Christmas has been lost. Everyone is so busy trying to hit the greatest sales, find the perfect present, bake the best cookies, that they have forgotten why this day is celebrated, why we observe this time of year; they have forgotten about God. (more…)
Parish leaders gathered in Pinconning for one of the Planning Tommorrow's Parishes training sessions.
SAGINAW — The first phase of the historic undertaking, Planning Tomorrow’s Parishes, is under way.
In recent weeks, approximately 600 pastors, pastoral administrators and parish representatives from every church across the Diocese of Saginaw gathered for training sessions that took place in Bad Axe, Clare, Pinconning, Sandusky, Saginaw and St. Louis. The training sessions helped parish representatives understand their role in the planning process while having an opportunity to pray and reflect together. (more…)
BAY CITY — The Knights of Columbus had its annual spelling bee for Bay County students in grades 4–6 on Wednesday, Nov. 16, in the social hall at Holy Trinity Parish.
Invitations went out to s Catholic and Lutheran schools for eligible students. Twenty children participated, representing Holy Trinity, St. James, and St. John elementary schools and All Saints Central Middle School. Terrie DeWaele, principal at Holy Trinity School, conducted the bee. The judges were Colleen Mauch, teacher at Holy Trinity School, and Michelle Little, teacher at St. James School. (more…)
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of Advent reflections.
By Sr. Patricia L. McDonald, O.P.
Special to The Catholic Times
Our readings for the third week of Advent come to us from Isaiah 61: 1-2a and 10-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 and John 1:6-8 and 19-29.
All three readings focus on our part of the Advent process. The process of Advent means many levels of participation in our faith life. We are called to witness. We are called to be the light. We are called to come (Advent) to let others know of the good word and works we are about. We know Advent is about the coming of Jesus. (more…)