The church building is a concrete sign of the Church community, formed from the "living stones" who are the believers, an image very dear to the Apostles. St Peter (cf. I Pt 2: 4-5) and St Paul (cf. Eph 2: 20-22) emphasize how the "cornerstone" of this spiritual temple is Christ and that, united to him and well compact, we are also called to participate in the building of this living temple.If God therefore takes the initiative to come and dwell among men and it is always he who is the principal author of this project, then it is true that he also does not want to accomplish it without our active collaboration.Thus, to prepare oneself for Christmas means to be committed to building the "dwelling of God with men". No one is excluded; everyone can and must contribute in order to make this … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2013
Celibate Love
Over the past week, a scandal has ripped through the heart of Spanish-speaking Catholicism and spilled over into the national network morning television programs. At the center of it is Fr. Alberto Cutié, a telegenic 40 year-old priest of the Archdiocese of Miami, who, though largely unknown to most English-speaking Catholics, has for a decade been the country's most well-known Spanish-speaking cleric. He has been dubbed “Padre Oprah” for his work as a host of television talk shows on Telemundo, weekly programs on EWTN Español, call-in shows on Radio Paz and Radio Peace, syndicated advice columns in Latin America newspapers, and best-selling Spanish self-help books. Last week, Father Alberto's parish and priestly apostolates were thrown into chaos as 25 paparazzi photographs of him … [Read more...]
Spirit Givers Update
The date for the mounting of the Cross on the top of our steeple is the weekend of November 21-22, which is the Solemnity of Christ the King. To celebrate this occasion, the Most Reverend Gregory Aymond, the Archbishop of New Orleans will celebrate the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday, November 22! The last day to become a Spirit Giver by donating $1000 to pay for the fabrication and mounting of our new steeple cross is Tuesday, October 27. All names need to be in by that date so they can be engraved on the base of the cross.  … [Read more...]
Take me out to the Ballgame!
On Friday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m., Msgr. Nalty has scheduled the Zephyr's game as the first outing for the altar servers of the parish, and wants to make it into a parish outing. He's already spoken with Father John Arnone, and it will be a joint outing with both of our parishes! Tickets are $8 each and can be reserved by signing the sheet on the back table or calling the parish office. We need to preorder tickets by May 19 at the latest, so MONDAY is the LAST DAY to SIGN-UP! … [Read more...]
Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity
Excerpt from DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY APOSTOLICAM ACTUOSITATEM SOLEMNLY PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESS, POPE PAUL VI ON NOVEMBER 18, 1965 The Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to enable all men to share in His saving redemption, and that through them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in various ways through all her members. For the Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate. No part of the structure of a living body is merely passive but has a share in the functions as well as life of the body: so, … [Read more...]
Good Shepherd Sunday
This week is the Fourth Sunday in Easter, and it is traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because of the Gospel reading today in which Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. We're all familiar with the images: Jesus standing, staff in hand, with the lamb across his shoulders. Or perhaps we think of Jesus sitting under a tree – a little lamb on his lap. These are beautiful images, but they are incomplete. Â For thousands of years, the Jewish people have used the Good Shepherd image to refer to God. It goes back to Genesis 49:24, where Joseph was saved “By the power of the mighty one of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, the God of your father...” Such imagery was used by Moses and most of the prophets. And it was used most familiarly by David in the 23rd Psalm: … [Read more...]
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Our Lady of Good Counsel is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary after a miraculous painting found in the Augustinian church at Genazzano, Italy. According to tradition, during festivities for the Feast of St Mark in 1467, the townspeople suddenly heard “exquisite music.” A mysterious cloud then descended and obliterated an unfinished wall of the parish church. The cloud dissipated before the people, and a beautiful fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Child was revealed. The image received its papal coronation on November 17, 1682 from Pope Innocent XI. A report written five days later describes the image as touching the wall only at the upper edge and unsupported by other means. Eyewitnesses testify to extraordinary phenomena regarding changing features of the image. … [Read more...]
Ministry Fair
Next weekend, we will have our parish “ministry fair.” The purpose of this fair is to present many of the activities and organizations of Good Shepherd Parish, and to encourage participation in them. Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Society, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Altar Servers, Legion of Mary, Ladies of Charity, and others will be represented, so mark your calendars, and consider how you might serve our parish! … [Read more...]
Alleluia! He is Risen!
Easter Sunday is the day of the “Alleluia!” After forty days of Lenten sacrifice and fasting, we finally arrive at the most important day of our liturgical year, and the only word we have to express our inner joy is “Alleluia!!” In the old Greek version of the Book of Tobias, in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Hebrew psalter, and in the original Greek of the Apocalypse we hear about this most holy word. It is part of the earliest Christian liturgies of which we have record.  It is a word composed of the divinely acclaiming verbal form Allelu and the divine pronoun term Ya (for YHWH or Yahweh). So, preserving its radical sense and sound, and even the mystical suggestiveness of its construction, it may be literally rendered, “All hail to Him Who is!”--taking “All Hail” as … [Read more...]
