Archives for June 2012

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. (Lk 1:66, 80) This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Birth of St John the Baptist. And it should be great reminder of the teachings of the Church on the dignity of the human person. We live in a world that has a terrible disregard for human life. Wars are part of human history, but numbers of “casualities” do little to recognize the individual human beings who died and left behind sons and daughters and wives and husbands and parents and friends. Each day on the cover of the newspaper we hear about killings out of revenge or drugs … [Read more...]

“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” (Mk 4:30-32) The people listening to the parables of Jesus didn't always understand the meanings of His parables, but they surely understood agriculture. A farmer can work as hard as he wants, but he can't “make” a seed grow into a plant. All the farmer can do is create the best environment for growth by planting in good soil and watering. In the end of the day God causes the growth to occur. So when Jesus is describing the Kingdom of God, He's … [Read more...]

While they were eating, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” (Mk 14:22-24) Today's Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (“Corpus Christi” in Latin) is a fairly recent addition to the Church calendar, dating from only the 13th century. We know that the Body and Blood of Christ are present at every Mass, but this special feast to honor the Body and Blood of Christ owes its existence to the petitions of a Belgium nun named Juliana of Liège from the 13th century. From a young age, Juliana had a great love for the Blessed Sacrament and longed for a special … [Read more...]

I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:9b-10) The "weakness" of Jesus won His victory over sin and death. The "weakness" of Sts. Peter and Paul and many other martyrs eventually converted the entire Roman empire. The Church's "weakness" is its strength. Now that our religious freedom is being threatened by our Federal government, it's important to understand that our weakness can be our greatest strength. What follows is a homily recently given by Archbishop Charles Chaput, the Archbishop of Philadelphia. He helps us understand that nature of religious … [Read more...]

Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20) Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Do you realize that almost all of the “solemnities” and “feasts” of our Church point to some “earthly” event? Think about it. They're either focused on an event in the life of Christ (His incarnation, His birth, His death, His resurrection, His ascension) or an event in the lives of His Mother, St. Joseph or one of His followers – the Saints. But only one event in the Church … [Read more...]