Did you know it is tradition to go down on both knees and give a bow when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and out of the tabernacle?

My friends and neighbors.  Shabbat Shalom!

It is a joy and an honor to be with you again!  Thank you!

To be with you is not extraordinary, as I have many times before enjoyed the company and hospitality of Rabbi Davidson, his predecessor Rabbi Posner, the gracious staff, and this historic congregation.

What is somberly extraordinary for this evening is that I come at a very ominous time for you.  The recent hate crimes and vitriol shown against you, my esteemed elder brothers and sisters in the faith,…

In my last video, I talked about how each day of the week has a special devotion. Each month of the year does as well! Don’t forget that beautiful tradition!

Do you remember the Catholic custom that each day of the week is dedicated to a special devotion? If there’s not a saint’s feast day on a particular day, I celebrate a Votive Mass based on the day’s devotion.

Today is the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. Mary defends and protects the followers of her Son, Jesus. That title is particularly invoked when there is persecution of the Church. Use today to pray for our co-religionists who are being persecuted throughout the world.

Another beautiful Catholic custom is to have a guardian angel. Each of us have one. God love us so much as His children that He gives us an angel to watch over us our entire lives.

The last couple weeks I’ve been focusing on Catholic devotions and customs. We need to pray every day – here are some customs that help us. In the morning, we make a morning offering. At night, we say our night prayers. We also pray an Angelus at 6AM, 12PM, and 6PM.

When we pass in front of a church, we should bow our heads, make the sign of the Cross, or tip our hat. It’s an act of reverence to Jesus. It’s a beautiful reminder of Emmanuel – God is with us.

Another Catholic custom that I want to remind everyone of is fasting an hour prior to receiving Holy Communion. That used to be taken very seriously. It’s a chance to prepare and make room in your heart and soul for the coming of Jesus.

Can I talk to you about novenas today? An essential part of our Catholic faith is prayer, but a Catholic custom that adds power to prayer is the novena. A novena is nine days of prayer for a particular intention.