Book Signing with John J. Thompson at Wheaton Religious Gift on Saturday, April 11th!!

Book Signing with John Thompson on Saturday, April 11th

Date: Saturday, April 11th, 2015 at Wheaton Religious Gift and Church Supply

Time: 3pm - 5pm

Join author John J. Thompson for a special conversation surrounding the release of his new book, Jesus, Bread, and Chocolate; Crafting a Handmade Faith in a Mass Market World (Zondervan / Harper Collins) at the site of his first real job, and the beginning of his now 29 year career in the music industry; Wheaton Religious Gifts. Thompson will share a short reading from the book, will spend some time discussing his history in downtown Wheaton as the founder of True Tunes, and will sign copies of his book. His son Jordan, an award winning barista, will be offering samples of coffee roasted at the Thompson home in Nashville, and there will be samples of craft made chocolate while supplies last. Don’t miss this special homecoming event that is designed to re-connect you with the hand-crafted nature of the Gospel.  Here's a link to our homepage for more information!  See you there!

The Vigil of All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween. All Saint's Day.

Solemnity celebrated on the first of November. It is instituted to honor all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year.

In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighboring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honored by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. In the West Boniface IV, 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).

Source:

"All Saint's Day," Catholic Encyclopedia, accessed October 3, 2013, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315a.htm


Prepare to commemorate the departed on November 1, by ordering Memorial candles from Church Supply Warehouse!   http://bit.ly/1dYngEw

We carry Vigil candles in different sizes plus glass bottle Memorial candles that can be enscripted with the name of your loved one!  Visit us online or call toll-free at 1-866-757-5195!

The First Communion, a Brief Introduction

First Communion is traditionally an important religious ceremony for Roman Catholic families. Also, among those raised Catholic, Holy Communion is the third sacrament received from the seven sacraments. This is traditionally practiced by many Roman Catholic families, including Spanish, Italians, Latin Americans, Scottish, Irish and Polish.  Traditions surrounding First Communion usually include large family gatherings and parties to celebrate the event and special clothing is usually worn. The clothing is often white to symbolize purity. Girls often wear fancy dresses and a veil attached to a wreath of flowers or hair ornament. In other communities, girls commonly wear dresses passed down to them from sisters or mothers, or even simply their school uniforms plus the veil and/or wreath. In many Latin America countries, boys wear military-style dress uniforms with gold braid aiguilettes. In Switzerland and Luxembourg, both boys and girls wear plain white robes with brown wooden crosses around their necks. In Scotland, boys traditionally wear kilts and other traditional Scottish dress which accompany the kilt. Gifts of a religious nature are usually given, such as rosaries, prayer books, in addition to religious statues and icons. Gifts of cash are also common. Many families have formal professional photographs taken in addition to candid snapshots in order to commemorate the event. Some churches arrange for a professional photographer after the ceremony. 

Preparation for First Communion falls to the Pastor of the particular congregation or parish.  The duty of preparing candidates for First Communion is the most important that can fall to the lot of a pastor (O'Kane, Rubrics of Rom. Rit., p. 391). This is amply recognized by the Church in every country, for almost every diocese has its statutes regulating with scrupulous exactness all the preliminaries of this sacred and solemn event (cf. Decr. of III Plen. Balt., no. 217, 218, etc.). A long course of religious instruction is usually prescribed while the moral training and virtuous formation of the mind is also urgently insisted upon. In regard to First Communion it may be observed that one, it should take place during pascal time. Two, that it should be received as a rule in the parochial church, unless the consent of the pastor is had for receiving it elsewhere.  Three, that no effort should be spared to fix the occasion indelibly on the mind of the young communicant; and four, that for this purpose the Mass at which it is received should be celebrated with special solemnity, boys and girls being suitably attired and assigned to separate sections of the church.

Honor the special child in your life by giving them a gift that lasts a lifetime.  Church Supply Warehouse offers a large variety of First Communion and Confirmation gifts!  Visit us online to view our selection!

Sources:

1)  Wikipedia contributors, "First Communion," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_Communion&oldid=553701425 (accessed May 7, 2013).

2)  Communion of Children.  Catholic Encyclopedia.  Accessed May 7, 2013.  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04170b.htm

An Overview of Ordination in the Christian Church

The ordination of clergymen was as early as the fourth or fifth century admitted into the number of sacraments. Augustine first calls it a sacrament, but with the remark that in his time the church unanimously acknowledged the sacramental character of this usage.  

Ordination is the solemn consecration to the special priesthood, as baptism is the introduction to the universal priesthood; and it is the medium of communicating the gifts for the ministerial office. It confers the capacity and authority of administering the sacraments and governing the body of believers, and secures to the church order, care, and steady growth to the end of time. A ruling power is as necessary in the church as in the state. In the Jewish church there was a hereditary priestly caste; in the Christian this is exchanged for an unbroken succession of voluntary priests from all classes, but mostly from the middle and lower classes of the people. 

Different from ordination is installation, or induction into a particular congregation or diocese, which may be repeated as often as the minister is transferred.  Ordination was performed by laying on of hands and prayer, closing with the communion. To these were gradually added other preparatory and attendant practices; such as the tonsure the anointing with the chrism (only in the Latin church after Gregory the Great), investing with the insignia of the office (the holy books, and in the case of bishops the ring and staff), the kiss of brotherhood, etc. Only bishops can ordain, though presbyters assist. The ordination or consecration of a bishop generally requires, for greater solemnity, the presence of three bishops. 

No one can receive priestly orders without a fixed field of labor which yields him support. In the course of time further restrictions, derived in part from the Old Testament, in regard to age, education, physical and moral constitution, freedom from the bonds of marriage, etc., were established by ecclesiastical legislation. 

The favorite times for ordination were Pentecost and the quarterly Quatember terms (i.e., the beginning of Quadragesima, the weeks after Pentecost, after the fourteenth of September, and after the thirteenth of December), which were observed, after Gelasius or Leo the Great, as ordinary penitential seasons of the church. The candidates were obliged to prepare themselves for consecration by prayer and fasting. 

Do you need ordination gifts for a priest or deacon? Check out our new imported gifts from Italy!! We have pyxes and mass kits that make a great gift this season. Visit us online at: churchsupplywarehouse.com to view our selection or call 1-866-757-5195!!

Source: 

Schaff, Philip.  History of the Christian Church, Volume III: Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity.  A.D. 311-600.  (Christian Classics Ethereal Library.)  Accessed April 26, 2012.   http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc3.iii.x.xxi.html

Good Friday, the Commemoration of the Crucifixion Of Jesus Christ

Good Friday (from the senses pious, holy of the word "good"),is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Black Friday, Holy Friday, Great Friday, or Easter Friday, though the latter normally refers to the Friday in Easter week.  Good Friday, called Feria VI in Parasceve in the Roman Missal, he hagia kai megale paraskeue (the Holy and Great Friday) in the Greek Liturgy, Holy Friday in Romance Languages, Charfreitag (Sorrowful Friday) in German, is the English designation of Friday in Holy Week — that is, the Friday on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

From the earliest times the Christians kept every Friday as a feast day; and the obvious reasons for those usages explain why Easter is the Sunday par excellence, and why the Friday which marks the anniversary of Christ's death came to be called the Great or the Holy or the Good Friday. The origin of the term Good is not clear. Some say it is from "God's Friday" (Gottes Freitag); others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag, and not specially English. Sometimes, too, the day was called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons; so today in Denmark.

Based on the details of the Canonical gospels, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most likely to have been on a Friday (John 19:42). The estimated year of Good Friday is AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon. A third method, using a completely different astronomical approach based on a lunar Crucifixion darkness and eclipse model (consistent with Apostle Peter's reference to a "moon of blood" in Acts 2:20), points to Friday, 3 April AD 33.

May you be blessed as you remember the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Happy Easter to you and your church family on this holiest of days from the staff of Church Supply Warehouse!

Sources:

1)  Wikipedia contributors, "Good Friday," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Good_Friday&oldid=485932315 (accessed April 6, 2012).

2)  Catholic Encyclopedia.  "Good Friday."  Accessed April 6, 2012.   http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06643a.htm.

A Conversation on Unity in Christ’s Mission with Francis Cardinal George and Dr. John H. Armstrong

A Conversation on Unity in Christ’s Mission will take place on March 26th between Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, and long-time ecumenical teacher and writer, Dr. John H. Armstrong, a minister in the Reformed Church in America and president of ACT 3. The event will explore the common ground and current challenges that face Catholics and evangelical Protestants as they seek to be faithful to Christ’s mission in the new century.

This special event will take place in Edman Chapel on the campus of Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. It begins at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26, and ends at 8:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.  No tickets are needed but seating is limited. Questions will be presented by the audience to the two speakers for a time of response, which will follow their conversation with one another during the first part of the program.

Information is available at www.act3online.com. Please do not call Wheaton College for information. Everyone is cordially invited to share in this Christ-centered conversation on Christian unity in the mission of Christ.


Untitled from Jake Mater on Vimeo.

The Feast Day of St. Francis De Sales, January 24

Francis de Sales was born on August 21, 1567 in Château de Thorens into a Savoyard noble family in what is today Thorens-Glières, Haute-Savoie, France. His father was François de Boisy and his mother was Françoise de Sionnz. Because he was the first of six children, his father wanted him to attend the best schools, and he enjoyed a privileged education in the nearby towns of La Roche-sur-Foron and Annecy; his spiritual formation and academics were formed by the Jesuits. In 1583 he went to the Collège de Clermont in Paris. A year later Francis was engulfed in a personal crisis when, after attending a theological discussion about predestination, he became convinced that he was damned to Hell. In December 1586 his despair was so great that he was physically ill and even bedridden for a time. In January 1587, he visited the church of Saint-Etienne des Grès, in southern France, with great difficulty. There his crisis ended, and he decided to dedicate his life to God. Francis came to the conclusion that whatever God had in store for him was good, because "God is love", as Scripture attests. This faithful devotion to the God of love not only expelled his doubts, but also influenced the rest of his life and his teachings. His way of teaching Catholic spirituality is often referred to as the Way of Divine Love, or the Devout Life, taken from a book he wrote of a similar name: Introduction to the Devout Life.

Since the time of the Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517, the seat of the Catholic bishops of Geneva, Switzerland, had been located at Annecy in Savoy, France, due to Calvinist control of Geneva itself. Francis, in his capacity as provost, engaged in enthusiastic campaigns of evangelism among the Protestants of Savoy, winning many returns to the Old Faith (i.e., Catholicism). He also traveled to Rome and Paris, where he forged alliances with Pope Clement VIII and the French King Henry IV.

In 1602, Bishop Granier died, and Francis was consecrated Bishop of Geneva. During his years as bishop, he acquired a reputation as a spellbinding preacher and something of an ascetic; in particular, he was known as a friend of the poor, a man of almost supernatural affability and understanding. These last qualities come through in his books, the most famous of which was Introduction à la vie dévote ("Introduction to the Devout Life"), that - unusually for the time - is written especially for laypeople. He also left the mystical Traité de l' Amour de Dieu ("Treatise on the Love of God") and many highly valued letters of spiritual direction. He was a notably clear and gracious stylist in French, Italian and Latin.

Along with Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Francis founded the women's Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in Annecy on 6 June 1610.  He died on 28 December 1622 in Lyon, France, while traveling in the entourage of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy.

Sources:

1)  Wikipedia contributors, "Francis de Sales," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_de_Sales&oldid=469427569 (accessed January 20, 2012).   

2)  Catholic Encyclopedia.  "St. Francis De Sales."  Accessed January 20, 2012.  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06220a.htm 

Lent is coming soon!  We have Ashes for Ash Wednesday, candles for candlelight services and Easter vigil.  We have palm decor for Palm Sunday in a variety of options.  We also have a great selection of Paschal candles to fit your needs.  Just visit us online at churchsupplywarehouse.com for more information!  Or, you can call us at 1-866-757-5195! 

Who is the Real St. Nicholas?

His feast day is December 6.  St. Nicholas of Myra was Bishop of Myra in Lycia; died 6 December, 345 or 352. Though he is one of the most popular saints in the Greek as well as the Latin Church, there is scarcely anything historically certain about him except that he was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century.  Some of the main points in his legend are as follows: He was born at Parara, a city of Lycia in Asia Minor; in his youth he made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine; shortly after his return he became Bishop of Myra; cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian, he was released after the accession of constantine, and was present at the Council of Nicaea. In 1087 Italian merchants stole his body at Myra, bringing it to Bari in Italy.


The numerous miracles St. Nicholas is said to have wrought, both before and after his death, are outgrowths of a long tradition. There is reason to doubt his presence at Nicaea, since his name is not mentioned in any of the old lists of bishops that attended this council. His cult in the Greek Church is old and especially popular in Russia. As early as the sixth century Emperor Justinian I built a church in his honour at Constantinople, and his name occurs in the liturgy ascribed to St. Chrysostom. In Italy his cult seems to have begun with the translation of his relics to Bari, but in Germany it began already under Otto II, probably because his wife Theophano was a Grecian.


With such a popularity, his legends inevitably became intertwined with others. In Germanic countries, it sometimes became hard to tell where the legend of Nicholas began and that of Woden (or Odin) ended. Somewhere along the line, probably tied to the gold-giving story, people began giving presents in his name on his feast day. When the Reformation came along, his following disappeared in all the Protestant countries except Holland, where his legend continued as Sinterklass. Martin Luther, for example, replaced this bearer of gifts with the Christ Child, or, in German, Christkindl. Over the years, that became repronounced Kriss Kringle, and ironically is now considered another name for Santa Claus.


Sources:
1)  Catholic Encyclopedia. "St. Nicholas of Myra."  Accessed December 20, 2011.  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11063b.htm.  
2)  Christian History.net.  "The Real St. Nicholas."  Accessed December 20, 2011.  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2004/nick.html

We hope you have a blessed holiday season as you celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Church Supply Warehouse!

An Introduction to Advent

The word "advent," from the Latin adventus (Greek parousia), means "coming" or "arrival." The season of Advent is focused on the "coming" of Jesus as Messiah (Christ or King). Our worship, scripture readings, and prayers not only prepare us spiritually for Christmas (his first coming), but also for his eventual second coming. This is why the Scripture readings during Advent include both Old Testament passages related to the expected Messiah, and New Testament passages concerning Jesus' second coming as judge of all people. Also, passages about John the Baptist, the precursor who prepared the way for the Messiah, are read. All of these themes are present in Catholic worship during Advent, which The Catechism succinctly describes:

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (524).

The Nativity of Jesus

Since Advent looks forward to Christ's birth and Incarnation, it is an appropriate way to begin the Church Year. However, Advent is not part of the Christmas season itself, but a preparation for it. Thus, Catholics do not sing Christmas hymns, or use Christmas readings, in Mass until December 25th, the first day of the Christmas season.

The first clear reference to a celebration of Advent occurs in the 6th century. Prior to this time, there were celebrations and fasts resembling our current Advent season. St. Hilary of Poitiers (d. AD 367) and the Spanish Council of Saragossa (AD 380) spoke of a three week fast before Epiphany. Pope St. Leo the Great preached many homilies about "the fast of the tenth month (i.e. December)" prior to Christmas. The Gelasian Sacramentary (AD 750) provided liturgical material for the five Sundays before Christmas as well as Wednesdays and Fridays. The Western Church eventually settled on 4 Sundays of Advent, which has the season beginning at the very end of November or the very beginning of December, starting immediately after Ordinary Time. Until the 12th century, in many geographical areas, Advent had a more festive tone, and white vestments were still occasionally used. However, Advent became more closely related to Lent as Christ's second coming became more and more a prominent Advent theme, as especially seen in the seventh century Bobbio Missal. Advent proper is unknown in the East, although the Eastern Churches have a long fast before Christmas. This fast lasts longer than the Western Advent season and begins in mid-November. Advent, or the Eastern equivalent fast, is celebrated in all Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Source:  Churchyear.net.  "The Season of Advent."  Accessed October 25, 2011.  http://www.churchyear.net/advent.html

Advent is around the corner!  We carry a large variety of Advent candles and wreaths for church and home.  Save up to 20% on select candles in stock.  Call us at 1-866-757-5195 or visit us online at:  churchsupplywarehouse.com!! 

All Soul's Day, November 2

The commemoration of all the faithful departed is celebrated by the Church on 2 November, or, if this be a Sunday or a solemnity, on 3 November. The Office of the Dead must be recited by the clergy and all the Masses are to be of Requiem, except one of the current feast, where this is of obligation. 

The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body, are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, alms deeds and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass.

Historically, the Western tradition identifies the general custom of praying for the dead dating as far back as 2 Maccabees 12:42-46. The custom of setting apart a special day for intercession for certain of the faithful on November 2 was first established by St. Odilo of Cluny (d. 1048) at his abbey of Cluny in 998. From Cluny the custom spread to the other houses of the Cluniac order, which became the largest and most extensive network of monasteries in Europe. The celebration was soon adopted in several dioceses in France, and spread throughout the Western Church. It was accepted in Rome only in the fourteenth century. While 2 November remained the liturgical celebration, in time the entire month of November became associated in the Western Catholic tradition with prayer for the departed; lists of names of those to be remembered being placed in the proximity of the altar on which the sacrifice of the mass is offered.

The legend connected with its foundation is given by Peter Damiani in his Life of St Odilo: a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land was cast by a storm on a desolate island. A hermit living there told him that amid the rocks was a chasm communicating with purgatory, from which perpetually rose the groans of tortured souls. The hermit also claimed he had heard the demons complaining of the efficacy of the prayers of the faithful, and especially the monks of Cluny, in rescuing their victims. Upon returning home, the pilgrim hastened to inform the abbot of Cluny, who then set 2 November as a day of intercession on the part of his community for all the souls in Purgatory.

If interested in All Soul's Day candles to commemorate loved ones, call Church Supply Warehouse.  We have three styles to fit your needs at 1-866-757-5195.  Or, visit our website for more information!

 
Sources:  Wikipedia contributors, "All Souls' Day," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Souls%27_Day&oldid=448032918 (accessed October 4, 2011). 

Catholic Encyclopedia.  "All Soul's Day."  New Advent, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315b.htm (accessed October 4, 2011).

The Liturgical Stole, a Brief History and Origin

We possess few references to the stole anterior to the ninth century. In the East, however, it is mentioned very early, the deacon's stole being frequently referred to even in the fourth and fifth centuries. The priest's stole is not mentioned in the East until the eighth century. The stole is first mentioned in the West in the sixth and seventh centuries (Synod of Braga, 563; Fourth Council of Toledo, 633; Gallican explanation of the Mass), but then as a thing which had long been in use. The earliest evidences of the use of the stole at Rome date from the second half of the eighth century and the beginning of the ninth. But in the ninth century, subdeacons and acolytes still wore both the planeta and the stole, although, to distinguish them from the deacons, priests, and bishops, there were definite limitations to their use of the latter vestment. After the ninth century the stole is very frequently mentioned, and even then the manner of its use was essentially the same as today. In the ninth and tenth centuries in the Frankish Empire the priests were commanded to wear the stole constantly as a badge of their calling, especially when on a journey. In Spain and Gaul in the pre-Carlovingian period, the deacons wore the stole over the tunic like the Greeks; in Southern Italy this practice was continued until at least the thirteenth century; at Milan the stole is still worn over the dalmatic. The custom for the priests to wear the stole crossed in front of the breast at Mass was known as early as the Synod of Braga (675), but did not become general until the late Middle Ages.

 

 The most likely origin for the stole, however, is to be connected with the scarf of office among Imperial officials in the Roman Empire. As members of the clergy became members of the Roman administration, see Constantine I and Christianity, they were granted certain honors, one specifically being a designator of rank within the imperial (and ecclesiastical) hierarchy. The various configurations of the stole (including the pallium or the omophorion) grew out of this usage. The original intent, then was to designate a person as belonging to a particular organization and to denote their rank within their group, a function which the stole continues to perform today. Thus, unlike other liturgical garments which were originally worn by every cleric or layman, the stole was a garment which was specifically restricted to particular classes of people based on occupation.

At Church Supply Warehouse, we offer a wide variety of Priest and Deacon stoles.  Stoles make a great gift for your favorite priest or deacon.  Check out our website to view our selection and get 10% off for a limited time! Call us or visit our website!!

Sources: 

1)  Catholic Encyclopedia.com.  "Stole".  Accessed September 19, 2011. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14301a.htm

2)  Wikipedia contributors, "Stole (vestment)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stole_(vestment)&oldid=446137883 (accessed September 19, 2011).

New Revised Edition of the New American Bible

In August 1990, the Catholic Bible Association passed a resolution urging revision of the Old Testament of the New American Bible. In 1994, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops agreed to pass the resolution and form a steering committee/editorial board to direct the revision. The editorial board for the majority of the Old Testament consisted of 8 editors and 40 translators. In 2002, the Old Testament (excluding the Psalms) was completed and sent to the Subcommittee for the Translation of Scripture Text (previously, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Review of Scripture Translations) to see if it was a suitable Catholic translation. In September 2008, the last book (Jeremiah) of the Old Testament was accepted by the Subcommittee.

In November 2008, the Old Testament (including footnotes and introductions) was approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. However, they would not allow it to be published with the 1991 Psalms. A final revision of the NAB Psalter was undertaken using suggestions vetted by the Subcommittee for the Translation of Scripture Text and stricter conformity to Liturgiam Authenticam.

Revisions to the New Testament, the work of thirteen revisers and five editors, began in 1978 and finished in 1986. The Old Testament revisions began in 1991 with the Psalms, completed by 30 revisers and 6 editors. Revisions to the remaining books of the Old Testament began in 1994 by forty revisers and eight editors. The Psalms were again revised between 2009 and 2010 by an additional seven revisers and two editors.

The fully revised Old Testament was formally approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2010. The 1986-edition of the New Testament and the newly-revised Old Testament were released together on March 9, 2011 as the New American Bible Revised Edition.

The newly-revised Psalms found in the New American Bible Revised Edition follows the guidelines of Liturgiam Authenticam, a document issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Throughout the new translation of the Psalms, the use of inclusive language has been limited and appropriate gender-specific pronouns used in conjunction with the original Hebrew.


Source:  Wikipedia contributors, "New American Bible Revised Edition," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,  http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_American_Bible_Revised_Edition&oldid=444945533 (accessed August 26, 2011).


Back-to-School promotion:  For a limited time get the St. Joseph Student Edition of the new NABRE Bible for $7.49.  Or, get the regular student edition for $4.99 during our Back-to-School sale.  Call us or visit us online for more information!!

The Lectionary Explained

Catholic Mass Lectionary and the Revised Common Lectionary

After the Second Vatican Council of 1962–1965, the Holy See, even before producing an actual lectionary (in Latin), promulgated the Ordo Lectionum Missae (Order of the Readings for Mass), giving indications of the revised structure and the references to the passages chosen for inclusion in the new official lectionary of the Roman Rite of Mass. It introduced an arrangement by which the readings on Sundays and on some principal feasts recur in a 3-year cycle, with four passages from Scripture (including one from the Psalms) being used in each celebration, while on weekdays only three passages (again including one from the Psalms) are used, with the first reading and the psalm recurring in a 2-year cycle, while the Gospel reading recurs after a single year. This revised Mass Lectionary, covering much more of the Bible than the readings in the Tridentine Roman Missal, which recurred after a single year, has been translated into the many languages in which the Roman Rite Mass is now celebrated, incorporating existing or specially prepared translations of the Bible and with readings for national celebrations added either as an appendix or, in some cases, incorporated into the main part of the lectionary.

The Roman Catholic Mass Lectionary is the basis on which many Protestant lectionaries have been based, most notably the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) and its derivatives, as organized by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT) organization located in Nashville, Tennessee. Like the Mass Lectionary, they generally organize the readings for worship services on Sundays in a 3-year cycle, with four elements on each Sunday, and three elements during daily Mass.

3 year cycle

The lectionaries (both Catholic and RCL versions) are organized into three-year cycles of readings. The years are designated A, B, or C. Each yearly cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent (the last Sunday of November or first Sunday of December). Year B follows year A, year C follows year B, then back again to A. We are currently (November 28, 2010) in Year A (The Gospel of St. Matthew.).

• Year A: Gospel of Matthew (November 2010 through 2011)
• Year B: Gospel of Mark (December 2011 through 2012)
• Year C: Gospel of Luke (December 2012 through 2013)

The Gospel of John is read throughout Easter, and is used for other liturgical seasons including Advent, Christmas, and Lent where appropriate.

Source:  Wikipedia contributors, "Lectionary," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lectionary&oldid=437643960 (accessed July 13, 2011). 

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Highlights of St. Anthony of Padua

Franciscan Thaumaturgist, born at Lisbon, 1195; died at Vercelli [actually Arcella --Ed.], 13 June, 1231. He received in baptism the name of Ferdinand. Having been educated in the Cathedral school, Ferdinand, at the age of fifteen, joined the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, in the convent of St. Vincent, just outside the city walls (1210). Two years later to avoid being distracted by relatives and friends, who frequently came to visit him, he betook himself with permission of his superior to the Convent of Santa Croce in Cóimbra (1212), where he remained for eight years, occupying his time mainly with study and prayer.

        Gifted with an excellent understanding and a prodigious memory, he soon gathered from the Sacred Scriptures and the writings of the Holy Fathers a treasure of theological knowledge. In the year 1220, having seen conveyed into the Church of Santa Croce the bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs, who had suffered death at Morocco, 16 January of the same year, he too was inflamed with the desire of martyrdom, and resolved to become a Friar Minor, that he might preach the Faith to the Saracens and suffer for Christ's sake. Having confided his intention to some of the brethren of the convent of Olivares (near Cóimbra), who came to beg alms at the Abbey of the Canons Regular, he received from their hands the Franciscan habit in the same Convent of Santa Croce. Thus Ferdinand left the Canons Regular of St. Augustine to join the Order of Friars Minor, taking at the same time the new name of Anthony, a name which later on the Convent of Olivares also adopted.

        With the zeal of an apostle he undertook to reform the morality of his time by combating in an especial manner the vices of luxury, avarice, and tyranny. The fruit of his sermons was, therefore, as admirable as his eloquence itself. No less fervent was he in the extinction of heresy, notably that of the Cathares and the Patarines, which infested the centre and north of Italy, and probably also that of the Albigenses in the south of France, though we have no authorized documents to that effect.

       At the end of Lent, 1231, Anthony retired to amposanpiero, in the neighbourhood of Padua, where, after a short time he was taken with a severe illness. Transferred to Vercelli, and strengthened by the apparition of Our Lord, he died at the age of thirty-six years, on 13 June, 1231. He had lived fifteen years with his parents, ten years as a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, and eleven years in the Order of Friars Minor. The name of Anthony became celebrated throughout the world, and with it the name of Padua. The inhabitants of that city erected to his memory a magnificent temple, whither his precious relics were transferred in 1263, in presence of St. Bonaventure, Minister General at the time.

Source:  Catholic Encyclopedia.  "St. Anthony of Padua."  Accessed June 16, 2011.  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01556a.htm

The Church honored the Feast of St. Anthony on Monday, June 13th.  We have a variety of gift and liturgical items available for St. Anthony to celebrate his life and work.  Call us at 1-866-757-5195 or check out our website at Church Supply Warehouse for our selection!!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is painted on wood, with background of gold. It is Byzantine in style and is supposed to have been painted in the thirteenth century. It represents the Mother of God holding the Divine Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel present before Him the instruments of His Passion. Over the figures in the picture are some Greek letters which form the abbreviated words Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel respectively. It was brought to Rome towards the end of the fifteenth century by a pious merchant, who, dying there, ordered by his will that the picture should be exposed in a church for public veneration. It was exposed in the church of San Matteo, Via Merulana, between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. Crowds flocked to this church, and for nearly three hundred years many graces were obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The picture was then popularly called the Madonna di San Matteo. The church was served for a time by the Hermits of St. Augustine, who had sheltered their Irish brethren in their distress. These Augustinians were still in charge when the French invaded Rome (1812) and destroyed the church. The picture disappeared; it remained hidden and neglected for over forty years, but a series of providential circumstances between 1863 and 1865 led to its discovery in an oratory of the Augustinian Fathers at Santa Maria in Posterula.

Source:  Catholic Encyclopedia.  "Our Lady of Perpetual Succour."  Accessed June 9, 2011.  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11699b.htm

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An Introduction to St. Michael the Archangel

Michael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel,^[1] the Book of Jude,^[2] and the Book of Revelation, in which he leads God's armies against Satan's forces during his uprising.^[3] In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes"^[1] who in Daniel's vision comes to Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel). Michael is also described there as the advocate of the Children of Israeland as a "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".^[4]

St. Michael the Archangel

In Hebrew, Michael means "who is like God" (mi-who, ke-as or like, El-deity), which in Talmudic tradition is interpreted as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" (which expects an answer in the negative) to imply that no one is like God. In this way, Michael is reinterpreted as a symbol of humility before God.^[5][6]

In Roman Catholicism Saint Michael has four distinct roles. First, he is the supreme enemy of Satan and the fallen angels. He vanquished Satan and ejected him from Paradise and will achieve victory at the hour of the final battle with Satan. Secondly, he is the Christian angel of death: at the hour of death, Saint Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus consternating the devil and his minions. Saint Michael's third role is weighing souls in his perfectly balanced scales (hence the saint is often depicted holding scales) on Judgment Day. And finally, Saint Michael is the Guardian of the Church.

In the Catholic tradition, Saint Michael symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and he has been widely represented in Catholic art through the ages. Devotions to Saint Michael have a large Catholic following, and a large number of churches are dedicated to him worldwide.

Saint Michael has specific roles within Roman Catholic teachings that range from acting as the chief opponent of Satan to the saving of souls at the hour of death. Roman Catholic literature and traditions continue to point to Saint Michael in contexts as varied as the protection of the Catholic Church to the Consecration of Russia by popes Pius XII and John Paul II regarding the messages reported at Our Lady of Fatima.

Source:  Wikipedia contributors, "Michael (archangel)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_(archangel)&oldid=428041974 (accessed May 9, 2011).

Wikipedia contributors, "Saint Michael (Roman Catholic)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saint_Michael_(Roman_Catholic)&oldid=426600109 (accessed May 9, 2011).

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We also offer a wide selection of St. Michael products to help meet your church's needs. To view our selection of St. Michael products  such as statues, medals, framed prints and more, click here.  Church Supply Warehouse.

Highlights of the Life of Pope John Paul II

Early Life

Karol Józef Wojtyła, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born.  He was baptized on June 20, 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr. Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. 

Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow's Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.  In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyła was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also clandestine. 

After the Second World War, he continued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on November 1, 1946.  On July 4, 1958, he was appointed titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak.

Pontificate Highlights

Pope John Paul II

The Cardinals elected him Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On 22 October, the Lord's Day, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to the Apostle. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.He had more meetings than any of his predecessors with the People of God and the leaders of Nations. More than 17,600,000 pilgrims participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1160), not counting other special audiences and religious ceremonies [more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone], and the millions of faithful he met during pastoral visits in Italy and throughout the world.  Also of note are the numerous government personalities he encountered during 38 official visits, 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.

His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994.

His most important Documents include 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, 45 Apostolic Letters.  He promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the light of Tradition as authoritatively interpreted by the Second Vatican Council. He also reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law, created new Institutions and reorganized the Roman Curia.

Pope John Paul II will be beatified Sunday, May 1, 2011.   

Source:  Vatican.  "His Holiness John Paul II Short Biography."  Accessed April 26, 2011.  http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/santopadre_biografie/giovanni_paolo_ii_biografia_breve_en.html

Church Supply Warehouse carries a variety of celebration items such as medals, statuary, and candles.  Visit us online or call 1-866-757-5195 for more information on how you can participate in this momentous occasion.

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