John 3:16 – the first verse of the gospel passage we just heard – is a very popular Bible verse. You see the numbers on T-shirts and on billboards, especially if you drive through some of the states to our south. Sometimes you even see the verse: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” It is, indeed, a very popular slogan. And, when we really listen to it with open hearts, […]
MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS
Last Monday, Pope Leo XIV promulgated his first encyclical letter. Entitled Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, it acknowledges familiar concerns about AI, including job insecurity, manipulation of information, privacy violations, ideological bias, autonomous weapons, and a futuristic vision of an “enhanced human being.” But Pope Leo identifies a deeper danger: that human beings may begin to see themselves and others as projects “to be optimized” (§112). The title, Latin for “magnificent humanity,” points to the document’s teaching that no […]
We all know that Pentecost marks the birthday of the Church. Birthdays are a time of celebration and recognition of our beginnings. They are times to reflect on our identity: what makes us who we are. Our readings today reveal important aspects of who we are as a Church.
In the first reading, we hear the Holy Spirit described as a strong driving wind that fills an entire house. Imagine the power of this moment. It is inescapable and full of energy. With a noise like a strong driving wind, and […]
PENTECOST SUNDAY
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:1-4)
With this dramatic description, we […]
Saying goodbye to loved ones is often very hard. This is especially true when that goodbye may be a final one. St. John has several chapters in his Gospel dedicated to Jesus saying goodbye to his disciples just before his passion and death on the cross. As we have over the past two Sundays, we hear again in today’s Gospel a portion of that final discourse, and it summarizes his teaching while also expressing his concern that they be prepared for his absence. Jesus’ aim is to convince the disciples […]
Yesterday, Archbishop Nelson Pérez ordained eight men to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at our Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul. Our Deacon David Wang was ordained with them and will begin serving here in the Archdiocese when he starts his new appointment on 1 July.
Deacon David recently joined the St. Charles Borromeo ordination class of 2026 pictured above which includes those men who will be ordained on Saturday as well as over the next few weeks for the Dioceses of Allentown, Arlington, Bridgeport, Harrisburg and Lincoln […]
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers of the parish and the mothers of all our parishioners! We all know how important our mothers have been to us as we grew up and so we join with our nation in honoring them today. We celebrate the great gift that God has given us in calling families to share in his creative work, especially through the loving care of their children. As we have done in the past, we will be making baby bottles available for you to […]