In this video, Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, O.P. discusses his admiration for St. Thomas Aquinas which prompted him to write his book, Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Thomas Aquinas. Available from Liguori Publications.

Fr. Andrew is the promoter of vocations for the Central Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great. He also leads retreats and workshops for campus ministries, parishes, diocesan clergy and religious, and currently resides with the Dominican Friars at St. Pius V Priory in Chicago.

The following article by Fr. Michael Monshau, O.P., a professor of liturgy, homiletics and spirituality at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (The Angelicum) in Rome, appeared in this week’s English edition of L’Osservatore Romano.  It is reprinted below with permission. Fr. Monshau is a Dominican priest of the Province of St. Albert the Great.

Keeping Saints’ Days

Formation for Christian Life

The ancient custom of observing an annual saint’s day (or feast day), is so ancient that before the Church claimed December 25^th for Christmas, it was already the feast day of Saint Anastasia!  The observance of saints’ days is important for us and the various ways we celebrate them are also important.  On March 19, the universal Church is moved to great devotion as she lovingly observes the feast of her patron, Saint Joseph, with various traditions.  Lent notwithstanding, he never goes unremembered on his respective feast day.  Also in March we remember Saints Patrick, Clement Hofbauer, Louise de Marillac, Stephen Harding, Casimir, Kieran, Katherine Drexel and Cyril of Jerusalem, to cite only several. 

On a saint’s day, we might well reflect upon the meaning of the observance of the saints’ feast days for us today.  Why do we remember them?  Why do we keep an annual feast day for each of them?  What does that accomplish?  Should we maintain such customs in our families, parishes, religious houses and dioceses?  If so, why?

In this video, Br. Michael Mary Weibley, O.P. explains how the Christian faith goes beyond a system of mere moralism. In the Church today there can be the temptation to reduce the Christian faith and its practice to a series of ‘do’s and don’t's’, without ever having a strong foundation in the grace of Jesus Christ. As a result, many people look at the Catholic faith as just a list of commands and prohibitions, without ever realizing that the focus is on Christ, his redemption of mankind, and our eternal happiness. This is the beauty and depth of being ‘a good Catholic’.

Br. Michael Mary is a student brother at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington D.C., and is studying both Philosophy and Theology in the STB program. He is originally from Cleveland, and recently graduated from Walsh University in Ohio.