Archives for March 2014

From the Pastor – March 30, 2014

Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin  remains.”(Jn. 9:39-41) The Gospel this Sunday is about the cure of the “man born blind.” Jesus did so by making clay out of dirt and saliva, by putting the clay on the man’s eyes, and then by instructing the man to wash in the Pool at Siloam. The closing words of this Sunday’s Gospel passage sum up the meaning of the cure of the man born blind. It’s not just a miracle cure of a physical illness. It’s about opening the eyes of … [Read more...]

From the Pastor – March 23, 2014

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(Jn. 4:13-14) Most of us don’t really know what it means to be “dying of thirst.” We may have used the expression before, but it usually was after a few hours in the humidity of a hot July afternoon. I would venture to say that there are very few of us who have gone entire day without something to drink, let alone a week. But to people living in the desert at the time of Jesus, water was something precious. Since rain storms were few and far in between, water had to be found by digging or collected for storage in cisterns. The idea of a “running stream” … [Read more...]

From the Pastor – March 17, 2014

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light. (Mt. 17:1-2 ) The Transfiguration of Jesus is one of the mysteries of the life of Christ. In fact, when the Holy Father, (soon to be Saint!) Blessed John Paul II decided to propose five new mysteries of the Rosary, he included the Transfiguration in his “Luminous Mysteries.” The other mysteries are the Baptism of Our Lord, the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, and the Institution of the Eucharist. So what does the Transfiguration mean? It’s literally a “change in appearance” of Jesus. It’s described as a brightness emanating from Him. But what is the mystery behind … [Read more...]

Born to Run 2014

On SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014 there will be a 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk to benefit the Woman’s New Life Center, which provides pro-life services to woman facing unplanned pregnancies. The race begins at 9:00am (Sign-in at 8:30am) Audubon Park, Shelter #10 Newman Bandstand, New Orleans Live Music, Great Food and a Family Atmosphere! womansnewlife.com/borntorun2014/   … [Read more...]

From the Pastor – March 9, 2014

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.  (Lk 4:1-2a) That little verse above is the reason behind the holy Season of Lent.  And all I can say is thank God for Lent! I always look forward to Lent.  And this year is no exception.  Now that Lent is here, I’m happy to create my own little desert of calm by the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  It’s the perfect remedy for the last two weeks of noise, feasting and excess. One of the good disciplines of Lent is “giving something up.”  When I was in seminary, I remember my rector giving up cigars during Lent.  And then one Friday in Lent, I walked by his room and smelled cigar smoke.  The next day I asked him … [Read more...]

From the Pastor – March 2, 2014

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. (Mt. 6:33-34) One of my favorite books is called the “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. I’m sure many of us have read it. The book takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior “tempter” named Wormwood, giving advice on the best way to ensure that a British man, known only as “the Patient,” ends up in hell. In a great irony, God is called “the Enemy.” One of my favorite letters involves the idea of “living in the present.” I’m going to let C.S. Lewis speak for the pastor today: “The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, … [Read more...]

From the Pastor – February 23, 2014

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. (Lk 6:20-23) It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since the Saints won the Super Bowl. I remember it like it was yesterday! It seems that since Katrina, we have needed a symbol for the “renaissance” of our city. It could have come from the outpouring of support we received from people living outside of the state, or even from the revamping of our own city government. It could have come from the outside businessmen, artists, musicians, actors, and celebrities who … [Read more...]

19th Men’s Morning of Spirituality

The Catholic Men’s Fellowship’s next Morning of Spirituality for Men will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, located at 4640 Canal St. in New Orleans. The theme for our 19th Men’s Morning of Spirituality is “Food for the Soul,” our speakers, restaurateurs John Besh of the Besh group of restaurants and Tommy Cvitanovich of Drago’s Restaurant, will discuss how their Catholic faith guides their work, and family lives. As always, in addition to the presentations, the day will include prayer and Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the celebration of the Eucharist. Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond will be our celebrant and homilist.   … [Read more...]

Archdiocese of New Orleans Ninth General Synod

At the Chrism Mass on April 15, 2014, we will convoke the Ninth General Synod of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The purpose of the synod is to discern God’s Vision and Priorities for our local church for the next three-five years. I have appointed Sister Elizabeth (Beth) Fitzpatrick, O. Carm., Sister Mary Ellen Wheelahan, O. Carm. and Fr. Pat Williams as Archdiocesan Synod Leaders. They will work in partnership with Paul Breaux and the Catholic Leadership Institute to tailor the synod vision and priority setting process to meet the specific needs and goals of our archdiocese. We hope that this synod will be an opportunity for us to “work together for your joy.” (2 Cor.1:24)   … [Read more...]