SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY (Year A)
John 20:19 – 31
Welcome to my annotated commentary of Sunday’s readings. The purpose of my commentary is to give you the background for each reading, a little better understanding of its message and the message that all of the Sunday readings provide us.
In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, we hear the presentation of two of the risen Lord’s appearances to the apostles, first on Easter Sunday and then on the next Sunday. These appearances to the disciples have parallels in Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:36-43 and 1 Corinthians 15:3 – 5; […]
“Alleluia! Love Is Alive” Audio Recording
This is an audio recording of Steve Angrisano’s “Alleluia! Love Is Alive,” recorded by members of the SKS Teen Mass Ensemble.
Piano/Voice – Ted Latham
Guitar – Stephen Morris
Trumpet/Voice – Ryan Oliver
Voice – Stephanie Twohig
Voice – Sophia Twohig
Flute – Grace Twohig
How the Virus Stole Easter
By Kristi B (with a nod to Dr. Seuss) ‘Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began, Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land. People were sick, hospitals full, Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school. As winter gave way to the promise of spring, The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.
PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION (Year A)
We begin on Sunday the week that we appropriately call Holy Week, when our Lord Jesus, the Holy Son of God, comes to Jerusalem where he is first hailed as the Son of David, and the Prophet and then is tried as a criminal in a sham trial orchestrated by the Jewish leaders, only to be scourged and crucified. For the Jewish leaders of his time, it was just to get rid of a trouble maker. But, as I hope you have come to learn, this was all part of […]
New liturgical directives and guidelines – updated 24 March
On 24 March, all priests throughout the archdiocese received updated liturgical directives and guidelines in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. First and foremost, these directives called for churches to remain open and available for the faithful to pray, and especially to visit the Most Blessed Sacrament at a time when they are unable to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. This is to be done in a manner that respects and follows current guidelines from governmental agencies concerning crowd sizes and gatherings. Exposition is also possible during this period. […]
FIFTH SUNDAY LENT (Year A)
Welcome to my annotated commentary of Sunday’s readings. The purpose of my commentary is to give you the background for each reading, a little better understanding of its message and the message that the Sunday readings provide us.
As we race toward Easter – Holy Week is only a week-and-a-half away – we hear all three readings speak of the dead being raised to new life. How exciting it is to live in hope of the Resurrection, especially now as we are bombarded with so much news of suffering and […]
Pastoral Messages from Archbishop Pérez/Links to Videos for Sharing Broadly in Your Parish Communities
Dear Brother Priests and Deacons,
The pastoral and temporal response of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve as this public health matter develops. During these uncertain and anxious times, all of us remain committed to fulfilling the mission of the Church through her various ministries and I know much has been asked of you in recent days.
Yesterday afternoon, Archbishop Pérez recorded pastoral messages for the people of the Archdiocese (English and Spanish), for all Church employees, and for the young people in our schools. Links […]
New Directives and Guidelines in Response to Covid-19
Message from Archbishop Nelson J. Perez
On Tuesday, 17 March, all parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia received the following two announcements:
ARCHBISHOP NELSON J. PÉREZ ANNOUNCES THE SUSPENSION OF ALL PUBLIC MASSES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA EFFECTIVE AT NOON MARCH 18
UPDATED DIRECTIVES IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS OFFICE FOR DIVINE WORSHIP
Statements from Abp Perez and the Office of Divine Worship
Message from Monsignor Brouwers
In response to these new directives […]
FOURTH SUNDAY LENT (Year A)
FOURTH SUNDAY LENT (Year A)
1 Samuel 16:1b, 6 – 7, 10 – 13a
Welcome to my annotated commentary of Sunday’s readings. The purpose of my commentary is to give you the background for each reading, a little better understanding of its message and the message that the Sunday readings provide us. This Sunday, we hear the very interesting account of the selection of David to replace Saul as king of Israel. First of all, we remember that 1 Samuel is part of the Historical Books of the Bible, presented in its […]