USCCB Press Release
As you have probably read or heard on the news, the U.S. bishops have been engaged over the past several months in a sometimes heated debate regarding the Eucharist and who should be receiving it. Abp. Jose Gomez, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, provided a press release last week; it includes a statement from him and Q and A on the issue. Although it appears to me to be a bit of damage control and an attempt to rewrite the story, I offer it for your reflection. [...]
FAREWELL AND GOD BLESS MSGR. CARROLL
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4) Seventeen years ago, Msgr. Carroll retired as pastor of St. Hilary of Poitiers parish, Rydal, PA, and Msgr. Jagodzinski invited him to come here as a senior priest. This is a designation given to a priest who has reached the age of 70 and is able to continue serving but is no longer required to be involved in administrative duties. Five years later, having reached the canonical retirement age, Msgr. Carroll chose to stay here, celebrating Sunday [...]
THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (Year B)
Deuteronomy 4:32 – 34, 39 – 40 We have returned to Ordinary Time, that is, time ordered according to God’s plan for our salvation. As we do so, the Church has offered us over these next two Sundays the opportunity to reflect on two very important aspects of our faith: the Blessed Trinity and The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. These are two fundamental beliefs that inform everything else we believe about God. This Sunday, we focus on the mystery of the Holy Trinity. As we read in [...]
PENTECOST SUNDAY
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:1-4) With this dramatic description from today’s [...]
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. Waters and Fr. Reilly will use, so don’t [...]
THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
As they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11) This past Thursday, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Ascension [...]