Bulletin – January 17, 2021
24
Philadelphia March for Life
Every year since the fateful Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 legalizing abortion in our country, we have been called to reflect on the Gospel mandate to protect human life from conception to natural death. This year marks the 25th anniversary of promulgation of Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) which reaffirms the value and inviolability of every human life. I would like to offer a summary of this prophetic encyclical for your reflection:
The Gospel of Life is at the heart of […]
Catholic Relief Service Annual Collection
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). Next weekend, we will join with all parishes throughout the country in taking up the annual collection for Catholic Relief Services. Founded 76 years ago, it now serves 136 million people in 110 countries on five continents. As so many impoverished people around the world struggle in the face of the coronavirus that just adds another layer of dire need to their already difficult lives, CRS is helping in […]
EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
Recently, a man stood inside one of the entrances to a Metro Station in Washington, D.C., playing some Bach pieces on a violin. He played for about 45 minutes in the middle of rush hour as thousands of people bustled past. A few slowed down for a moment to listen before scurrying on. Several children stopped to listen but were hurried along by their parents. After he finished, the man just walked away; no one stopped to applaud or thank him. This man was Joshua Bell, one of the best […]
HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
As we grow older and prepare for our transition from this life into the next, we often find ourselves wondering about the legacy we will leave our family and the world. Will it be a list of successful accomplishments? Will it be various donations made to charitable organizations or a trust fund or foundation that has been set up to help others in need? Perhaps our legacy will be a monetary inheritance left to family members or friends. Whatever the legacy may be, it is meant to benefit future generations […]
Solemnity of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
“And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. …And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:15ff). As we continue our celebration of the Christmas Octave with the celebration of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, my heart is filled with thanks and joy as I once again celebrate Christmas with you here at St. Katharine of Siena Parish! This is my tenth year to celebrate […]
CHRISTMAS 2020
(I used the readings from the Mass During the Day except for the Gospel, substituting Mt. 1:18-25 from the Vigil Mass)
It was such a difficult and stressful time. Surrounded by a ruthless enemy who was interested only in taking advantage of them and swooping down without warning to terrorize them and their families, life was very hard. Oh, to be free from this menace.
This description could apply for all of us today as we continue to be surrounded by our enemy, the coronavirus, but it also describes the world […]