SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Ice cream, chocolates, candy…don’t they sound great! Many of us crave sweet things. In just a little more than a weeks, some of us will be giving them up as our sacrifice for Lent. Sugary treats may not be a healthy option but they trigger the release of feel-good chemicals in our brains that provide us with a momentary rush of pleasure. Interestingly enough, so does the thought of getting even with someone who has hurt us. Neuroscientists have discovered that revenge really is “sweet” for that part of our […]
Next Generation Parish Update
It has been almost a year since I wrote to you about Next Generation Parish, an initiative that the Catholic Leadership Institute is introducing to 15 select parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. You may recall that CLI is a 25-year old national apostolate that provides training and formation for the purpose of creating more vibrant communities rooted in Jesus Christ. It was founded and is still headquartered here in our archdiocese but has worked with (arch)dioceses throughout the country. We accepted CLI’s invitation to engage in this four-year process […]
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – Wedding Anniversary
What does it mean to be blessed? It means to be in God’s grace, to enjoy his favor and it leads to true joy and everlasting happiness. We all say that we seek to be happy but what we really seek is to be blessed, that is, to enjoy God’s favor, both here and for all eternity in heaven. So, how do we become blessed? Fortunately, in his infinite love and wisdom, God has shown us the way to true blessedness. How does God guide us? Through Sacred Scripture, of […]
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
As we look back on our lives, many of us will recognize a particular person who caused us to make a significant change or to go in a different direction. It might have been a parent, a neighbor or teacher, our spouse or a good friend. The change we were influenced to make was good, even though, at first, it made us very uneasy. It caused us to think bigger, do better things, use our talents in ways that we didn’t imagine possible, to live differently.
This is what we hear […]