“A CHRISTIAN LENT CAN NEVER BE SAD. WITH THE FOURTH SUNDAY THE PENTUP SPIRITUAL JOY IN THE TRUE MEMBER OF CHRIST BURSTS FORTH IN ANTICIPATION OF THE EASTER JOY TO COME. ‘REJOICE, O, JERUSALEM, AND COME TOGETHER ALL YOU THAT LOVE HER’…” “A Lenten Sourcebook: The Forty Days, Book Two, p. 51 The coronavirus certainly has…
Water is a vital element in our existence. We need water to live. Yet, as important as water is for us, sometimes itis a destructive force in our world. Consider the many floods we have read and heard about recently, especiallywith climate change occurring in our world. It is important that we hydrate so that…
The coronavirus has dominated the news as well as people’s lives. It has affected activities around the world.Public events are cancelled, gatherings or large crowds are discouraged, airlines have cancelled flights to China andelsewhere, and Japan has closed schools for a month. Commerce between nations has been affected and peopleare cautious about how they move…
The desert is a vast, dry and arid place of mystery and encountering God. It is not a place one wants to be withoutfood or water. Yet, this is where the devil brought Jesus to tempt and challenge him. But, true to himself and hisFather, Jesus maintained his dignity and resisted the tempter’s invitations.And so,…
We begin the Holy Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. This season is a time the church gives us to look atour relationships with God and each other and to see what we need to strip away to make them better. The asheswe wear on Wednesday are not a social statement but a reminder that…
We are moving closer to Lent, which occurs in 10 days. In the meantime, it is always good for us to consider whether we have taken seriously the message of the Gospels in their call for conversion. We sometimes forget that the Lord’s call to conversion is an ongoing experience, and not just during Lent,…
Every so often, on a seemingly regular basis, the Pew Research Center does a survey of Americans on religion and its place in our lives. In a recent survey, the center conducted a survey of Americans who claim to be Christian. This survey doesn’t differentiate if one is Catholic, Presbyterian and so forth. It was…
Today begins CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK! The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reminds usthis week of the importance of Catholic Schools in the mission of the parish and the church. This year’s theme is:CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: LEARN, SERVE, LEAD, SUCCEED. Saint James the Apostle School, under theleadership of CAROLINE PONTERIO, PRINCIPAL, along with the faculty and…
“O GOD, WHO BY THE LEADING OF A STAR DIDST MANIFEST THY ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON TO THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH: LEAD US, WHO KNOW THEY NOW BY FAITH, TO THY PRESENCE, WHERE WE MAY BEHOLD THY GLORY FACE TO FACE.” A Christmas Sourcebook, p. 109 Today is the FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY! This day celebrates…
Today is HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY! This is the day we recognize the gift of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Theywere three unique persons and they formed a unique relationship, based on mutual love and respect.But, today is also about each of our families, and the parish family. Our families were also formed out of love andrespect…