We often find ourselves in the desert fighting against temptation and the devil just like Jesus did in the Gospel of Matthew. There is a simple prayer that we can use at the moment of temptation to help drive the devil away and along with regular prayer and fasting, it will help weaken the temptation … Continue reading A Simple Prayer for Fighting Evil →

St. Francis de Sales says that in order to control anger, we must practice gentleness in our daily lives and collect ourselves calmly and gently whenever we begin to get angry. This will help us not to use anger to commit sin and leads us to behave more like Christ. My latest article on Catholic365 … Continue reading St. Francis de Sales’ Guide to and Prayer for Controlling Anger →

This was my last article on the importance of sacred music. If you go to Catholic365's website and type my name, Emily Berns, into the search box, my latest articles will come up. They're not all there and I wasn't able to copy the page's link, but in the future I will share some of … Continue reading The Importance of Sacred Music in the Liturgy →

I'm back! I know it's been quite a while since I posted on here, and it's because I've started writing with the website Catholic365. I decided to start sharing my posts from there on Lumen Fidei. The one that is the title of this post is my latest article. I've been doing this for a … Continue reading Recollection, Penance, and Charity: Different Ways to Look at Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving →

Happy 3rd day of Christmas! He's here. After 4 weeks of preparation and waiting, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is born! The little Baby, looking so tiny and helpless in the manger, is the Almighty God come to save His people. His poverty and humility are astounding. What can we take from this? Sit … Continue reading For Unto Us a Savior is Born: Merry Christmas! (Yes, it’s still Christmas!) →

The announcement of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ is most appropriately chanted or recited during first Vespers on December 24. It can also be chanted or recited before the celebration of the Midnight Mass: The twenty-fifth day of December,/ when ages beyond number had run their course/ from the creation of the world,/ … Continue reading The Proclamation of Christmas →

Ember Days are days of penitential nature that acknowledge that we are in debt to God for our existence and everything we have. We ask for God's blessing and thank Him for the many things He has given us. These days occur during different periods throughout the year, and the Advent Ember Days occur the … Continue reading Advent Ember Days →

TODAY IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION. IF YOU’RE READING THIS, YOU CAN’T PRETEND YOU FORGOT OR DIDN’T KNOW. GO TO MASS. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the day commemorating the conception of the Virgin Mary in the womb of St. Anne without the stain of original sin. The Church holds … Continue reading The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary →

Every month, Holy Mother Church gives us opportunities to direct our devotions and prayers to a specific subject. The entire month of November is dedicated to praying for the holy souls that are destined for Heaven, but are undergoing purification in Purgatory. It's not just a one-day thing we do on November 2 and in … Continue reading November Devotion: Praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory →

Today we celebrate the Memorial of All of the Faithful Departed, or All Souls’ Day. It is a day to remember all of the holy souls who died with some stain of sin (not mortal) still on their souls and so must undergo purification in Purgatory before entering Heaven. They cannot pray for themselves, so … Continue reading Prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory →