The Domestic Church at Bedtime: Prayer Meets Real Life

July 22, 2025July 22, 2025 / chicoinematt

There’s something about the rhythm of a day that either drags us down or draws us closer to heaven.

Morning rush, midday crash, evening blur, bedtime chaos… then late-night scrolling. Then we wake up and do it all again.

But what if our messy, snack-filled, Lego-strewn, kid-powered day could become prayer?

That’s the gift of the Liturgy of the Hours—also called the Divine Office. It’s the Church’s invitation to sanctify time. Not just Sundays. Not just in silence. All of it.

So this week, we decided to dive in as a family and pray Night Prayer. Just one night. That was the goal.

We made it four days in a row.

That’s a miracle.

And not the “sun-dancing-Fatima” type. More like the “everyone was in the living room and no one was bleeding or eating marshmallows under the couch while we prayed” kind of miracle. #parentingwin

Daily prayer is like the roots of the spiritual life.

Day One: We Begin

We opened with:

“God, come to my assistance.”
— “Lord, make haste to help me.”

The dog started barking. Not sure if it was a leaf, a squirrel, or some minor demon. One kid began reading a bedtime story aloud. Another hung upside down on the couch like a bat.

Then came the sound of wheels on tile.

Our youngest daughter had gone rogue. She retrieved her pedal-less bike from the garage and was now circling the kitchen island like she was warming up for the toddler Indy 500.

My wife and I gave each other a look. The “is-this-worth-it?” look. We decided: let her ride. She wasn’t distracting the others, and honestly, her joy was kind of contagious.

Somewhere during the Psalm, one kid disappeared downstairs and came back with a snack. Again. Another resumed fiddling with a Rubik’s Cube. A third attempted to recite the Gospel Canticle in a British accent (no idea why).

We picked up toys already—eleven times that day. And here they were again, littered across the floor like sacred breadcrumbs leading us to sanctification.

And still…
We prayed.

The Divine Office, Lived Loudly

You see, the Liturgy of the Hours isn’t just for monks in cloisters or clergy in collars. It’s for families like ours—with ADHD, barking dogs, tired parents, and snack heists.

It’s the Church’s ancient prayer that baptizes time itself. A liturgical rhythm flowing around the Mass. A pattern of praise that runs through the cracks of ordinary life like gold in kintsugi pottery.

Each Hour of the Divine Office gives shape to the day:

Morning Prayer: praise and purpose
Evening Prayer: surrender and thanksgiving
Night Prayer: rest and trust
(Plus those middle ones if you’re especially caffeinated)

At the heart of each Hour? The Psalms.

As Fr. Timothy Gallagher says:

“Jesus not only prayed the Psalms; He fulfilled them.”

When we recite these prayers, we don’t just imitate Christ—we enter His prayer. We join a chorus echoing through centuries and continents.

Even when that chorus includes a 6-year-old spinning in circles during the Responsory.

Real Reverence Can Have Wiggles

By the fourth night, something shifted. Not externally—we still had interruptions. The dog barked. Someone spilled water. The pedal-less bike made its triumphant reappearance.

But the kids knew the words. They settled in quicker. They anticipated the prayers. One of them even whispered, “Is this where we say ‘Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit’?”

Yes. Yes it is.

That moment—the soft reverence of a tired child remembering the psalm by heart—was holier than any candle-lit retreat. It was grace in the moment.

If you aren’t able to pray Evening Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours, here’s a short and simple one to start with.

Final Blessing

We closed with:

“May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.”
— Amen.

Then they each climbed into bed. It still takes many minutes to get to bed after prayer. Someone always forgets a drink of water or a stuffed animal. But there’s a beginning of a calmness (at least by a few degrees to start off). They really prayed. With their bodies, their voices, their interruptions… and their hearts. And we prayed together as a family (and in communion with the Church).

So we’ll keep at it. Because God doesn’t just want our polished, filtered, idealized versions. He wants our real days. Our noisy homes. Our ordinary hours.

He wants this hour—even if it comes with Rubik’s Cubes, kitchen bike laps, and the occasional trail mix theft.

After all, as St. Ambrose said:

“The Psalms soothe the temper, lighten sorrow, offer security at night, and stir up holiness by day.”

Turns out, holiness sometimes looks like picking up toys for the twelfth time… and then praying anyway.

Catholic Meme Monday— Issue 189

June 23, 2025 / chicoinematt

Hope you had a blessed Corpus Christi Sunday! 🙏✝️

Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.

Me: But I *NEED* to correct them!
🕊️🔥🙏: You sure??
Me: Fine, you’re right sometimes saying nothing is better than something. Sometimes it’s everything. 🙏
(Deletes long-winded epic theological victory-but-not-fully-charitable comment)

TV Jesus meets the real @pontifex
Better than a reality show. 🙂✝️❤️‍🔥

Do you have a biblically strong password?? 😄

That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.

P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.

Thank you for sharing!

A 1284 Word Interview about The Miracle of Guadalupe Series

June 19, 2025June 14, 2025 / chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Whitney Hetzel via phone call on May 23rd, 2025 and June 11th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

What drew you personally to the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and how has working on this project deepened your own faith journey?

We at Good Catholic did our first series in 2017 and launched with Fatima. The response was excellent. We had a lot of conversations about which series we could do. We figured we would do the major Marian Apparitions. We realized how many layers and history to look at for Guadalupe. We shelved the project, finally the next year we decided to start the project.

I constantly hear from people who have a devotion to Guadalupe that Mary meets us in the little places. I myself am a convert and while it took me a bit to get to Mary, I have had a devotion to her ever since. Through this project I am learning that Mary is concerned about all the things in our lives (big AND small).

The tilma of Juan Diego has survived nearly 500 years without deterioration—what does the scientific analysis reveal about this miraculous preservation, and how do you present this evidence in the film?

It’s just fascinating. It’s almost too much to present. We are probably going to do seven episodes. Science looks at something and gives the validity of something. All science points to and answers the fact that Mary gave the tilma to Juan.

Even the Church is slow to accept miracles and test things. The thing that fascinates me the most is the cornea in her eye shows what she saw. The reflection in the eye (smaller than a grain of rice) was validated by a number of eye doctors to show that Mary was looking at Juan Diego and the bishop.

The constellations in the sky on her mantle are looking down from the galaxies on the tilma. And all the symbols on the mantle reflect certain things to the indigenous people. There’s so many things and they are equally fascinating.

There’s no signs of aging on the actual image of Our Lady. That’s incredible after all these years.

You’ve assembled incredible contributors like Fr. Spitzer and Jorge Arredondo from Harvard and Notre Dame. What unique insights do they bring about the theological and historical significance of Guadalupe that might surprise viewers?

Fr. Spitzer is a scientist and has a brilliant mind. He is also a priest, but he is coming from the perspective of a scientist. I didn’t think that I would be able to speak with a scientist because all of this has been studied before.

I don’t remember how I found Fr. Spitzer’s book on Guadalupe in our warehouse (he just wrote this last year).

We got in contact with Jorge from the authors of Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy. Jorge came from a linguistics perspective on the tilma. He gets into a lot of the history. We wanted to stay in line with the historical aspects and stay away from the sensational aspects. Even on the language side we wanted to cover our bases and Jorge is coming back in June for additional conversations about the Nahuatl language that Juan Diego spoke.

We wanted to look at the tilma from a factual and unbiased perspective. That’s why we look at it from the scientific and historical perspectives. It would be silly to add to the story of the tilma because there’s so many fascinating facts from the event itself.

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to an indigenous man and spoke in his native language—how does the documentary explore the cultural bridge she created between indigenous peoples and the Catholic faith?

That’s a great question! Really, it’s a narrative story. The protagonist is Juan Diego. The Franciscan missionaries really did help bridge that gap. The conquest ended the human sacrifices in the Aztec culture. Truly in the ten years before Our Lady appeared the Franciscans tried to bridge and catechize. There was a language barrier that made it difficult to help in the conversion process. The bishop sent by King Charles (around 1521) was up against a lot, two steps forward five steps back. The conquistadors were poor examples of the faith. And some of the indigenous people didn’t want Catholicism to take root.

The bishop wrote a letter to King Charles and sent it in a lard barrel and got on his knees and asked for a sign. And shortly after Our Lady was sent to Juan Diego and also appeared to his sick uncle.

In today’s cultural climate, why do you believe the message of Guadalupe is particularly relevant?

I think it’s just as relevant today. Each age has a time of challenges. When you look at the stuff that is going on in the Church the last decade, people are leaving the Church. But you see a juxtaposition of there being a resurgence of the faith. I feel like there has been a sense of the faith waning but there’s the beginnings of a Catholic moment. We are nearing the 500th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin appearing to Juan Diego. I think we are living in an exciting time.

What do you hope Catholic families will take away from this series?

I think my strongest hope is that a renewed devotion and trust in our Lady will happen. In some ways it is in the small ways that Mary cares for us. And that Mary always, always, always leads us to Christ. I hope Catholic families truly embrace this. That we can always turn to Mary and be covered under Her mantle.

Mary is the connection to the humanity of Jesus and shows us that Jesus is still with us. When she appears, Mary helps us recognize that the Incarnation is important. Especially with Guadalupe, Mary left us something tangible with the tilma. People really do need a tangible sign that our Lord is not distant, that he is with us.

Beyond the Kickstarter campaign, what’s your vision for how this documentary can reach both practicing Catholics and those who might be encountering this miracle for the first time?

Thanks for this question, because this is one of our biggest challenges (and our greatest hope). Because of the tangibility of the tilma, we have this opportunity to reach people who aren’t Catholic. A lot of people (myself included) kind of look at Guadalupe as a Latin American devotion. But she appeared for all of us. And I hope that this series will show through the science of the tilma that this devotion is not culturally limited, it’s for the whole world.

In 1945, Pope Pius XII named Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness of the Americas (North and South). Saint Pope John Paul II confirmed this title in the late 90s.

What has been the most profound moment or discovery during your research and filming process that reinforced why this story needed to be told?

It’s one of the scientific elements of the tilma. Truly, the evidence of the eyes of our Lady having the curvature of being the same as a human eye. And the reflection in her eyes being what she saw (Juan Diego and the bishop). Father Spitzer reinforced this truth. These are signs that were interesting to me. In 1531, the people didn’t need scientific evidence to be convinced, but she knew that our modern world would need more of this scientific evidence. The fact that the tilma has survived for 500 years is a miracle.

My hope is that this will lead people to the truth of believing in God.

Where can my readers learn more about this project and support it?

Here’s our Kickstarter and you can visit Good Catholic to learn more about our other work.

About Whitney:

Whitney Hetzel’s most important job is her vocation as mother to nine children (ages 15–35) and grandmother to five (soon to be eight). Whitney is a convert to Catholicism. In college, she majored in journalism and English and received a Master’s degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University. She loves her job as a writer and content creator for Good Catholic—the digital arm of The Catholic Company.

Whitney is the Executive Producer of Not Made By Human Hands: The Miracle of Guadalupe and has enjoyed combining rigorous research, theology, and storytelling to bring the story of the miracle of Guadalupe to others. Her lifelong passion for writing, sparked early on with her blog 9 Kid Fitness, has evolved into a vocation of sharing faith-filled content that helps others live as authentic Christians in their daily lives.

Thank you for sharing!

A 949 Word Interview with an Ambrosian Rite Catholic

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 / chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed @churchofambrose from Instagram via phone call on April 11th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

Tell me about your faith journey.

I was born and raised Catholic. During my teenage years I became lukewarm, I moved to university and during the initial years my faith struggled. Slowly, but surely the Lord called me back to the faith in a deeper way. I was fundamentally unhappy for a while before I found God again. I want people to experience it.

The Ambrosian Rite is largely unknown outside of Milan. It is a local church, there’s practically one diocese (Milan).

The Ambrosian Rite dates back to at least the 4th century with connections to St. Ambrose himself. What sparked your passion for preserving this ancient liturgical tradition through digitization?

I think the Ambrosian Rite is one of the most unique rites. It is very intrinsic in our culture. This rite starts from (most likely) the old Roman Rite. Bl. Cardinal Schuster (1880-1954) said that Saint Ambrose took the rite from Rome and slightly modified it. This is probably only partially true, however the Ambrosian Rite is the oldest Western Rite still alive today. Our Lent is the same Lent that Gregory the Great would have followed. It’s so interesting and cool that this rite is preserved. This is how Saints Augustine and Ambrose followed. It feels like I’m going back centuries; it’s very inspiring.

(For example during the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of Lent, instead of the “Gloria” we sing the “Divinae Pacis”. This chant is older than the edict of Milan (313 AD))

For readers unfamiliar with the Ambrosian Rite, what are the most distinctive elements that set it apart from the more familiar Roman Rite celebrated in most Catholic churches?

In general the thing that people notice the most is the thurible. In the Roman Rite there’s a cap on top of it. We don’t have a cap on it and it’s spun in a 360 degree motion. It is spun to form the shape of the cross.

(At the start of the Mass the altar is incensed. You can remove this and add the text at the bottom)
(Another particular difference, is the incensation of the Tabernacle which is done kneeling at the start of every High Mass.)

The other thing people notice is the chants. It’s very hard to explain, it’s just very different.

(The ambrosian chants were introduced by Saint Ambrose himself in the 4th century. For the first time in the Church’s history, non-psalmic hymns were included in liturgical celebrations. Ambrose, personally composed many hymns, including “Aeterne rerum conditor”, “Deus creator omnium”, “Iam surgit hora tertia”, and “Intende qui regis Israel”. The most famous hymn is obviously the “Te Deum”, which was composed together with Saint Augustine after Augustine’s baptism. I highly suggest the reader listen to the Ambrosian Version of the “Te Deum”.
Despite the modifications it underwent over the centuries, Ambrosian chant is considered the oldest surviving body of Western liturgical music.)

And the Offertory is done before the Credo (and it is much longer). We have lots of prefaces (one for each day) and some of them are very old and date back to St. Ambrose.

(there are other differences but these ones are the most noticed by first time visitors)

Your mission focuses on digitizing the Traditional Ambrosian Rite. What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced in translating manuscripts and liturgical books that are many centuries old into accessible digital formats?

The Ambrosian Rite was heavily attacked from its beginning. Most of the original manuscripts are gone. When it comes to more recent things, I have been looking for breviaries and missals. It is very difficult to find these items. There are subtle differences that are easy to miss. It is difficult to find where things originated from.

The Ambrosian liturgical calendar has some fascinating differences, including six Sundays of Advent rather than four. Which seasonal celebrations in the Ambrosian tradition do you find most spiritually enriching?

Our Ordinary Time is limited compared to the Roman Rite. It is only during a few weeks of the year, and differences in color. We have a different hue of purple (morello). During the Lenten period we use black during the weekdays because it’s also a penitential color not just for mourning. Saturday and Sundays are less penitential during Lent, so morello is used.

(Red is the Eucharistic color instead of the Roman Rite white, so the feast of the Corpus Domini (Corpus Christi in the Roman Rite) is in Red not white in the Ambrosian rite)

Who are saints particularly honored in the Ambrosian Rite?

Ambrose (of course being our Rite’s namesake).

Charles Borromeo is our second patron saint. He is the one who reformed the Archbishop of Milan. He had a huge role in the Council of Trent. In Milan he was the first one to create a seminary. He is also the patron saint of seminaries.

We care about our bishops and martyrs. In the Eucharist Prayer we ask for intercession for most of the archbishops and martyrs.

(I’ll send a picture of the Comunicantes with the Ambrosian Saints and Martyrs)

Looking to the future, how do you see traditional liturgical forms like the Ambrosian Rite contributing to the spiritual renewal of the Church in an increasingly digital age?

I’m noticing many young people are more interested in the traditional liturgies. The church where I attend is always full. You might find a seat if you go five minutes early, but not likely. There’s a huge emphasis on the parish. It’s kind of like the dynamic between the Traditional Latin Rite Mass and the Novus Ordo Mass (in the Roman Rite).

Where can my audience find more of your work?
On my Instagram page @churchofambrose.

Thank you for sharing!

A 748 Word Interview about Ephesians 6 Ministry

June 10, 2025June 1, 2025 / chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Father Nick Fleming via phone call on May 7th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

The name “Ephesians 6” clearly references the Armor of God passage. What specific aspects of this Scripture inspired you to found this ministry, and how does it shape your approach to spiritual growth?

This ministry began out of a desire to do spiritual warfare. The spiritual battle over the soul can only be won if we focus on God. There are two ways to contend with an opponent: to fight them head on or to live your best life.

For example, if you are running a race, your opponent will try to distract you. Our attention is taken away from the finish line. That’s how the Devil works. Not coming into full view, he begins with little distractions. Peter was walking on the water when he was focused on Jesus, he only started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus.

Faith is our shield, the sword of the spirit…what better way to describe our faith than the armor.

Your mission statement mentions helping people “engage in Spiritual Warfare.” How do you explain this concept to those who might be unfamiliar with it, and what practical tools does your ministry provide?

First of all, to help people recognize their disorder in the world and to help them see the disorder and find the root cause. I start to ask them mundane questions: do you make your bed, do you have a regular morning routine? I help people first find the disorder. They can start to find virtue by establishing order in their life. It’s a life grounded in purpose.

Through my experience in pastoral ministry, I find people come to me when their life is falling apart. So helping them to see the disorder first is how we can lead them to the path of salvation.

For example, the first experience Peter had with Jesus was him as a sinful man.

So rather than fixing a broken world we focus on fixing the broken heart. By redeeming each and every individual, the Kingdom of God is made present.

The Lord wants us to take the first steps. Our God is a Good Father who wants us to have independence, to freely choose Him and not as a drone. He wants us to surrender our humility to Him but at the same time he will allow us to participate in the redemptive act of the Cross of Jesus. I am surrendering my ego and my own self-gratification of ambition to act out of humility to follow Jesus.

That’s the crux of the Church’s ministry to find people in the wounds of Jesus and to help them desire God’s will.

In your experience working with people through Ephesians 6 Ministry, what do you find are the most common spiritual challenges people face today, and how does your approach help address them?

There is no particular virtue lacking in the world. I think the most prevalent issue is mediocrity and that people believe there is no such thing as being great. Greatness begins with purpose. People allow themselves to be moved by the circumstances in their lives or whatever seems to be going on in the world around them.

I help people find that they are more than the circumstances that they are in to make them to be. Once we learn where the disorder is, we can establish order and find purpose. This is where the armor of God comes in.

“Strangers in a Strange Land” by Cardinal Chaput mentions the problem with our age is not that we are not strangers in a strange land, it is that our children and grandchildren are comfortable being in this world. That we have grown too comfortable. That’s our chief struggle. And we see that there’s a longing. We see a growth in more orthodox and traditional churches. It makes it worthwhile when it’s hard to live. The young people are drawn to this more ascetical life because they long for meaning, heroism.

The world should open us up to wonder and awe. Life is not meant to be a vat of entertainment. Leisure is not sitting idly and doing nothing. It is sitting with purpose and reflecting on the good. Play is what satisfies our reason. It is contemplating the greatest things.

Real rest is when you stop putting on a performance for the other and when we can rest in their presence.

Where can my audience find more about your ministry?

About Fr. Fleming:

Fr. Nicholas Fleming, entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence and attended Providence College, where he earned a degree in Philosophy in 2011. He earned a degree in Theology from Angelicum University and was ordained a priest on June 27th, 2015. Following ordination, Fr. Fleming completed a license in Marriage and the Family at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family. After completing his studies in 2016, he was assigned as an assistant pastor at SS John and Paul in Coventry. Fr. Fleming currently serves as the pastor of SS John and James and St. Mary Church West Warwick, in RI. While pastor, I have perceived the need for more specified virtue training to encourage the faithful to be fit for the Kingdom, and with the help of his partner has begun the work of Ephesians 6 ministry.

Thank you for sharing!

Catholic Meme Monday— Issue 186

June 2, 2025June 4, 2025 / chicoinematt

Hope you had a blessed Final Sunday of Easter!🙏✝️

Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.

Life is fleeting. Spend your time here wisely. 🙏

One of the longest words in the Catholic dictionary. 😄

That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.

P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.

Thank you for sharing!

An Interview with a Malankara Catholic

May 10, 2025May 13, 2025 / chicoinematt

Describe your faith journey.

I am a cradle Catholic. In my childhood, my parents would take me to Sunday Catechism classes. During my college years, I fell away from the Church. I think mainly because it was due to not having Catholic friends. Most of my friends were Hindu or Atheist. For about six years I was a nominal Catholic. In 2022, I came back to the Church. I went to some Latin Rite Masses when I was far away from my home. During Covid I was getting used to the online Masses, but eventually I stopped going. I met a woman who asked me if I was going to Mass. I had a powerful experience when I returned back to the Church. After about a month, I had a desire to go to Confession. There was only one Mass on Sundays and Confession was before it. The lines were long for Confession and by the time I got to the confessional, the priest told me that he was out of time and had to be ready for Mass.

In 2022, I found my first Catholic friend who referred me to another priest who had the time to administer the sacrament of Confession in October. He told me after my Confession, “Welcome home!”. That was the first time I felt back in the Church. In the months prior to my Confession, I was studying the Scriptures and attending the Mass.

This is my home parish: St. Thomas Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, Nalanchira, Trivandrum.

The Malankara Catholic Church represents a fascinating blend of Eastern Syrian tradition and Indian cultural elements. Could you describe some distinctive features of your liturgy and how it reflects both your Syrian heritage and Indian identity?

Saint Thomas came to India 52 A.D. In the 15th century the Portuguese came to India and started missionaries. This is out when the Latin Church was first brought. We were under the guardianship of the bishops. When the Latin missionaries and bishops came there were some problems in the Indian church as they were following some Hindu. The Synod Diamper (1599 A.D.) gave the church more restrictions. There were a variety of reasons beyond religious for the synod, including political. A lot of the Syrian textbooks were burned, they Latinized the Mass, while keeping the Syrian language, they changed some elements.

Many people didn’t like this and protested the changes. During the synod no one opposed it due to fear of excommunication. But about 50 years later, protests started. “Coonan Cross Oath”. The protesters pledged to not be under Portuguese rule. They wanted a bishop from Rome, not a bishop from Portugal. After many years, a split happened in the church. Some stayed with the Latin bishop (the older faction) and those who opposed the Latin bishop (new faction). The new faction is no longer under the umbrella of the Catholic Church. Syro-Malabar Church was a name for the old faction.

The new faction wanted to be under a Syrian bishop and didn’t want to be Latinized. No bishops were coming, but eventually a Western Syrian bishop, from the Jacobites, came to India. What happened was that the new faction joined this Western Syrian bishop. Again a split happened in 1912. The new faction wanted to have self-governance not under a Jacobite bishop. Some people in the new faction said they would be under the Jacobite bishop and the others would be under the Indian Metropolitan. The Metran faction formed under the Indian Metropolitan. And the others under the Jacobite patriarch were known as the patriarch faction (eventually known as the Jacobite-Syrian Church). And the Metran faction became known as the Indian Orthodox Church.

In 1930, Rome accepted the request by the Indian Orthodox Church to be under their governance. One priest was the primary contact in this communication and he became the first bishop of the Malankara Church. His name was PT Geevarghese and became Mar Ivanios. My great-grandfather’s family was one of the first to join the Malankara Church. Also my grandfather was a personal assistant to Mar Ivanios near the end of his life.

There was a college started during Mar Ivanios’ tenure. My aunts and uncles attended this college along with my mom.

What role does the Syriac language play in your liturgical celebrations, and how has the balance between Syriac, Malayalam, and other languages evolved in your worship practices?

Initially it was all Syriac. Later, everything was in the vernacular. Now it is fully in Malayalam (it’s a newer language). About 20 percent of the liturgy is in Syriac. People are comfortable with Malayalam because they know the songs. They also like singing in Syriac.

Who are the saints your rite has a particular devotion to (besides Saint Thomas)?

Not really, we have a devotion to all the Catholic saints. Some of the popular saints are Saint George. Before the Synod, there were many Churches named after the Syriac saints, but after the synod many churches had their names changed to Roman saints.

Many Catholics in the West are unfamiliar with Eastern Catholic traditions. What aspects of Malankara spirituality, devotional practices, or theological emphases do you wish were better understood by the broader Catholic community?

These things I came to know about recently, the basics of the Western Church is the emphasis on reasoning and Scholasticism. Compared to that, the Eastern Catholic Church has more of a focus on mysticism. We called the Mass Quarbana. It has a meaning called “offering”. We also use the term Divine Liturgy. In the Malanakara Liturgy the first thing that happens is the offering. And it occurs behind the curtain. The priest will be offering the bread and wine. The first service is called Melcizdek and the second service is Aaron. He will incense the offering and after that we will start the Mass. Once the curtain is open the public life of Jesus is presented. We say a shorter version of the Creed. There is a short prayer (Trisagion). After the readings happen (Two Epistle and Gospel). There is no Psalm reading. The Old Testament reading is read at the beginning of the Liturgy before the preparatory service.

After the Liturgy of the Word, prayers from the priest are like a catechism (it’s like 10-15 minutes), followed by the Creed (we don’t use the filioque clause- because our church came from the Orthodox, and this was a compromise made with Rome), anaphora is next it’s where the service of offering happens. During the anaphora the Institution of the Eucharist happens.

Immediately after the anaphora we have the intercessory prayers. Then the Service of Fraction (meaning the Crucifixation of Jesus) and during this time the curtain is closed. After this, the curtain is open to symbolize the Resurrection of Jesus and we sing many songs (devoted to Mary, saints, faithful departed, priests). It’s more like a chain of songs.

After the songs the priest starts a procession for the congregation to Adore Jesus (this was a tradition started before the widespread use of Eucharistic Adoration Chapels). Then the faithful receive Communion. A similar procession happens after Communion. This procession is more of a thanksgiving. Closing prayers happen and the Divine Liturgy concludes.

Thanks for sharing your experience with my audience! Any words of encouragement or thoughts about the Eucharist to share with my readers?

Whenever I think about the Holy Mass inside one of the songs there is a line that is similar to this quote by Saint Maximilian Kolbe, “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion” –-St. Maximilian Kolbe

Additional information:

The Divine Liturgy of the Malanakara Church is kind of like a minor scale whereas the Syro-Malabar and Latin Masses have more of a major chord and happy tone.

We don’t kneel during Sundays because we are celebrating the Resurrected Jesus.

About Jibin:

Jibin Jose, Mechanical Design Engineer from Kerala, India, settled in UAE, Syro Malankrite.

Thank you for sharing!

	chicoinematt on Catholic Meme Monday— Issue 22…
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Day One: We Begin

The Divine Office, Lived Loudly

Real Reverence Can Have Wiggles

Final Blessing

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What drew you personally to the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and how has working on this project deepened your own faith journey?

The tilma of Juan Diego has survived nearly 500 years without deterioration—what does the scientific analysis reveal about this miraculous preservation, and how do you present this evidence in the film?

You’ve assembled incredible contributors like Fr. Spitzer and Jorge Arredondo from Harvard and Notre Dame. What unique insights do they bring about the theological and historical significance of Guadalupe that might surprise viewers?

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to an indigenous man and spoke in his native language—how does the documentary explore the cultural bridge she created between indigenous peoples and the Catholic faith?

In today’s cultural climate, why do you believe the message of Guadalupe is particularly relevant?

What do you hope Catholic families will take away from this series?

Beyond the Kickstarter campaign, what’s your vision for how this documentary can reach both practicing Catholics and those who might be encountering this miracle for the first time?

What has been the most profound moment or discovery during your research and filming process that reinforced why this story needed to be told?

Where can my readers learn more about this project and support it?

About Whitney:

Tell me about your faith journey.

The Ambrosian Rite dates back to at least the 4th century with connections to St. Ambrose himself. What sparked your passion for preserving this ancient liturgical tradition through digitization?

For readers unfamiliar with the Ambrosian Rite, what are the most distinctive elements that set it apart from the more familiar Roman Rite celebrated in most Catholic churches?

Your mission focuses on digitizing the Traditional Ambrosian Rite. What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced in translating manuscripts and liturgical books that are many centuries old into accessible digital formats?

The Ambrosian liturgical calendar has some fascinating differences, including six Sundays of Advent rather than four. Which seasonal celebrations in the Ambrosian tradition do you find most spiritually enriching?

Who are saints particularly honored in the Ambrosian Rite?

Looking to the future, how do you see traditional liturgical forms like the Ambrosian Rite contributing to the spiritual renewal of the Church in an increasingly digital age?

The name “Ephesians 6” clearly references the Armor of God passage. What specific aspects of this Scripture inspired you to found this ministry, and how does it shape your approach to spiritual growth?

Your mission statement mentions helping people “engage in Spiritual Warfare.” How do you explain this concept to those who might be unfamiliar with it, and what practical tools does your ministry provide?

In your experience working with people through Ephesians 6 Ministry, what do you find are the most common spiritual challenges people face today, and how does your approach help address them?

Where can my audience find more about your ministry?

About Fr. Fleming:

Describe your faith journey.

The Malankara Catholic Church represents a fascinating blend of Eastern Syrian tradition and Indian cultural elements. Could you describe some distinctive features of your liturgy and how it reflects both your Syrian heritage and Indian identity?

What role does the Syriac language play in your liturgical celebrations, and how has the balance between Syriac, Malayalam, and other languages evolved in your worship practices?

Who are the saints your rite has a particular devotion to (besides Saint Thomas)?

Many Catholics in the West are unfamiliar with Eastern Catholic traditions. What aspects of Malankara spirituality, devotional practices, or theological emphases do you wish were better understood by the broader Catholic community?

Thanks for sharing your experience with my audience! Any words of encouragement or thoughts about the Eucharist to share with my readers?

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About Jibin: