“O LORD, THROUGH THESE FORTY DAYSYOU PRAYED AND KEPT THE FAST;INSPIRE REPENTANCE FOR OUR SINS,AND FREE US FROM OUR PAST…” (A Lent Sourcebook: The Forty Days, Book One, p. 69) The desert was always a place of mystery and a place to encounter God. It was hot, dry and arid. There was nothing to distract anyone…
TODAY IS VALENTINE’S DAY!!! This is a traditional day to celebrate love between spouses, friends, and families. Valentine’s Day traditions go back thousands of years. In our society, it is a day to shower each other with cards, dinner, candy, and other gifts. Obviously, this year, the pandemic has changed everything, but Valentine’s Day is…
Today is SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!! Under normal circumstances, families and friends would gather either at home or in a restaurant to watch the game and enjoy some food. The stadium would be filled with fanatic football fans. This year, things are different because of COVID-19. Gatherings will be smaller. There will only be a few…
Joe Biden is the second Catholic after John Kennedy to be elected president. But he is the third Catholic to run for president. Do you know who the first Catholic presidential nominee was and in which election he ran? The answers are at the end of this column. Jesus was a person unlike any other….
The public ministry of Jesus was meant to bring the Good News of the Father to the people he encountered. He chose a group of apostles who listened and learned from him so that they could continue his ministry after his resurrection and ascension. This follows the call of Jonah in the first reading, which…
We have now begun Ordinary Time. This is the time designated by the Church as being between one liturgical season and another. We will remain in Ordinary Time until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Being in Ordinary Time does not mean our lives are ordinary. Hardly, especially with the pandemic. Hopefully, the vaccines will help…
“WE ARE URGED TO MOVE QUICKLY BEYOND THE INTIMATE SCENE OF JESUS’S BIRTH TOWARD THE MORE CHALLENGING VISION OF HIS BAPTISM. IN SHORT, WE ARE ASKED TO MOVE…FROM CONCERN FOR INTIMACY TO CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY.” (A Christmas Sourcebook, p.144) Today is the FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD! The baptism of Jesus by John…
“THE GIFTS OF GOD ARE MULTIPLIED… FOR THOUGH THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS TELL…ONLY THREE MEN…CAME FROM THE DISTANT EAST… YET WE SEE THE SAME THING HAPPENING ON A FAR LARGER SCALE IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF ALL WHO ARE CALLED.” (A Christmas Sourcebook, p.117) Today is the FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY! Epiphany means manifestation, and today’s feast…
“LET US TOO STAND IN THE TEMPLE AND HOLD GOD’S SON AND EMBRACE HIM; AND THAT WE MAY DESERVE LEAVE TO WITHDRAW AND START ON OUR WAY TOWARDS A BETTER LAND…”. (A Christmas Sourcebook, p.85) Today is HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY! This day celebrates Joseph, Mary and Jesus as a model of family life for us….
EGREDIETUR VIRGA DE RADICE JESSE, ET REPLEBITUR OMNIS TERRA GLORIA DOMINI:ET VIDEBIT OMNIS SALUTARE DEI. A NEW SHOOT SHALL SPRING FROM THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND ALL THE EARTH WILL BE FILLED WITH THE GLORY OF THE LORD. ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION BY OUR GOD.” (An Advent Sourcebook, p. 130) The Gospel for the Fourth…