TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
As we enjoyed the first taste of fall this past week with those brisk, clear mornings, here’s a wake-up call: today, the 25th of September, is only three months away from Christmas. Can you imagine!?! Soon, we’ll be getting involved in our annual Adopt-a-Family and Christmas Food Baskets. One of the many aspects of our parish that I have found so inspirational and edifying over the 11 years that I have been here is your tremendously generous response to all of the charitable appeals we have throughout the year, especially […]
RESPECT LIFE MONTH
It may be hard to believe, but October begins this week! Every October, we are called to consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death. While we are grateful for the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, we know that abortion still remains legal in most areas of the country. Yet, this is an historic step forward. As we continue to promote the protection of the infant in the womb, […]
TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“You cannot serve both God and mammon.” We all know that Jesus is an excellent teacher and, on this Catechetical Sunday, we commission all of our teachers – those in our school and in our PREP, as well as you parents, the primary teachers of your children – to follow the example of teaching as Jesus did. His lesson today is summarized in the last line of today’s gospel passage: you cannot serve both God and mammon. We all know who God is and how we are to serve him: […]
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY
“This is my body given for you,” we hear Jesus tell his apostles at the Last Supper; we hear similar words every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. As we celebrate Catechetical Sunday this weekend, with its theme this year of “This is my body given for you,” we recall our Lord giving himself to us for our spiritual nourishment. It is also the only worthy gift we can offer to our heavenly Father in thanksgiving for all that he has given us. What a precious gift we have […]
TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Did any of you fly anywhere this summer and lose your luggage? I didn’t have the occasion to fly recently but I’ve lost my luggage a few times over the years and, as those of you who have had it happen to you know, it’s a very frustrating experience. Unfortunately, it seems to be even more prevalent now for a variety of reasons and reclaiming your luggage seems to get harder and harder.
It’s sad when anything – or anyone – is lost. And yet, it seems that there are millions […]
INTRODUCING OUR NEW PASTORAL PLAN
After more than four years of preparation, I am excited to introduce our new Pastoral Plan for our parish! Working closely with our Parish Pastoral Council for several years and especially its envisioning team last year, we are now ready to present it to everyone in the parish as we invite you to embrace our three priorities: transformative liturgies, parishioner engagement and faith sharing. We all know that the primary purpose of our parish – like every parish in the world – is to draw everyone closer to God through […]
TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
How many of you have known someone who seemed to be lost in his/her life, may even have done something seriously wrong, and then, one day, declared they have turned their life around, claiming that they have “found Jesus.” I’ve heard a number of people tell me that. My first reaction is to thank God! That is the very definition of “repent and believe!” And while some may be skeptical, it is remarkable to see how God can work in someone’s life. In fact, it’s good for us as Christians […]