News RSS Feed

When we look at today’s Gospel, we see Jesus as the Shepherd at work. He came to free those held captive to sin. He rescued the sick, the infirmed, and the demon- possessed from the predator s that were stealing life from them.

The Emmaus story captures the excitement of the earliest followers of Jesus realizing that “the Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon.” But their recognition of Him was gradual, having walked along beside Him some distance, as He taught them the true meaning of the prophecies they had heard all their lives.

oday we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Sr. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, was God’s instrument to proclaim Divine Mercy toward every human being. Sr. Faustina was inspired by a vision in which Jesus told her that a painting should be made of his image with the invocation "Jesus, I trust in You."

April fool’s! No, really! He is risen!!! Did you know that the origin of April Fool’s Day is actually found in the Church? A lot of people don’t know this, so here’s how the story goes: On February 24, 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued the papal bull Inter Gravissimas which established the Gregorian calendar (which gets its name from this pope) as the official calendar for the Christian world.

hen you look around the church today, can you identify the weary? Who are the ones that are exhausted, worn-out, and burnt-out? Why are they weary? Sure, the demands of everyday life–work and family–can wear us out, but who are the ones whose spirits need healing because they have been so beaten down and discouraged? What will you say to rouse them?

This Fifth Sunday of Lent is also the Third Scrutiny for Catechumens in RCIA. These individuals challenge us in our own belief as their excitement grows to receive the life of Christ in the sacraments. Today’s Gospel challenges us in our own belief. Martha states publicly, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11: 27). However, Mary doubts as she says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32). The challenge now becomes, “Are you a Mary or will you be like Martha?”

Today we celebrate the Second Scrutiny which occurs on the fourth Sunday of Lent. The Scrutinies, which are solemnly celebrated on Sundays and are reinforced by an exorcism, are rites for self-searching and repentance and have, above all, a spiritual purpose.

Have you ever heard the expression: “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink?” The woman at the well in Samaria has come to the well for water. We all know the social implications—she came alone, a sign of her rejection by the community, a sinner, forced to draw water in the heat of the day, when others were not around.

For those of you who like to spend time in the mountains, the Gospel of The Transfiguration, especially in Lent, may be appealing. What would it have been like for us to be with the apostles to “see all that we might be?”

As we enter this most holy season of Lent, the Lord is calling us to repentance. We hear God calling Noah and his family in the same way he calls us in the Gospels: repent and believe.

Why does Jesus heal a leper immediately after deciding to focus on the proclamation of the Gospel? Didn't He just decide that He is not primarily a healer? Didn't He just leave dozens or perhaps hundreds of sick people so He could preach?

Our first reading today is such a downer! Job wallows in misery. Luckily, by the end of the Book of Job, he has found resolution to his thought-provoking questions and receives God’s reward. Sometimes we as clergy or lay ministers are discouraged, depressed, or just plain tired, and don’t feel like getting up on Sunday morning to be God’s minister.

Paul addresses the Corinthians: “I should like you to be free of anxieties.” We all experience anxiety.

With John's arrest, Jesus continued the Baptist's proclamation: “Repent and believe the good news that God's reign is at hand.” As Jesus preached along the Sea of Galilee, he called four fishermen to be His first disciples. Simon and his brother Andrew immediately responded to Jesus' call. A pair of brothers, James and John, left their family and livelihood to follow Him. Jesus promised His disciples that they would be instruments to spread the Gospel throughout the world. During their journey together, they would discover that there were no half measures to serving the Lord.

The Christmas Season has come to an end and now we enter into a brief (one month) period of Ordinary Time. It is anything but Ordinary Time here at Corpus Christi Church. As we begin this New Year in The Lord of 2018, we have much to look forward to and much to be thankful for. I thank each and every one of you who volunteer weekly in our ministries or serve on our committees here at the Parish.

Today we celebrate The Epiphany of Our Lord. We hear the Gospel words of future hope calling us to see the guiding star of the Spirit in our lives. Let us take time for a well deserved rest, to pray, and to reflect on the spiritual journey that begins in this New Year.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In a beautiful address on December 28, 2011, at a Wednesday audience, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI spoke of the life of the Holy Family in Nazareth. Here is a short excerpt: "The house of Nazareth is a school of prayer where we learn to listen, to meditate, to penetrate the deepest meaning of the manifestation of the Son of God, drawing our example from Mary, Joseph and Jesus." "The Holy Family is an icon of the domestic Church, which is called to pray together.

As we enter into these last days before Christmas, we may become weary preparing to enter into a marathon of Liturgies. Yet, when all is said and done, our mission is simple—to bring Christ to others. Pope Francis writes in Evangelii Gaudium: “Mary was able to turn a stable into a home for Jesus, with poor swaddling clothes and an abundance of love. She is the handmaid of the Father who sings His praises.” All we ask is that the Lord turns our hearts into “a home for Jesus” with abounding love.

The Third Sunday of Advent brings a renewed sense of anticipation in its Gaudete message. God is speaking to us directly, although in modern terms it may sound like this: “Rejoice always! “Rejoice even though your house isn’t cleaned for your in-laws’ arrival next week.”

Preparation has never been a problem for me. For example, preparing to watch sports on television, preparing to eat a good meal, preparing to have a doughnut with coffee, preparing to meet some of your requests, preparing to spend one hour in prayer each day professing the liturgy of the hours and praying for you and our Parish are some of those things. Lack of time often infringes on our “prep time”.