Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On Thursday, we will join with the universal Church in celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, into heaven. It is a Holy Day of Obligation and the principal feast day of the Blessed Mother, so I would like to offer you some reflections on it. The commemoration of the death of Mary is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that, shortly after her death, Mary was raised up, body and soul, into heaven. In the Eastern Church, it is called the Dormition, or [...]
True Joy
“As the Father loves me, so also I love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (Jn 15:9-11) In the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus speak these words to his disciples at the Last Supper. They speak powerfully of true love and true joy. We are called to [...]
Gobekli Tepe
Are the oldest archaeological sites in the world the world’s first temples? I recently watched a television program on the National Geographic Channel that caught my attention. It was about Gobekli Tepe, which may be one of the most important archaeological sites in the world and the world’s first temple complex. Located in modern Turkey, nine miles northeast of the town of Sanliurfa (formerly Urfa) in southeastern Turkey, this fascinating group of buildings was constructed around 10,000BC, making it the world’s oldest known archaeological site. Study of the site indicates [...]
Christmas in July
Have you ever wondered about the origin of the term “Christmas in July”? Although there are many theories, one of the most reliable ones about its origin actually has Philadelphia roots. The term gained national attention in 1940 with the release of the Hollywood movie comedy Christmas in July. Around the same time, a pastor at the Calvary Baptist Church here in Philadelphia celebrated Christmas in July with carols and the sermon "Christmas Presents in July". He asked his congregation to bring gifts to be sent to missions worldwide. Collecting these gifts in the summer [...]
Keys to the Kingdom Update
In case you haven’t noticed, Monsignor Carroll’s confessional has been dismantled. No, he hasn’t ended his wonderful ministry of hearing confessions; you will notice that his name now hangs on the confessional across from his old one. This dismantling is simply the first visible sign in our church of the great project we’ve begun: replacing our current pipe organ - which was never intended for church use and has been in poor repair for many years - with a new pipe organ built specifically for our church. You may recall [...]
The Body and Blood of Christ
“Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.’” (Jn 6:51). Last week, we explored the central mystery of the Church – the Blessed Trinity. Today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (also known as Corpus Christi), I would like to explore with you another mystery of our faith – the transubstantiation of bread [...]