Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I encourage all of our parishioners to attend Holy Mass on Ash Wednesday. Please see elsewhere in this bulletin for the full schedule of Holy Masses. Plan now to begin Lent with Our Lord at Holy Mass! With the beginning of Lent our attention also turns to meaning of the grace-filled season in our Church.

This week I shar...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This coming Saturday, February 22, we celebrate the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. This Feast is one that ‘anchors’ us in our Catholic identity. This is an ancient Feast in our Church – known to have been celebrated with much solemnity as early as the 5th century. I offer for your meditation the second reading from the Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a sermon g...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Thank you for all your prayers for me during my pilgrimage to the Holy Land! I was greatly blessed by our good Lord during the nearly two weeks I spent on pilgrimage. I remembered you in my prayers, including during Holy Mass. I am hopeful that some of the blessings that so impacted me may be a benefit also to you in the weeks and months ahead!

This Sunday, February 9, we celebrate Wor...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This Sunday, February 2, we celebrate the Presentation of the Our Lord in the Temple. This is a beautiful feast! For this occasion I include the Gospel reading (Luke 2:22-40) from Holy Mass for February 2 and a homily from St Sophronius, Bishop, about the meaning of this special feast:

Luke 2:22-40

“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus (feast celebrated on January 2 and 3). I share with you the Litany of the Holy Name that we may honor and offer reparation for offenses against His Holy Name on this last Sunday of January!

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

V. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Christ, have mercy on us. V. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us. R. Jes...

Our celebration of the Octave of Christmas continues until the end of the day January 1, 2020. Our celebration of the Christmas Season extends until the end of the day January 12, 2020 (which is Feast of the Baptism of our Lord).

I also wish you a happy and blessed New Year! Remember, January 1 is the Solemnity of the Mary, the Mother of God and it is a Holy Day of Obligation (same obligation to attend Holy Mass as a Sunday)....

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

We have now arrived at the Fourth Sunday of Advent, just a few days before Christmas! Are you spiritually ready? There are still several opportunities to prepare your soul for Christmas through the Sacrament of Confession. I urge you to make a good Confession if you have not already done so during this Advent. To help us think about what is most important, I offer some Advent meditati...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

We have already arrived at the Third Sunday of Advent. You may see rose colored vestments this Sunday because the Third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the first Latin word of the entrance antiphon (taken from Philippians 4:4,5) for this Sunday. Gaudete is translated as ‘rejoice’ as in ‘rejoice in the Lord always from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, ch...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This Sunday, December 8, is the usual day we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, in the Novus Ordo calendar, the celebration of the Immaculate Conception is transferred to Monday, December 9, for this year. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. This teaching on the Blessed Virgin is one the most sublime of the doctrines of...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This weekend we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. This week the readings point us to prepare for the coming of Jesus in a few ways: His imminent presence in the world through the Catholic Church and His final coming at the end of time. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church has an excellent teaching about what our Lord teaches us about these matters:

“"Christ died and lived again, th...