Eucharist
Deaconesses, Baptism and the Eucharist
Catherine Brown Tkacz Comments Off on Deaconesses, Baptism and the Eucharist
From the start, Christian men and women equally received baptism and the Eucharist (e.g. Acts 8:12). This was a radical advance for women over Judaism. Recall that in the Temple, only men were allowed inside the building proper and were adjacent to the area of priestly sacrifice; women had to stay outside in the Women’s Read More
Sitting in the Presence of the Lord
Deacon Joseph R. Ferrari Comments Off on Sitting in the Presence of the Lord
This year, the U.S. bishops called for the focus of the National Eucharistic Revival to be centered on parishes. The Eucharistic Revival is to help remind us of the real presence of Christ at the sacrifice of the Mass, present in the host. So, I have been praying and reflecting on “what does all this Read More
Deacon as Eucharistic Bridge
Deacon Omar F.A. Gutiérrez Comments Off on Deacon as Eucharistic Bridge
In 1988, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s collection of essays “Church, Ecumenism, and Politics” was published. One of the essays, titled “Freedom and Constraint in the Church,” touches on freedom, or liberation, from the biblical perspective and focuses on freedom as a fruit of identity. The essay explains that the Greek word for freedom, eleutheria, refers Read More
The Guardian of the Blood of Christ
Deacon James Keating Comments Off on The Guardian of the Blood of Christ
Editor’s note: The following is Part 2 of an In Focus on the Blood of Christ and the role of deacons. This essay was the inaugural Mitchell Lecture for the Institute for Diaconal Renewal at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Read part 1 here. Pope Benedict XVI once echoed St. Augustine in pointing out the paradox Read More
Created in His Image
Deacon David Parker Comments Off on Created in His Image
As a deacon, I have the great blessing of being married and experiencing the love of my bride while also experiencing love as the beloved spouse of Jesus Christ. There are many parallels to these loves, and, as deacons, I believe we are positioned directly in the crosshairs of the battle between belief in the Read More
Deacons as Guardians and Promoters of the Animating Mystery of Christ
Deacon James Keating Comments Off on Deacons as Guardians and Promoters of the Animating Mystery of Christ
The following is Part 1 of an In Focus on the Blood of Christ and the role of deacons. This essay was the inaugural Mitchell Lecture for the Institute for Diaconal Renewal at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Within the Rite of Ordination, the deacon is given the Book of the Gospels from the bishop. The Read More
Seeking Mystery
Susan Kehoe Comments Off on Seeking Mystery
I still remember the awe and wonder I felt as a child when I looked up at the night sky; the sky was domed and filled with millions of stars. In those moments, I knew with certainty that there was a God. As the psalmist proclaimed, “The heavens declare the glory of God; / the Read More
Fulfilling Our Role in the Eucharistic Awakening
Deacon Victor Puscas Comments Off on Fulfilling Our Role in the Eucharistic Awakening
In November 2021 the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in Baltimore for its Fall General Assembly. There the bishops unveiled a three-year Eucharistic Revival that will culminate with the National Eucharistic Congress in 2024 in Indianapolis. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, gave the bishops the details about this planned revival. Read More