EQUIPPING EVERYONE TO SHARE OUR FAITH
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). The last words of Jesus recorded in both Matthew’s and Mark’s gospels included the clear command to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim his gospel – the good news of our salvation through him. Since then, the Church has engaged in this important work and we are blessed to respond to […]
MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
“The Lord bless and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” What better way to begin the New Year than with this blessing? As we begin a New Year, we are all looking for God’s blessings on us and our world, the peace that only he can give us in the midst of the turmoil of this world. As we leave behind a year filled with wild […]
CHRISTMAS 2022
Once again, let me wish all of you a Merry Christmas. We can say that here because that’s exactly what we’re doing. Have you ever wondered what the word “Christmas” means? The word dates back to at least 1038, originating from the Old English phrase, “Cristes Maesse. It means “Christ’s Mass.” Today, we often use the terms “Eucharistic Celebration” or “Sacred Liturgy” to speak of the Mass. As you know, “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving,” and every time we gather around our Lord’s Table, we give thanks to God for the great […]
CHRISTMAS VIGIL 2022
Once again, let me wish all of you a very blessed Christmas! We gather this evening to celebrate a momentous event in human history: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Although he was born more than 2,000 years ago, his birth impacts each of our lives directly today. As we will all acknowledge in just a few moments, he is the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world. As we have heard throughout this Advent season, he is Emmanuel, God with […]
NEW YEAR BLESSING ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Numbers 6:24-26) As we come to the end of our celebration of the Octave of Christmas and begin a New Year with the celebration of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, my heart is filled with joy and thanks as I celebrate this Christmas Octave with you once again here at St. Katharine of Siena Parish! What a generous Christmas […]
MERRY CHRISTMAS and FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
On this most holy day, allow me to wish all of you a very blessed Christmas! I hope all of your preparations have been successful and you will be able to take a moment to sit back and reflect on the meaning of this great Feast – the birth of God’s only son for our salvation! All around you – even in the secular Christmas decorations and events around you – you can find symbols of this pivotal moment in Salvation History. Take, for example the Christmas tree. It is […]
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT
Isaiah is the great prophet of the Advent season. We have heard from him every Sunday of Advent. Today, we hear him announce that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel. It is such an important prophecy that we hear it quoted in today’s gospel. The hope that one day prayers would be answered and prophesy fulfilled would sustain the faith of God’s children through many a crisis as the centuries ticked by. It is hope that sustains us during our darkest times, isn’t […]