Holyblog
Mercy This is a word that often comes up when we talk about Our Lord. Mercy: origin and meaning The term derives from the Latin misereor (I have mercy) and cor -cordis (heart), but conceptually it has always existed, in the context of the Christian…
Altar Servers, more commonly known as altar boys, are children or teenagers who assist a priest during Mass. Their name comes from the Latin word “ministrare” which means ‘’to serve’’. Their role is recognized by the Conciliar Constitution as an integral part of the liturgic…
It is not easy to explain certain things to a child. Not even for modern children, used to witnessing impressive scenes on television every day, bombarded on all sides by disturbing images, suggestions, media solicitations completely disrespectful of their age, the fragile condition of their…
Incense has always been linked to the idea of the sacred, and the divine. Since the earliest times, its use has been attested in ancient civilizations, almost always for religious purposes. Their intense and aromatic scent was considered to be appreciated by the Gods, as…
At the time of the ancient Roman civilization in situations of extreme gravity, a commander could decide to sacrifice his life to ensure the victory of his own troops and the salvation of his men. To do so, he pronounced a vow to the gods…
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a devotional prayer that guarantees those who recite it, especially at the point of death, the grace of conversion and the forgiveness of all sins. It is also a prayer that invokes God’s mercy on all humanity, offering the…
The Novena is a Christian devotional form that is usually practiced on a religious recurrence or a particularly important holiday, like at Christmas, Easter, Immaculata or Pentecost. It involves reciting a particular prayer for nine consecutive days, or different prayers, addressed to God, and usually…
It isn’t easy to explain what a Confession is to a child. It isn’t easy because it isn’t easy to explain what the concept of Sin is to them. Yet it is fundamental for a child’s growth as a human being, and as a Christian,…
According to Christian tradition, every one of us has a guardian angel, who accompanies us from the moment we’re born until the moment of our death, and stays at our side at every moment of our life. The idea of a spirit, of a supernatural…
The Rosary for unborn children is a particular type of Rosary. It is made of crystal beads, which symbolise the tears of the Madonna. Each ‘tear’ represents the mother’s womb and contains within it the image of an unborn child. The Crucifix is golden, as…
Ancient Russian Icons are paintings of inestimable value and absolute beauty. Only revealed to the world in the early 1900s during an exhibition in Paris, they won unanimous approval and were immediately recognised as not only part of Russian heritage, but as something that belongs…
Incense has been used by mankind for thousands of years, since the ancient civilisations of Africa and Asia. Its extraordinary effects on the body and mind have caused it to be considered from the beginning a kind of miraculous substance, suitable to the adoration of…
The uniqueness that embodies the enchanting works of Susan Lordi, an American artist from Kansan City, most likely resides in their infinite expressiveness. It may sound like a contradiction for those who know her work. In fact, the feature that’s immediately evident when admiring these…
A person’s death has always represented an important moment in any human community since the origins of civilization. For this reason, funeral rites have always existed to celebrate this transition. These rituals change over time, and depending on geographical location, civil and religious costumes of…
The term ‘icon’ describes a sacred painting depicted on board. Actually, the word could be used for any image, regardless of materials and techniques that were used. But generally speaking, works on board produced in the Byzantine and Slavic cultures fall into this definition. The…
The role of the priest in the Communion’s preparations is important and complex in its gestures, words and symbols, defined since the origins of the Church in a precise and recurring ritual. The purpose of this ritual is to prepare the group of Faithful to…
Pentecost is perhaps, after Easter, one of the most important festivities of the Catholic Church. It’s the celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Most Holy Trinity, after the Resurrection of Jesus and, in a sense, the very birth…
During the Last Supper, Jesus offered his disciples bread and wine, celebrating therefore the first Eucharist. Bread becomes body, wine becomes blood, in a solemn ritual that transcends every human understanding, but which has been renewed every day for thousands of years, throughout the world,…