FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you.” Do you remember that declaration we heard from God on the first Sunday of Lent? I don’t know about you, but this Lent has gone very quickly for me. It’s hard to believe that next Sunday will already be Palm Sunday! And, the readings have presented us with a consistent theme throughout these five weeks of Lent; it’s the theme of “covenant” – I hope you’ve noticed it. It’s very important to our understanding of God […]
THE MORALITY OF RECEIVING THE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
A number of you have asked me about the morality of receiving the COVID-19 vaccinations and, in particular, the most recent vaccination made available through Johnson & Johnson. Your concern is due to the reported use of aborted fetuses in the development and production of these vaccines. It is a very valid concern and I applaud you for asking this question. I’m sure you recognize that I am a staunch pro-life advocate and would not want to encourage abortion for any reason.
On the other hand, it is important to fully […]
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Have you noticed them? The crocuses and daffodils that are beginning to break through the soil and some are even blooming, the rhododendron buds that are starting to bulge, the hint of green in the weeping willows – all of nature is getting ready to delight us, once again, with a glorious spring. As I mentioned at the beginning of our celebration this morning, on this, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we are invited to rejoice. This Sunday has been traditionally known as Laetare Sunday, taken from the entrance antiphon […]
Reflections on the “Year of St. Joseph” in anticipation of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
“Where was St. Joseph buried?” a parishioner asked me recently. I thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t think we know. I have been to three places that claim to be burial sites for Mary: in Jerusalem, Ephesus and Kashmir. I have been to two burial sites for Jesus: inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and just outside the walls of Jerusalem. But I’ve never heard of or read about a burial place for St. Joseph.” “How, sad,” the parishioner commented. As I thought more about it throughout […]
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Over the past three weeks, the Sunday readings have reminded us of God’s covenant relationship with us. Remember, a covenant is an agreement between two parties, based on love and calling for a faithful relationship. God has established covenants with us because of his infinite love. He promises to care for us and calls us to be faithful to him. On the first Sunday of Lent, we heard of God making a covenant with Noah, promising him that “there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.” This is […]
NEXT GENERATION PARISH
This has been a very interesting year, hasn’t it!?! Last February, we started hearing about a virus that was spreading quickly around the world with deadly consequences. The medical world struggled to understand and even name it; it finally settled on COVID-19 since it was a version of the coronavirus discovered at the end of 2019. With increasing alarm, our government reacted, calling for all non-essential activity to stop for a short time beginning on 18 March 2021. That short time was extended and rules and guidance changed constantly as […]
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
“Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love … [and] offer him up as a holocaust.” These are shocking words to us; we can’t imagine anything so barbaric. But, they would not necessarily have been so for Abraham. Child sacrifice was an accepted practice in Abraham’s time among the pagan religions; even some of the Jewish kings practiced it. But our God does not desire human sacrifice. So, as we hear with great relief in today’s first reading, God stops him! God was putting Abraham to the test, […]