We live in a difficult moment in which many people are tempted to lose hope. The ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the dissatisfaction many people feel about the direction of our country, the loss of faith in political leaders, the lack of immediate solutions to many of our problems, the erosion of our institutions, the surge of violence and crime all lead to a common, bleak outlook when we survey the human situation.
Category: Bishop Hying’s Columns
Learning from the mystics
The mystical dimension of Catholicism has always attracted and intrigued me.
A look at Vatican II’s Sacrosanctum Concilium
Sacrosanctum Concilium, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, promulgated on December 4, 1963, is the first document issued by the Council fathers of Vatican II.
A look at Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes
Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, issued on December 7, 1965, the final month of the last session of the Second Vatican Council, is addressed to all of humanity.
A look at Vatican II’s Dei Verbum
Another significant document of the Second Vatican Council is Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, promulgated on November 18, 1965, in the closing months of the final council session.
A look at Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium
One of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, articulates the origin, identity, nature, and mission of the Catholic Church.
Looking back at the Second Vatican Council
Angelo Cardinal Roncalli, the Patriarch of Venice, was elected pope on October 28, 1958, after the long reign of Pius XII, taking the name John XXIII.
Celebrating the Epiphany
This Sunday, we celebrate the magnificent feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God in Christ to the world, as represented by the visit of the mysterious Magi from the East.
The beauty of Christmas
One of my earliest Christmas memories is waking from a nap one afternoon and walking into the living room to see the Christmas tree for the first time, decorated and lit in all of its glory.
Jesus: History and fact
Luke’s Gospel contextualizes Jesus’ birth in its historical moment, mentioning in Chapter 2 that Caesar Augustus initiated the census which brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and that Quirinius was governor of Syria.