Fourth Sunday of Lent – 22 March 2020 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a. Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6. Ephesians 5:8-14. John 9:1-41. Seeing Christ. Even the blind man in today’s gospel sees Christ – and does what he is told … Read More
Third Sunday of Lent – 15 March 2020 Exodus 17:3-7. Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9. Romans 5:1-2, 5-8. John 4:5-42. Drinking in Christ. Let us not grumble like the people in the desert. For we stand in the grace of God … Read More
A few years ago, the Pew Research Center reported that 28% of U.S. adults don’t attend church on Sunday because they don’t believe. So let’s imagine there are 1,000 Catholics in your parish boundaries who are not coming to Mass. … Read More
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Liturgical music communicates the story of the mystery of Christ, and the assembly in whom the Spirit dwells is the principal storyteller. The primary way they tell that story is by their “fully conscious, and … Read More
To the point It is no coincidence that the opening words of John’s Prologue proclaimed at Christmas, “In the beginning” (Jn 1:1), are the same words we hear at the Easter Vigil in the story of Creation from Genesis. John’s … Read More
Fourth Sunday of Advent If you know any Filipinos in your community, you might have noticed a star-shaped lantern decorating their home during Advent and Christmas. These parols (“lanterns”) are usually made of bamboo frames covered with paper and tinsel. … Read More
When a young nurse named Sheila was asked about her religion, she said: I believe in God. I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. … Read More
Before the Second Vatican Council, it would have been unusual to hear people in the assembly singing. Although official church documents encouraged the assembly to sing, much of the music was in Latin. An even greater barrier, however, was a … Read More
When I was a kid, I belonged to a Boy Scout troop sponsored by my parish. One of my favorite events was Scout Sunday. All of us would get dressed up in our uniforms, and we would march into church … Read More
As I write this, we are two days away from Opening Day. If you are a baseball fan, you immediately know that by “Opening Day,” I mean the day regular season Major League Baseball begins — usually during the first … Read More