As we celebrate this third Sunday of Advent, we are getting into the home stretch of preparing to rejoice in the nativity of Our Lord, the coming of Christ the Messiah into our human history. This Sunday has traditionally been called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin words of the entrance hymn used, taken from chapter […]
As we continue through the Advent season, our task is to make ourselves ready for the coming of Christ in glory even as we prepare to celebrate with joy the coming of Christ in history in the holy womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The saints are our example and guide, showing us by their
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November has been a busy and unsettling month on the national level and the parish level. We are still struggling with the results of a contentious and divisive election; I have been working with the parish staff and committees on planning for a challenging celebration of Christmas, with the Chinese coronavirus still upending our lives;
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Earlier this month, the dioceses in the U.S. celebrated Vocation Awareness Week. This was a time set aside by our bishops to reflect on the vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and to encourage families to find ways to nurture that vocation in their children and grandchildren. I am going tooffer some brief reflections
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This week, as we bring the month of August to a close, we also wrap up at Mass the 6th chapter of St. John’s Gospel, the long discourse on the Bread of Life, where we hear in Jesus’ own words what the Eucharist means and why it matters in our lives. Once again, I encourage
To whom shall we go? Read More »
Through the month of August, I am continuing to reflect on St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6. That is the Gospel proclaimed at Mass for containing Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist, the core of our Christian life. Today we hear vv. 51-58, where we see some of the crowd listening to Jesus begin to divide themselves
How Can This Man Give us His Flesh to Eat Read More »
Through the month of August, I am going to continue to reflect on St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6. That is the Gospel proclaimed at Mass for several weeks running, containing Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist, the core of our Christian life. Today we hear vv. 41-51, where some of the crowd who are listening to
Bread for the Life of the World Read More »
As promised recently, over the next four weeks I am going to be reflecting on the critically important Scripture passage in St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6. This is the very lengthy teaching of Jesus on what the Blessed Sacrament is, this greatest of gifts given to us, found only in the Catholic Church where the
Give us this Bread Always! Read More »
Over the next five weeks at Mass, we will be hearing the priest or deacon proclaim the Gospel containing one of the most important chapters of the Bible for our Catholic life: St. John, chapter 6. This is the story of Jesus’ own teaching to the earliest Christian disciples of the meaning of the Eucharist,
I am the Bread of Life! Read More »