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 […]
LENT BEGINS IN THE MEDST OF A JUBILEE YEAR
You will recall that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, inaugurated the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 last Christmas Eve with the call for all of us to be pilgrims of hope. Jubilee Years are special years that focus on remission of sins and the call for universal renewal. Each year, the Church, in her wisdom, offers us the liturgical Season of Lent, a season for reconciliation and renewal in preparation for the hope that Easter offers us all as we celebrate the new life Jesus offers through his death and Resurrection.
On […]
SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
I don’t know about you, but I have come to rely very heavily on my GPS whenever I hit the road. Especially during those stormy days when roads were closed due to downed trees or wires, I even used GPS when I was going to Bryn Mawr or Paoli Hospital to anoint someone. And, I made sure to use a GPS with real time traffic alerts where up-to-the-minute details made my journey faster and easier.
Life is often described as a journey. For us Christians, it’s a journey through this life […]
CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL
What does it take to make 7.5 million meals? That’s how many meals were served to hungry people in the Greater Philadelphia area by the various agencies funded through the Catholic Charities Appeal last year. You may not notice them, but these hungry people are in every county, town, parish and neighborhood. The Catholic Charities Appeal is the largest fundraising initiative in the archdiocese and, as you can well imagine, this assistance is particularly important at this time as we all face the effects of ongoing inflation. The needy are […]