Following the death of Margaret della Metola in 1320, every step taken by the Roman Catholic Church to investigate her sanctity has been done quietly and on the cheap. Mother Church’s reticence in this regard over the past 700 years seems quite perplexing.

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns! One a penny, Two a penny, Hot cross buns!

The Church stubbornly calls us to reclaim Advent, making it a time of profound spiritual anticipation through prayer, sacrifice, and cultural detachment to cleanse our souls and be ready to be welcomed by Jesus on both Christmas Day and Judgment Day.

“O Jesus, be Thou not a stranger/ But make my heart Thy manger.”

Born in 1192, St.  Juliana of Liège (or of Mont Cornillon) entered religious life as a Norbertine canoness regular. Of her, Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “She is little known but the Church is deeply indebted to her, not only because of the holiness of her life but also because, with her great fervor, she contributed to the institution of one of the most important solemn liturgies of the year: Corpus Christi.”

Jacques Pantaléon, a humble cobbler’s son, was sent to a monastery school where he excelled in canon and common law studies.

Pantaléon was serving as archdeacon of the cathedral of Liège in Belgium when the visions of Sister, later Saint, Juliana, prioress of the Norbertine canonesses, became known to Robert de Thourotte, Bishop of Liège.