THE MORALITY OF RECEIVING THE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
A number of you have asked me about the morality of receiving the COVID-19 vaccinations and, in particular, the most recent vaccination made available through Johnson & Johnson. Your concern is due to the reported use of aborted fetuses in the development and production of these vaccines. It is a very valid concern and I applaud you for asking this question. I’m sure you recognize that I am a staunch pro-life advocate and would not want to encourage abortion for any reason. On the other hand, it is important to [...]
FIFTH SUNDAY LENT (Year B)
Jeremiah 31:31 - 34 It has been some time since we have heard from Jeremiah so let’s review the who, what, when, where and to whom of this important prophetic book. Please take out your time line. You will see that Jeremiah was active as a prophet from 609 until 586BC. He was born into a priestly family in Anathoth, a town just 2 ½ miles northeast of Jerusalem. Those of you with maps in your Bible will find it just above Jerusalem; my Catholic Study Bible shows it on [...]
Reflections on the “Year of St. Joseph” in anticipation of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
“Where was St. Joseph buried?” a parishioner asked me recently. I thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t think we know. I have been to three places that claim to be burial sites for Mary: in Jerusalem, Ephesus and Kashmir. I have been to two burial sites for Jesus: inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and just outside the walls of Jerusalem. But I’ve never heard of or read about a burial place for St. Joseph.” “How, sad,” the parishioner commented. As I thought more about it throughout [...]
FOURTH SUNDAY LENT (Year B)
2 Chronicles 36: 14 – 16, 19 – 23 In our first reading this Sunday, we hear the Cliff Notes version of the Old Testament kerygma: God gives people good things, the people sin and are punished, God saves them again. Our brief text is taken from 2 Chronicles. We only hear from the Books of Chronicles once every three years in this single passage so let’s review the who, what, when, where and two whom of these two books. This book was originally given the Greek title of Paraleipomena, [...]
NEXT GENERATION PARISH
This has been a very interesting year, hasn’t it!?! Last February, we started hearing about a virus that was spreading quickly around the world with deadly consequences. The medical world struggled to understand and even name it; it finally settled on COVID-19 since it was a version of the coronavirus discovered at the end of 2019. With increasing alarm, our government reacted, calling for all non-essential activity to stop for a short time beginning on 18 March 2021. That short time was extended and rules and guidance changed constantly as [...]
THIRD SUNDAY LENT (Year B)
Exodus 20:1 - 17 Last Sunday, we heard of God’s test for Abraham after he had made a covenant with him. This follows the reading from the First Sunday of Lent, in which we heard about the covenant that God made with Noah and his descendents. This week, we hear the commandments that God gives to his people at Mt. Sinai as part of that covenant. The text of the Decalogue has evolved in two forms: Ex 20 and Dt 5:6 – 21. 1 Then God delivered all these [...]