“There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the wave. …And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud. …When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand” (Lk 21:25ff).
With these words, our Lord helps to prepare us for his coming. As we begin a new liturgical year today, the First Sunday of Advent, allow me to […]
On this, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Church calls us to think of the end of our lives, our final judgment and our final destiny – the Kingdom of God. The apocalyptic vision that we hear in today’s first reading from the Book of Daniel sets the tone by speaking about the coming of a “Son of man” who receives dominion, glory and kingship over all peoples, nations, and languages who will serve him. The passage from the Book of Revelation that we hear today is […]
“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” Most of us are so busy with our everyday lives that we don’t give ourselves much – if any – time to reflect on the end of our lives and the end of time. And yet, we all know that we will die. As […]
“As we settle into our new home, I invite you to consider making a gift to this year’s Seminary Appeal. Your generosity directly impacts the lives of our seminarians and students, providing them with the resources they need for their journey – spiritual guidance, theological education, pastoral experience and the support of a vibrant community.”
This is the short and clear message that Bishop Keith J. Chylinski, the rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, wants us all to hear this year as we prepare to support our seminary during its annual […]
We all know that sacrifice is an important element of our faith. After all, we are gathered here to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass. When we think about sacrificing, we usually think immediately about giving up something. At Mass, we gratefully acknowledge that Jesus gave up his life for us. During Lent, we give up candy or chocolate or coffee in imitation of Jesus who gave up his life for us. So, it makes sense for us to think of giving up something when we think of sacrifice. But, […]
Christmas preparations are well underway in our stores; I saw Christmas cards and decorations in stores at the end of September! We have the privilege of sharing the true spirit of Christmas that goes beyond the holiday parties, exchange of gifts and cards and seasonal decorations. We have several parish initiatives that will allow you to give to those in need as you celebrate God’s great gift of his son, Jesus. For those of you not familiar with them or who would benefit from a little refresher, allow me to […]
“You’ve been on my heart.” “I have my heart set on it.”
“It breaks my heart.” “I’ve put my heart into it.” We’re all familiar with these sayings and others like it and we’ve probably used them ourselves at one time or other in our lives. Using the heart as a symbol, we speak of our involvement in someone or something at the deepest levels, where our most honest thoughts and feelings are to be found. We’re not talking about an impulsive response but one where there has been serious thought […]