The nation celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. But Thanksgiving is a real part of our celebration every Sunday! Click for more.
There are 9 different parts to the Liturgy of the Eucharist during Mass, including a couple of rites. Can you name each of them? Click to see if you're rite ... er, right!
Having explained WHY we go to Mass, let's explore the structure of the Mass. Do you know all of the parts that precede the Liturgy of the Word? Click to see if you're correct!
The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is a parable of the Christian life because it is the story of each one of us. Click for the full story.
What does it mean to say that God raised Jesus from the dead? It does not mean that Jesus simply returned to his former way of life. If that is the meaning of the resurrection, Jesus would have to die again, and death would be victorious over him. The Resurrection was His entrance into an entirely new life that we will not understand until we experience our own resurrection at the resurrection of the dead. Click to read more.
Most of us think of these days as three separate feasts, each independent of the other. But nothing could be further from the truth. Click on the title to read more.
This year’s Lenten readings have taught us many lessons that can be summarized in this way: Jesus Christ is the pattern of our lives, what has happened to him will happen to us if we are faithful to him. Click to read more.
The religious leaders (in the time of Jesus) did not realize the depth of their blindness. The reality is that they suffered from blindness far more serious than the physical loss of sight. Click to read more.
Have you ever noticed how restless we are? We seek peace in all kinds of things, but we are never satisfied. There is only One who can satisfy the deepest longing of our heart. We cannot, and we will not be satisfied until we rest in God. Click to read more.
Lent is a time to overcome temptations that lead us into sin by disobeying God’s will -- the temptations that assail us every day. All of these temptations have one thing is common with what we heard at Mass this past Sunday. Click for more.
The purpose of Lent is to prepare us to celebrate the central mystery of our faith, the Paschal Mystery, the mystery of Christ’s saving death and life-giving resurrection. How will you prepare? Click for more.
Last week I presented two ways of reading the Gospel of Matthew, one that focused on the five sermons Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew and the other that pays attention to the story of Matthew’s Gospel. In this week’s column I will highlight five themes that occur in the Gospel of Matthew. Click the title to read more.
Last week, I began a series on the Gospel of Matthew since we will be hearing that Gospel throughout the coming year. In that column, I gave you some background about the Gospel and explained how Matthew made use of and expanded upon the Gospel of Mark in writing his Gospel. In this column, I will present two ways of reading the Gospel of Matthew. Click the title to read more.
During the coming year (apart from the seasons of Lent and Easter) we will be reading from the Gospel of Matthewat our Sunday liturgies. Since we will hear this Gospel for a rather long period, I am beginning a series of columns on the Gospel of Matthew that, I hope, will assist you in reading this Gospel during the coming year. Click the title to read more.
We are fortunate to be part of a parish community that includes a school that has been educating students for a half-century. What makes St. Mary's School special? Click to read more!
With the end of the Christmas season (Jan 12), we entered into Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is quite ordinary when compared to Advent, Lent, and Easter, but it can be an 'extraordinary' time of grace if we take advantage of this time to become familiar with our Lord’s ministry. Click for more.
These three kings, who come with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to worship the “Jewish Messiah,” represent all the nations of the world—the Gentiles. They represent us. This “little Christmas” proclaims the epiphany or manifestation of the Christ child—the “Jewish Messiah”—to the entire world. Click to read more.
The mystery of the Incarnation is so profound that we can never fully comprehend or understand it. This is why we celebrate Christmas over a period of several weeks rather than on a single day. Click the title to read more.