One of the spiritual works of mercy is to “pray for the living and the dead.” We usually remember that we should pray for the living, because they are around us, seen by us, and their needs are often apparent to our eyes. But do we remember to pray for the dead, for the souls […]
Prayer for the Dead – Insights from the Maronite Church
In the Western Church, our special day of prayer for the deceased is All Souls Day, which occurs every year on November 2nd, the day following All Saints Day. In the Maronite Rite of the Catholic Church (which is part of the ancient Rite from Antioch, where “the disciples were first called Christians”), the last […]
“Rejoice in the Lord always!” Celebrating Gaudete Sunday
The holy season of Advent is a time of preparation and waiting — preparation for the coming of Christ our Savior, and waiting with anticipation the joy of His coming. We prepare our hearts for three comings of our Savior: His first coming as a little child — we prepare to celebrate Christmas, not as […]
Maronite Prayer in honor of the Holy Angels
I recently came across a beautiful prayer relating to the Holy Angels in the Maronite Catholic Divine Liturgy: “Glory to you, O Radiant Light. You brought joy to the world by your incarnation and gave light to all in heaven and on earth with your spiritual light. We praise you with the angels in heaven. […]
The “O Antiphons” of Advent
One of the Church’s ancient liturgical traditions, dating back to at least the 8th century, is the use of the “O Antiphons” for this final week of Advent — our final preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Each of these antiphons points to a Scriptural title of Christ found in the Book of […]