"Mary is a garden of delights into which are sown all kinds of flowers and spice plants of the virtues.” — St. Jerome.

By now, we are all preparing our gardens in some way; planning, cleaning, pulling, sharpening, trimming, dumping, fixing and planting. Our reward, after our Colorado winter, is a rich, healthy glow of green. All we have to do is look around and feel the excitement of a new season. Here are a few suggestions to keep the garden in tip-top shape and at the same time honor Mary, Our Blessed Mother.

Catholics recite the Nicene Creed at every Sunday Mass. As we strive to return “ad fontes,” to the [original] sources amid an ever-changing world, we must understand more about our Christian roots, expressed in the Creed we profess.

We don’t often consider when the gospels were written, but one should know that John’s Gospel appeared last, likely in the mid-to-late 90s. He had the other three gospel accounts in front of him, and his intention was to elaborate on, clarify and spiritualize incidents found in them.

Anointing with oil: what makes oil such a sacred substance within Catholicism?

 Let’s start by looking at the Sacred Chrism, a special oil used to consecrate things and persons to the Lord.

All Sundays this April are named Easter — Second Sunday of Easter, Third Sunday of Easter, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Easter. It’s a Christian’s dream, a continued celebration that Christ is Risen! He died for our sins and really, what more could we ever ask for? As humans, it seems, there’s always more to ask for. Some of our “asks” are very serious: “Please God, send a cure for cancer.” “Please God, forgive me.” And others are less serious but still important. For Colorado gardeners, a common petition is, “Please God send us rain for our gardens.”

VIRGINIA. Serenity Quesnelle saw six fertility doctors, went through multiple procedures and braved surgery in the hopes of conceiving a child. After four years, one of her doctors felt that nothing more could be done and asked Quesnelle to write down the number of a nearby in vitro fertilization clinic. But Quesnelle and her husband didn’t want to go through IVF, a process that often results in the destruction of unborn lives. She wanted to find out what was going on in her body.

Once in a while we encounter a book whose insight and teaching clarity demand a larger audience. Such is “The Bible and Reconciliation,” by Dr. James Prothro, a professor at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. In this new book, I have come to see the kindness of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and understanding radiate through Prothro’s words and writings, as well the need for reconciliation in our hearts, our souls, our churches, and our culture.

Finally on the gardener’s calendar comes March. New plants are breaking through the soil and days are warming up. After all, it is the season of resurrection! Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week and are preparing for Easter. It is truly a blessed time of year. 

Morning Mass is not celebrated anywhere in the world on Holy Saturday. Sorrowfully, the Church Universal pauses in her liturgical life, recalling the forty hours when Jesus was dead and buried. Altars, stripped on Holy Thursday, remain bare; candles and decorations removed.

The Church is in mourning.

We live in an emotional time.  Our culture is increasingly shaped by those whose voices are the loudest and whose emotions are the strongest.  Loud voices and strong emotions are fine, but only if they are governed by reason and truth.

Immigration is a topic that triggers a strong emotional response for many people. Previously, Bishop Golka addressed “The Both/And of Immigration.”  In this issue he writes about the Church’s take on the common good. I’d like to share how Catholic Charities of Central Colorado works toward the common good and to dispel some myths about the work we do.