Daily Archives: November 9, 2024

The Mother Church

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Today is the Feast Day of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. The Lateran Basilica in Rome is not the oldest church in Rome – that honor seems to belong Santi Quattro Coronati (314); but then that depends on what sources you believe. Old St. Peter’s, the original church on the spot where the current St. Peter’s stands dates to 324, the same year as St. Lorenzo and St. John Lateran.  While many people think that St. Peter’s is the “home church” of the Pope, in fact, the Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome – the place from where the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, leads his diocese even as he leads the church universal. Continue reading →

The Widowed Prophet

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This coming Sunday is the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the story of “The Widow’s Mite.” Today’s post is from a writer, Debie Thomas, whose work I always enjoy and find insightful. The words of this post are entirely hers. Enjoy.

“The Widow’s Mite” is a classic Gospel story — a go-to for churches during Stewardship Season. Who hasn’t heard the moving account of the widow who slips quietly into the Temple, drops her meager offering into the treasury, and slips away? Who hasn’t squirmed when a well-meaning pastor saddles the story to its inevitable “so what?” question: “If a poor widow can give her sacrificial bit for the Lord’s work, how can we — so comfortably wealthy by comparison — not give much, much more?” Continue reading →