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While writing about Epiphany, I meandered past Gothic cathedrals, kings and chancellors, and some of what's happened over the last two millennia. The magi, too: the first of many from all nations who recognized and welcomed the good news our Lord brings. That's in the day's Gospel reading this year, Matthew 2:1 - 12 . (More at A Catholic Citizen in America )

We remembered our Lord's execution on Friday. After Jesus was dead, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body. He and another man wrapped the body of Jesus in a burial cloth and spices, placing it in a nearby tomb. The next day was a solemn sabbath, so they were pressed for time.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This year's Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day were the same day. Folks exchanged greeting cards. Many got their foreheads marked with ashes. And 17 were killed at a high school. Someone's already called last Wednesday's mass murder the 'Valentine's Day Massacre of 2018.' The famous Valentine's Day Massacre was in 1929 . It happened when a Chicago gang tried resolving a disagreement over bootleg booze. It didn't succeed. Not quite.... ...I'm quite sure the 17 folks killed at Stoneman Douglas High School will be missed by their families, friends, and acquaintances.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Quite a bit happened this week. We started Lent's 40-day stay with our Lord in the desert. Not literally. That's mentioned in today's Gospel: Mark 1:12 - 15 . I've talked about deserts and Deuteronomy, penance and porridge, before. ( February 11, 2018 ; February 26, 2017 ) There's a more technical — and more useful, probably — discussion in Catechism of the Catholic Church 538 - 540 .... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Lent is fast approaching. How I see it and what I do is up to me. Ash Wednesday is next week, so I don't have much time to decide. Christians, Catholic and otherwise, in my culture generally change what we eat for this season. I'm a Catholic, so I've got rules. But not all that many. Mostly they're guidelines. I put a link to my territory's rules about diet under ' Fast & Abstinence ' near the end of this post.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

4th Sunday of Advent, 2017 By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas December 24, 2017 Good! Now try to imagine yourself describing the scene in which the Angel Gabriel seeks and speaks to Mary as one that could be played out spectacularly on film or a TV program, it would begin with the panoramic vision or an overall view of the world that solemnly zooms in and spotlights in one tiny little place. We could imagine the overview from the film score to the mission behind Google Earth.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's Epiphany Sunday. It's not about the magi, wise men from the east. Not exactly. They're involved; along with King Herod, religious experts, Mary and Jesus. But they're not what this is all about. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

If I thought my faith depended on feeling cheerful, I'd be worried.If I thought my faith depended on feeling cheerful, I'd be worried. Since I'm a Catholic, I think faith is willingly and consciously embracing "the whole truth that God has revealed." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 142 - 150 ) Faith is easier when my emotions are in sync with my reason. So is acting as if what I believe matters. Emotions can tell me that something needs attention, but "...conscience is a law of the mind...." (Catechism, 1777 - 1782 ) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

'Tis the season for frantic shopping, eye-popping light shows in suburban front yards, and Christmas television specials. It's also the start of Advent. This is a season when we look back at ancient hopes for a Messiah, and our Lord's first arrival. And look ahead to when Jesus will be back.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

("A Holiday Haven," another installment in a tale of two turkeys.) If you are in or from the United States, I hope you are having a good Thanksgiving Day. If not, I trust that you're having a good November 24th. Some folks write sober monographs for this holiday, thoroughly discussing the myriad reasons we have for being thankful. Others present schmaltzy pieces on the same topic: about as deep as a rain puddle.... More, but not much more, at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is American Independence Day. It's also the anniversary of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland's publication and Trois-Rivières founding day. Ashikaga Yoshiakira's birthday, Pactum Sicardi , and whole bunch of other stuff make this day important, too. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Many folks who lived in Grenfell Tower got out. Many others died. We don't know how many. A current estimate is 79. Determining the exact number will be difficult, since high temperatures may have effectively obliterated some human remains. Some survived because they didn't listen to official instructions to stay in their homes. That advice makes sense in a building with sprinklers and adequate interior firewalls. In Grenfell Tower, not so much.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It's equivalent to Dodenherdenking in the Netherlands, or Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations. The holiday's original purpose was to honor those who have been killed while serving in our nation's military. That's still the holiday's official purpose. Recent generations have used the three-day weekend as an unofficial start of summer vacation season. That's not, I think, entirely inappropriate. I'll get back to that. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Upwards of 40 countries celebrate mothers at some point during each year. America's Mother's Day doesn't seem to connect with Phrygia's cult of Cybele or Japan's Haha no Hi , apart from being a recognition of motherhood. Our Mother's Day has roots in my country's civil war. Ann Jarvis organized a committee in 1868, promoting " Mother's Friendship Day ." The idea was "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Easter is when we celebrate "the crowning truth of our faith in Christ" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 638 ) It's among the top major events so far. Depending on how you count them, there have been only three to six: the creation of this universe; humanity's creation and fall; and our Lord's arrival, execution, and resurrection. There's another big one coming, eventually, and I'll get back to that. The idea that the Son of God was human and divine has seemed insufficiently 'spiritual' to some folks for two millennia now. But like John 1:14 says, 1 "...the Word became flesh...." The crucifixion, and what happened later, wouldn't mean much otherwise.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I say "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" a lot: mostly when I start praying. I generally make the sign of the Cross at the same time. The sign of the Cross is a very "Catholic" gesture. It "reminds us in a physical way of the Paschal Mystery we celebrate: the death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ." 1 It's a prayer, a blessing, and a sacramental; and that's another topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1668 - 1670 ) Dali's " Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) " is very "Catholic," too; although not it's not like the mass-produced 19th-century stuff many associate with our faith. I wouldn't be surprised if a half-millennium from now, some tight-collar Catholics will be upset by new art that doesn't present the Cross as an unfolded tesseract , and that's yet another topic . Topics . More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I've missed one morning set, and several of the evening prayer sequences, in the routine I started February 13. ( February 19, 2017 ) I'm doing a little better with so far with the Lenten Chaplet. I started that Ash Wednesday. Emphasis on "so far." I nearly forgot twice, which doesn't surprise me. There's a very good reason for my wife handling the household's schedules, and that's another topic. This is where I could quote Romans 7:19 and launch into a 'wretcheder than thou' lament. It'd be accurate, on one level, since I've felt this way often enough.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'll be eating oatmeal for breakfast during Lent, and walking around more. If I was in England, I'd probably call it porridge, and that's another topic. It'll be be good for my health, and I'm sure that's one reason my wife suggested it. But that's not the only, or the main, reason. Lent isn't about me.... ...Lent is when we join Jesus in the desert. Sort of.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Statues 1 of Caspar , Melchior , and Balthazar started near the clock in our living room. I took those pictures of them on Wednesday. Their trip to the nativity scene ended today, Epiphany Sunday. We read about "magi from the east" in today's Gospel: Matthew 2:1 through 12 : " 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, 2 behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, "saying, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star 3 at its rising and have come to do him homage.'" ( Matthew 2:1 - 2 ) "Magi" is how μάγοι, mágoi, looks in my native language. That's the Greek version of an Old Persian word that would sound something like "magus" if I tried pronouncing it. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Christmas Mass marathon — that's not what it's called — started yesterday with the Vigil Mass. Mass During the Night was next, followed by Mass at Dawn and Mass During the Day. I didn't go to all four, I don't know how many folks do, but I looked up the Gospel readings for each.... "...We heard parts of the Vigil Mass Gospel last week. That's Matthew 1:18 - 24 , when Joseph learns why Mary is pregnant...." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .