Many people regard Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial beginning of the summer season and take the opportunity to get away, enjoy a cookout with family and friends or just sit back and relax. It’s wonderful to take such a break like that. Still, in keeping with the real purpose of the Memorial Day holiday, it is also fitting that we remember and pray for those who have died in service to our country.
READ MOREToday we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, the time when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus in a powerful way.
I think the most forgotten member of the Blessed Trinity is the Holy Spirit. Yet, the Holy Spirit, which comes to us from the Father and the Son, is what makes the presence and power of God possible within our Church and our world.
READ MOREHappy Mother’s Day! I share with you some inspirational quotes and prayers for Mother’s Day.
Dear God, Bless All Mothers... In this intense nine months, when mothers-to-be are realizing that their life is about to change forever, bless them God, because they feel alternately elated and alarmed. Help each mother-in-waiting to understand that she has been carefully chosen, by both you and by her baby, to guide it through its early years on planet Earth.
READ MOREBeginning this weekend and for the next two weekends at some of our parish Masses, we will welcome First Communion children around the table of the Lord. It’s been a tradition here at Holy Family for several years and in many other parishes to celebrate this important moment for these children and their families in the context of the Sunday liturgy. As a Sacrament of Initiation, reception of First Eucharist marks the beginning of their full participation with us in our weekly worship. It gives us all an opportunity to fittingly welcome them, and to provide a loving witness and support as they begin partaking regularly in the Body of Christ.
READ MOREIt's been said that "silence is the gateway to the soul". I share below some insights from the book The Rhythm Of Life by Matthew Kelly about the importance of building some silence into our lives.
You can learn more in an hour of silence than you can in a year from books. Noise is the mouthpiece of the world. Silence is the mouthpiece of God. It is in the classroom of silence that God bestows His infinite wisdom on men and women.
READ MOREThis Sunday is the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I share with you a portion of Pope Francis’ message for this day, and invite you to encourage the young people in your life to consider the various ways God may be calling them to serve His providential plan for the world.
READ MOREHere’s a wonderful Eucharistic Story that might bring back memories for you as Ellen Hansbury shares her experiences attending weekly Mass as a young person, then as a mom and now that her children are grown.
“When I was a little girl, I loved going to 8:00am Mass with my dad. We would go to St. Peter’s in Lowell. The Mass was usually in the basement, not the fancy upstairs, so I got to wear my play clothes! We would listen to the word of God, sing the hymns loudly, hold hands, and then head home for a wonderful breakfast.
READ MOREToday, Divine Mercy Sunday, ends the Octave of Easter. The Church celebrates our Lord’s Resurrection not just on one day, but it continues for eight days, hence the description, the Octave of Easter. Each day of the Octave is ranked as a Solemnity in the Church’s liturgical calendar, the highest ranking of liturgical feasts. The idea of an Octave of a great feast has its roots in the Old Testament where many Jewish feasts lasted for eight days.
READ MOREHappy Easter!
On this day, we celebrate the amazing truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive! What kind of response should we offer to Him for such a gift that He has given to us? Here’s a suggestion: “At the sight of the Lord, the disciples rejoiced. Peace be with you, he said again.” Jn.20:20.
READ MOREThis weekend is Palm/Passion Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. I invite you to consider bringing you children or grandchildren not only to Easter Mass, but also to some of the other liturgies of this very special week. On Tuesday, we’ll be introducing our parish community to a lesser known service in Holy Week called Tenebrae. It’s a short service of readings and music that highlight the moments that led up to Jesus’ suffering and death.
READ MOREI share with you a beautiful reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel about people who were looking to see Jesus. It was written by Betty-Ann Medeiros Hickey from Most Holy Trinity Parish, Covington, LA and published in NPM Sunday Word.
“I remember being a young child always struggling to see over the adults around me. No matter how much I stretched, someone would always move and block my view. In today’s Gospel, the Greeks ask to see Jesus. They had probably heard stories about his preaching, teaching, and healing and they wanted to experience it for themselves. They wanted an up front and close experience that would confirm the truth of all they had heard.
READ MOREAs we reach the mid-point of Lent on this Laetare “Rejoice” Sunday, it’s good for us to assess how we are doing during this season of repentance to address the sinful thoughts, words and actions we’re hoping to change – both things we’ve done and those we’ve failed to do. I hope you’ve made some inroads even though those areas may still be “works in progress.” Improvement, even if incremental, is encouraging and expresses to God your desire to grow spiritually.
READ MOREFast from judging others ● Feast on seeing Christ within them.
Fast from emphasis on differences. ● Feast on the unity of life.
Fast from thoughts of illness ● Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute ● Feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent ● Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger ● Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism ● Feast on optimism.
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