The Incarnation – Part III

(We continue to benefit from Paul Peterson’s paper on the Incarnation. I hope you didn’t miss the first two sections that were offered here over the past two weeks; if you did, you’ll find them on our parish web site under my name.  As Paul concludes his reflections, he helps us to understand how the Incarnation allows us to become one again with God.  I invite you to reflect on his presentation; it will lead you even closer into the mystery of the Incarnation and its importance in our eternal […]

2019-12-17T15:30:49-05:00December 21st, 2019|

INCARNATION – PART II

(As I mentioned last week, Paul Peterson, one of our parishioners, recently shared a brilliant paper he had written on the mystery of the Incarnation.  With his permission, I am offering it to you for your reflection and inspiration as we prepare to celebrate our Lord’s birth at Christmas. Last week, he offered some very worthwhile reflections on the mystery of the Incarnation.  As we hurry toward Christmas, we benefit this week from his reflections on the eternal plan of God in the Incarnation.)

Saint Paul’s first experience of Jesus Christ […]

2019-12-13T11:27:32-05:00December 14th, 2019|

Incarnation – Part 1

(Advent is the time when we await the coming of our Lord, both in time as the son of Mary and at the end of time as the Risen Lord who draws all the faithful to our heavenly Father.  This is a good time to reflect on one of the great mysteries of our faith: the Incarnation.  Paul Peterson, one of our faithful parishioners who was a civil engineer and a religion teacher – he taught for 11 years at Bishop Shanahan High School, Downingtown – recently shared a paper […]

2019-12-05T15:40:29-05:00December 7th, 2019|

Retirement Fund for Religious Collection

We are blessed to have approximately 2,600 religious sisters, brothers and priests, in 74 religious congregations serving in our Archdiocese.  They have dedicated their lives to serve in a wide variety of ministries, teaching in our numerous elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, caring for the sick and marginalized, and serving our parishes in countless ways.  These consecrated men and women have brought the person of Christ to us through their loving care.  Both in active ministry and in contemplative life, we recognize the fruits of their labor.  Currently, […]

2019-11-26T10:49:06-05:00December 2nd, 2019|

The Season of Advent

“Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Mt 24:44).

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 reflect on the season of Advent and the Gospel of Matthew (from which we will hear extensively during this liturgical year).

We human beings cannot live without hope.  Unlike the rest of the animals in this world, we are blessed with the ability to recognize the […]

2019-11-26T10:52:18-05:00December 2nd, 2019|

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

On this, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Church calls us to reflect on the kingship of Jesus Christ.  His kingship is anticipated in the anointing of David as the king of Israel.  In today’s first reading at Mass from 2 Samuel, we hear the Lord God say to David, “You shall shepherd my people Israel.”  And, in the Gospel passage from Luke, we hear the Jewish rulers, who have just succeeded in having Jesus crucified, taunt him with “If you are the King of the Jews, […]

2019-11-26T12:41:25-05:00November 24th, 2019|

A SMALLER BUT MORE COMMITTED CHURCH

The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan organization that conducts public opinion polls to inform the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, recently released the results of its ongoing study on religion in our country.  The results were not surprising and they are worthy of our reflection.  The report tracks the numbers of Christians, Catholics and “nones”, that is, those who identify their religious identity as atheistic, agnostic or “nothing in particular”, over the past ten years here in the U.S.A.  In 2009, 77% of […]

2019-11-15T14:28:42-05:00November 16th, 2019|

Welcome Youngjin Joo

I’m sure many of you have noticed that we’ve had a new piano and organ accompanist at the 8:00 and 9:30am Masses over the summer.  Youngjin Joo, who has played the piano since she was eight years old and holds a Master’s Degree in Organ Performance, has graced us with her excellent musical accompaniment on both the organ and piano.  After an extensive search over the summer and auditions with several candidates, we have engaged Youngjin as our new Sunday Accompanist and Adult Choir Director.  I want to take this […]

2019-11-08T11:09:12-05:00November 9th, 2019|

Annual Appeal

“Our seminary is not closing!”  This was the opening statement that Bishop Timothy Senior, the rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, made as he addressed the priests of our archdiocese at a recent clergy conference.  I want you to hear this statement because I’m afraid that there are those who think the seminary is, indeed, closing.  There are currently 165 seminarians from 15 (arch)dioceses and five religious communities at our seminary preparing for the priesthood; 75 of them are preparing to become priests for our archdiocese.  So, it’s clear that […]

2019-11-01T13:31:45-04:00November 2nd, 2019|

Stewardship Weekend

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Mt. 22: 21).  When some of the religious leaders try to trap Jesus with a question about whether or not to pay the Roman taxes, Jesus reminds his listeners that everything belongs to God; after all, he is the creator of the universe and gives us all that we have.  We read in the Bible that, after God had created the heavens and the earth, he planted a garden and placed man there to […]

2019-10-25T14:27:13-04:00October 26th, 2019|
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