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Church Doctrine and St. Thomas Aquinas Church Doctrine and St. Thomas Aquinas contributed by Eric Maurer, MClass, Director of Classical Education at Regina Angelorum Academy. Source: onepeterfive.com Happy feast of St. Thomas Aquinas!  Today RAA celebrates our church’s premier theologian.  He himself a classical educator leading seminar-style classes in which students would pepper him with questions.  Aquinas defended church doctrine and considered countless heresies in his summation of theology, the Summa Theologica and in his Summa Contra Gentiles, written for non-Catholics.   Using the strongest objections to Catholic doctrine that he could find, Aquinas answered each of them one at [...]

During Advent, from December 17-23, the O Antiphons are sung during Evening Prayer. We recognize them in a modified version as they appear in the Advent hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. From Catholic Online: There are seven short verses sung before the Magnificat during Evening Prayer of the Church on the seven days before the vigil of Christmas. They each begin with the exclamation "O". Each of them ends with a plea for the Messiah to come. As Christmas approaches the cry becomes more urgent. The antiphons were composed in the seventh or eighth century when monks put together texts [...]

Today is the Feast Day of St. Lucy (or Lucia) which means light. It's a great day to celebrate light during these much longer nights and shorter days. Around school on All Saints' Day, you might see some of our students dressed up and carrying a plate with two eyeballs or perhaps a class eating eyeball buns. Why is this?   St. Lucy was born to a wealthy Christian family during a time when the Roman Emperor Diocletian was persecuting Christians. After her father died and her mother became ill, she was promised to a pagan man to ensure that she [...]

Gaudete Means Rejoice Today, Gaudete Sunday, is a joyous occasion, but what does it mean and why is the color rose used? First, the definition. Gaudete means "rejoice" in Latin. Its name is taken from the entrance antiphon of the Mass, which is: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. (from Philippians 4:4-5) The Color Rose There is also the color rose. This is possibly the most recognizable symbol to many, especially when lighting a rose candle on the Advent Wreath. As a liturgical color, rose is a lightened version of the penitential violet [...]

Each December, children are delighted to receive their Advent calendars. As each door is opened, scripture, an image, and sometimes a treat is presented. This tradition has been around since the 4th century, but many of us may not realize its historical significance. Originally, converts to Christianity spent their time during Advent to prepare for their Baptism and eventually it became the season of preparation for Jesus’ birth. Calendars began on December 1st because of the varying dates on which Advent began. Advent---that period of great anticipatory joy---is a time of preparation for the celebration of Christ's arrival in Bethlehem as [...]

  Advent, the prayerful and penitential liturgical season leading up to Christmas, offers so much to enjoy with our families. While the world has already professed Christmas is here, as Catholics, we try to observe Advent and keep to traditions that focus on salvation history from Creation through the Incarnation of Jesus. Familiar Advent traditions include placing wreaths and candles, special prayers each evening at dinner, and celebrating feasts that fall during Advent. There are many ways to observe Advent. Below are ideas you can try together as a family. Attend Mass Attending Mass allows us to grow closer to Jesus [...]

Advent at RAA Advent is traditionally a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving and is sometimes called "little Lent". As we prepare our hearts and homes for the coming of Christ at Christmas, Regina Angelorum Academy (RAA) also prepares intentionally by praying different prayers during Forum and saying the St. Andrew Novena together beginning November 30. In this post, we share ways that RAA faculty and students will observe Advent. To learn ways you and your family can prepare together during this time of great anticipation, read our blog post about Advent Traditions for Catholic Families. Morning Prayer During Forum: Sing [...]

All Hallows’ Eve: The Catholic Roots of Halloween Americans aren’t used to thinking of Halloween as a religious holiday. With all the horror movies, the skulls and gory figurines on peoples’ lawns and the – well, spookiness – the Catholic roots of Halloween now generally lie six feet under people’s minds. This is precisely why it’s time to dig up these roots. As many know, Halloween (or Hallowe’en) is a shortened version of “All Hallows’ Eve”. As such, it is the vigil or “eve” of the Solemnity of All Saints Day (or Feast of All Hallows) on November 1. Just as [...]