FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Once again, let me wish all of you a Happy 4th of July weekend as we celebrate the semiquincentennial of our independence from the oppressive yoke of British rule. Unfortunately, this year, we find ourselves struggling under the yoke of oppressive heat and humidity, as well as the burden of a seriously divided nation. The image of a yoke is not common in our urban culture, but I’m sure you’re all familiar with it. It’s that wooden piece that keeps two oxen together as they plough a field or haul […]
CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Our Lord calls us to “do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Mt. 7:12), and then teaches us to love our neighbor, using his parable of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate who is our neighbor (cf. Lk 10:29ff). It should be a matter of great concern for all of us that, in a country as prosperous as ours, so many of our fellow Americans (approximately 11% of the 340 million Americans) live in poverty. For more than half a century, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development […]
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
I like straight talk. I find it so much easier to address a situation if I know, up front, what the issues are and what we need to do. Today, we hear our Lord offer us some straight talk and we all will do well to listen carefully. Today’s gospel passage is another portion of the instructions Jesus gave his disciples before he sent them off as his apostles. You will recall the difference between a disciple and an apostle. A disciple is one who follows his teacher, carefully observing […]
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN OUR NATION’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY
Our nation’s semiquincentennial is well underway with a variety of special celebrations. Since one of the important freedoms that make up the foundation of our country is religious freedom, the Catholic Church has gotten involved in a number of significant ways. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 11 June, the eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This historic event was designed to recognize the Kingship of Christ and promote healing and peace in our nation.
Later […]
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Many of us spend a great deal of time and energy being afraid. Some fear a past they cannot change or a future they cannot control. Others fear what people are thinking or saying about them. There is fear of heights, the dark, spiders, rejection, loneliness – all kinds of fears. Fear can cause confusion, distress and even paralysis.
One of the constant messages of Sacred Scriptures is, “fear not!” Whether it’s God speaking to Abraham as he calls him to leave his homeland or to Moses when he instructs him […]
PETER’S PENCE COLLECTION AND FATHER’S DAY
“Together, as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk towards God and love one another.” – Pope Leo XIV, Homily at Mass for the Beginning of his Pontificate, May 18, 2025
From his first appearance after his election in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV has called upon Catholics to live in peace and unity with one another within the Church and to share this invitation to peace and unity with the whole world. Throughout history, Catholics have shared the peace and unity of Christ with the world by proclaiming […]