Author: J. John Basil
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Isaiah’s Poetry of Advent
In the readings of Advent, we are greeted by the verse of one of the greatest ancient poets in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah’s poetry of hope tells of the coming of a Messiah who will rescue the plighted from sufferings and establish a new kingdom to satisfy all wants.
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St. Gertrude the Great
St. Gertrude the Great was a German abbess, a mystic and an early adherent to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She had many writings which still resonate nearly 700 years later about her struggle to reconcile her humanness with her role as a bride of Christ.
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Churchwonders – Blog Index
See a list of Blogs by Topic below. The posts cover a range of topics from church architecture to feast days of saints and the Blessed Mother; to prayers, as well as poetry composed by the Prophet Isaiah in 700 B.C. Use the index to quickly access a previously published Blog.
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An Adventure Story – St. Raphael in the Book of Tobit
The Feast Day of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is September 29th. The adventure story of the Angel Raphael is told in the Book of Tobit. Although called “Saints”, the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are angels, rather than “saints” who have been seemingly around since the beginning of time. An angel is a…
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St. Ludmila – Feast Day September 16
St. Ludmila is a favorite of people of Czech heritage and in-laws; and the patroness of Bohemia. She is the grandmother of the famed St. Wenceslaus and was instrumental in the spread of Christianity in Bohemia during her reign and that of her grandson.
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Celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurs on September 8th. It is an occasion of great fanfare in many regions and churches as they celebrate the birth of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rev 12:1).…
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Novena to Our Lady of Good Health – Day 9 – Mary, Queen of Families
The Blessed Mother is invoked in the Litany of Loreto under fifty-three titles many of which were commemorated during the multitudes of 9-Day Novenas prayed across the world leading up to the Feast of the Nativity of Mary on September 8th. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loreto) is the only approved…
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Novena to Our Lady of Good Health – Day 8 – Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Sailors living on endless expanses of the water have a unique perspective of the sky and heavenly stars above. They see the wonder, and the power of the sea; as well as, the hope born in the images of the stars. The title of Our Lady as Star of the Sea is attributed to the…
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Novena to Our Lady of Good Health – Day 7 – Mary, Our Lady of Hope
What lifts the spirit more than hope? The story of the Blessed Mother’s title as “Our Lady of Hope” stems from her appearance to children at Pontmain, France in 1871; and remains popular today. The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. has a Chapel for Our Lady of Hope that was donated…
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Novena to Our Lady of Good Health – Day 6 – St. Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Martyr and a mass-media evangelizer with a great devotion to the Blessed Mother – which he promoted through his writings and actions. His inspiring life was centered on Mary as the Mediatrix and intercessor to lead to Jesus’ Sacred Heart. He spread devotion through his Militia Immaculata established to…