I don’t know about you, but I was really excited to see the first images of the universe that the James Webb Telescope – the world’s largest space telescope – provided us last week.  Those photographs of the Carina nebula, where stars are born and Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies demonstrate how this new telescope will help us to peer deeply into the mysteries of our universe back to its origin some 13 billion years ago.  I look forward to learning more about these photographs and the […]

We all know the importance of laws in our lives.  They keep us on the right side of the road so we don’t run into each other on the road and assure us that the product we’re buying is exactly as described on the label.  But, laws are not intended to draw us closer to one another or to God; only love can do that.  God gave his people Israel the Ten Commandments as a sign of his great love for them and to help them understand how they could […]

We all know that Jesus is God. He can do all things.  While he was in our midst, he healed the sick, fed the hungry, brought the dead back to life and even overcame the power of the devil as he rose from the dead.  So, why did he need the help of the seventy-two we hear him send out two by two in today’s Gospel?  Actually, he didn’t need their help.  Jesus saves the world all by himself.  However, God, in his divine providence calls on us to assist […]

I’m sure many of you have been waiting with great anticipation the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade that was handed down on Friday; I know I have.  As Judge Alito wrote in his 79-page opinion of the Court, “Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views.”  And from these conflicting views, we find deep division about this decision to return the legislation of abortion to the states because it once again brings to the fore the longstanding debate about abortion.

We all know that […]

Have you ever noticed how much of the story around Jesus’ public ministry involves a meal and food?  From his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves – so significant that it is found in all four Gospels – to the story of the woman who asked Jesus to heal her child as he reclined at table, to the account of the woman who wept and bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears as he dined with a Pharisee, to the […]

o, who do you pray to?  I know – you pray to God, but how do you understand God?  Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. As we profess in our creed, we believe in one God, the Father almighty, in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son and in the Holy Spirit.  One God in three persons, in perfect communion with one another.  It is, indeed, a mystery of our faith and, as we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “[t]he mystery of the Most […]

We speak of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church.  It’s a very important event for all of us who follow Jesus.  We even have a stained glass window featuring the Pentecost event; you’ll find it in the back of the church to your left.  Just as the Passover event marked the birth of Judaism, so Pentecost marks the birth of Christianity.  As you know, we Christians are the spiritual descendants of the Jews and so many of our important celebrations represent the fulfillment of the promises made to the […]

We’re all familiar with the story we heard in tonight’s first reading.  It’s easy to pass it off as just another cute story but it is important to understand its significance in our Salvation History and the lesson it teaches us.  The account of the Tower of Babel is one of the mythical stories we find in the Book of Genesis.  And remember, these are legendary stories that teach us about God.  This one explains why there were so many languages in the world.  It follows the stories of Adam […]

If you knew that the prayers you offered up today would be among your last, what would you pray for?  Wouldn’t you focus on your highest priorities and most heartfelt desires – for yourself, for those dear to you?  That’s what Jesus did.  Our gospel passage today is part the last major prayer Jesus offered before his arrest and crucifixion.  He had just spent three years in intense ministry with his disciples.  Thousands of people had heard his message and seen and experienced his miracles.  By his death, he would […]

I’m not sure how many of you still carry change with you.  I just keep some quarters in my car in case I need one for a parking meter.  I took one of those quarters and have it here; I’m sure you’re all familiar with it.  If you have one with you, I invite you to take it out and look at it.  On the front, you will notice an image of George Washington, the first president of our great country.  And, what’s on the back of the coin?  Now, […]