Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 88

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Rita of Cascia

The Basics:Born 1381 in Italy; died May 22, 1457, in Italy; canonized May 24, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII; feast day, May 22. Wife, mother, woman religious.

The Story:Rita’s life was marked by deep pain–and peace. Her 18 years in an arranged marriage were troubled. Her husband was unfaithful and abused her physically. Their two sons vowed revenge when their father was killed by a rival family, something that troubled Rita greatly. She prayed that they learn to forgive, as she had. Rita suffered a...

It’s the Quality, Not the Quantity

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod , owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

In today’s Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus’ prayer before his Passion begins isn’t a litany of the number of

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followers he amassed or the number of people he fed, healed, or raised from the dead. He simply states that he did what the Lord asked: “I glorified you on earth b...

Returning Catholic FAQs: Anointing of the Sick

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

How close to death do I have to be to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and of the Dying?

Have you begun to be in danger of death, due to old age or illness such...

Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Imelda Lambertini

The Basics:Born 1322 in Italy; died May 12, 1333, in Italy; beatified in 1826, by Pope Leo XII; feast day, May 13. Daughter.

The Story:The child was on fire for the Lord; there is no doubt of that. Imelda was just nine when her wish to enter a Dominican convent was granted. But that wasn’t enough; Imelda longed to receive holy

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communion. However, the minimum age for receiving the sacrament at that time was twelve.

When she was el...

Courage and Faith in Staying Put

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod , owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Today’s lectionary first reading from Acts 16 tells us of Paul and Silas, praying and singing in prison, when an earthquake rattles the place to its foundation, throwing open the doors and breaking chains. The jailer awakes and is about to kill himself because he is sure everyone has escaped. Then Paul shouts: “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”

Why didn’t...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Catholics and Confirmation

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

My parents had me baptized Catholic when I was a baby. Why do I need to be confirmed, and why do Catholics confirm people when they’re so young?

The Catechism of the Catholic Chu...

Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger

The Basics:Born in 1797 in Germany; died May 9, 1879, in Germany; beatified November 17, 1985, by John Paul II; feast day, May 9. Woman religious, teacher.

The Story:You might call Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger the Mother Cabrini of German immigrants to the United States. (Or perhaps, Mother Cabrini was the Theresa of Jesus of the Italian immigrants) By age fifteen, the woman bornKarolina Gerhardinger was working as a teacher with encouragement from her parish priest. In her thirties, she beg...

Recharging Our Spiritual Batteries

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod , owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Luke’s Acts of the Apostles is, as one might infer from the title, full of action. It’s almost like an action-adventure movie as the disciples go from one place to another, converting souls, encountering persecution, evangelizing again and again and again to Jews and Gentiles.

Then there are the quiet moments, the ones we may read over a bit too quickly as the na...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Mortal Sins

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

What’s a mortal sin? Is it a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday? What about if I eat meat on Friday during Lent?

Is your sin a grave violation of God’s law? Did you have full know...

On the Nightstand: May 2015

A novel is on my nightstand again this month, and I can’t wait to dig in. It’s Still Lifeby Christa Parrish. It’sthe story of two very different women–one raised in a fringe religious sect, one who’s wandering through an unhappy marriage. They encounter each other when the second woman gives up her seat on a plane to the firstwoman’s husband (who took her out of the sect)… and the plane crashes, leaving no survivors.

I’ve never met Christa in person, but we have a mutual friend in Virelle Kid...