THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (Year B)
Deuteronomy 4:32 – 34, 39 – 40 God revealed himself to Adam and Eve, Noah and Abraham. And, he revealed himself by name to Moses and entered into a covenant relationship with Israel through him. In this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses enjoins the people to put their faith in God because he has demonstrated such great power for them. The text we will hear on Sunday is part of a magnificent, comprehensive homily on the election of Israel. It is one of the stylistic and theological [...]
PENTECOST SUNDAY (Year B)
On this, Pentecost Sunday, we come to the end of the Easter Season as we celebrate the birth of the Church and hear an exhortation of how we are to live as the Church. Different readings are prescribed for the Vigil Mass than for the Mass on Sunday and that there are options for both sets of readings. I will reflect on the readings for Sunday that I will use at the Masses I will celebrate. I don’t know which readings Fr. Reilly will use, so don’t be surprised if [...]
NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE AND MANNA BAGS
NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE The national pilgrimage leading up to the Eucharistic Congress is almost here! As you will recall from my earlier articles, it will begin to pass through the Philadelphia area at the end of this month, coming from the Trenton Diocese on 30 May as it crosses over the Walking Bridge into Morrisville, PA, with a walking procession to Holy Trinity Church. The Pilgrimage will continue to St. John the Evangelist Church, Morrisville and St. Andrew Church, Newtown, before going to various churches in Philadelphia. On Sunday evening, [...]
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers of the parish and the mothers of all our parishioners! We all know how important our mothers are to us as we grow up and so we join with our nation in honoring them today. Mother’s Day is not part of the Church’s liturgical calendar. In fact, liturgical directives state that “this secular observance must in no way diminish the primary focus of Sunday as the celebration of the paschal mystery.” Yet, this national holiday allows an opportunity to reflect on the essential role [...]
CONGRATULATIONS FIRST COMMUNION CLASS!
This weekend and next, at the 5:00pm and 9:30am Masses, 80 of our parishioners will receive our Lord in Holy Communion for the first time! This is a very important event in their faith lives as they now join with the rest of the believing community in participating fully in the Celebration of the Eucharist. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains so clearly, Holy Communion is “our fellowship with Jesus and other baptized Christians in the Church, which has its source and summit in the celebration of the [...]
Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year B)
John 15:1 - 8 Last Sunday, we heard Jesus speak of himself as the Good Shepherd. He used that image against the Jewish leaders, whom he, by inference, characterized as bad shepherds, mere hirelings who are in it for themselves. He, on the other hand, was the Good Shepherd who “lays down his life for his sheep.” This is the only occasion in the Gospel of John where Jesus uses a human image as an analogy for himself. This Sunday, we hear Jesus speak of himself in one [...]