ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH LENT
Each year, the Gospel for Ash Wednesday sets out three practices – prayer, fasting and almsgiving – which we are called to perform with greater intensity and intentionality during Lent. Like a three-legged stool, all three of these practices are necessary for a stable Christian life and so, we are called to focus on them, once again, during this Lenten Season as we renew our commitment to following our Lord through his death to his Resurrection. As we approach the halfway mark for Lent, allow me to offer some reflections […]
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
I was delighted to learn on Friday that so many of you have already filled in and submitted the Disciple Makers Index survey that opened in our parish and in parishes throughout our archdiocese on Ash Wednesday. This DMI survey, which we first conducted in 2018, has helped us as a parish understand how we can better grow in our relationship with Jesus and as a community of faith lead each other to our final destiny: heaven. Like all parishes, our primary mission is to draw everyone to God. Today’s […]
COLLECTION FOR THE CHURCH IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
The predominant Christian Church in central and Eastern Europe is the Orthodox Church. You may recall that the Orthodox Church resulted from the schism between the East and West in 1054. The Catholic Church continues to serve the faithful in these countries too, however, often with great difficulty. The annual collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, which we will take up next weekend, provides much-needed funding for the Catholics living in 28 countries from Albania to Uzbekistan. In Ukraine, one of these countries that has been so […]
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
“The devil made me do it!” We sometimes hear that quip when someone has been caught doing something wrong. Unfortunately, we don’t usually take it seriously – that is, the idea that the devil can tempt us to do something. In fact, I suspect that most of us don’t even think very often about the devil. And, yet, every year on the first Sunday of Lent, we hear the account of the devil tempting Jesus. And, just as he tempted Jesus, he tempts us. So, let’s examine this account. It […]
COLLECTION FOR THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA
From northernmost Mexico to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina, as well as throughout the islands of the Caribbean, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s annual Collection for the Church in Latin America supports fellow Catholics as they grow in their faith and share God’s love. Last year, this collection supported 252 projects funded by the $6.2 million that Catholics in the United States gave to the annual fund. For more than 50 years, this annual collection has been a powerful way for us to unite […]
EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Have you ever wondered if Jesus had a sense of humor? Today’s gospel makes it very clear that he did. Just pay attention to the humorous comments that our Lord makes about the blind leading the blind and removing a wooden beam from our eyes. We all know how silly it is to think that a blind person could successfully lead another blind person. And why would a blind person ask another blind person to lead him in the first place? At the same time, why would a blind person […]