Deacon Russell recalls family experiences with Christian holidays and explores the importance of lent as a symbol and in the Catholic Church.

The reality of vocation is at the very heart of the Christian faith and Christian life. We are all called and our life is oriented toward one destiny, which is divine, which is eternal life. It is in that context that all specific vocations within the Church are oriented.

Is there any problem with belonging to two different denominations at the same time? (The rituals and theology seem very similar.) (Richmond, Va.)

As we begin the celebration of the Centennial of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, we realize that many groups within the diocese have been contributing to the diocesan Church for all of its 100 years of existence. Among these are persons in consecrated life. Who, then, some people may ask, are persons in consecrated life?

To be a priest today is quite possibly taking on one of the hardest jobs in the world. A priest today is a figure of extreme courage. He must be the rock that anchors his community in faith. He must keep tradition alive while embracing the modern world. He must work doubly hard to prove himself a sincere servant of the Lord, to his parish community and the rest of the world.

Often as Catholics, we attend Mass, we pray at night, we try to live out our Catholic faith but for some reason we rarely take our Catholic faith with us to the workplace. This is where “The Catholic Briefcase” comes in. Hain has composed a unique book to assist us in NOT checking our faith at the door.

There are many priests that I admire and it would take more than an essay to mention all of them. However, there are three priests in particular that I would like to focus on: Father Rudy Vasquez, Father James Farfaglia and Bishop William Michael Mulvey. Each of them is a wonderful priest, and each has influenced me in a different way.

A priest is a true disciple of Jesus Christ; they participate in Mass, give out the Holy Orders of the Catholic Church, Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Anointing of the sick and attempt to save the souls of the people that reach out to them.

Since the arrival of priests from India in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, I have been inspired by their deep faith and it had been my desire to visit their country. I had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to India in October.

Luke’s Gospel begins with an introduction to the Jewish priest Zachary, and his wife, Elizabeth. Both of them, we are told, were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

There is a true mysticism that is part of relationships and especially part of the mystery of suffering. If we are truly disciples of Christ, we must take up our cross every day and follow him. And so, in a way, the differences that we discover in one another are actually a way of discovering the fruitfulness and the mystery of the cross in our relationships with one another.

Often, migrant farmworkers and their families, who are directly responsible for putting food on our table, don’t have enough food to nourish themselves. Behind every apple, every tomato, every cucumber, there is a human face. There are the sweat and tears of long, hard hours, poorly compensated labor and very hard living conditions.

At least early in Jesus’ public life, the home of Peter and Andrew seems to function as a center for much of Jesus’ public activity. However, in these early accounts, Andrew is a rather shadowy figure in relation to Peter.

“The Pope & The CEO” is a must-read and is a wonderful addition to your library. It is a quick read at 155 pages and is written in a simple and straightforward manner. As the author says, “You don’t have to be a theologian or Scripture scholar to understand the teachings outlined in this book.”

Sor María de Jesús de Agreda is a saint.

In the New Testament, it is noteworthy that Jesus calls people to be His disciples in very differing situations. Sometimes the call comes in ordinary, everyday circumstances; sometimes it comes in unusual circumstances.

A visually splendid and intellectually satisfying introduction to Catholic Christianity is provided by the 10-part video series “Catholicism.”

ope Benedict XVI will join Latin Americans celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the 200th anniversary of their nations’ independence.

In his homily, at Berlin's Olympic stadium on Sept. 22, Pope Benedict XVI commented on the parable of the vine shoots taken from the day’s Gospel reading.

Q: I am 79 years of age, have been a Catholic all my life and have tried my best to follow the Ten Commandments. But I find myself now bothered by religious doubts and fear that I may really be an agnostic. Can a person remain in the state of grace with this state of mind? (I have read that Mother Teresa had similar feelings before her death.) (Gahanna, Ohio)