Wednesday, August 26, 2009 By Father Rob Waller A youngish girl comes to Communion, and as she has been taught and is accustomed, she places her left hand in her right hand to receive. As the priest says, “The body of Christ,” and as she says, “Amen,” both sets of …

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 By Terrance Callan Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalm 15:2-5; James 1: 17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23. All of us who believe in God try to do God’s will. But the history of the human race and our personal histories show …

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 By Sister Carol Gaeke, O.P. The greatest commandment is the Gospel: “Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself.” It is proclaimed on the feast of Pope St. Pius X who was the great promoter of early and frequent reception of the Eucharist. Prior …

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 By Terrance Callan Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time: Joshua  24:1-2, 15-17, 18; Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69 When we are confronted by a difficult choice, we study the issues involved and consider the consequences of different options. Sometimes this process of reflection makes it …

Thursday, August 13, 2009 By Father Kyle Schnippel In my last column the element of sacrifice in Jewish worship was discussed.  As Catholics, we see the Old Testament illuminating and clarifying the New Testament but with the passage of time, we have lost some important details that give us a …

Thursday, August 13, 2009 By Pat McDonough In the summer of 2007 I took 20 teens from St. Mary’s Parish in Manhasset, N.Y., to visit a small parish in Guatemala. A friend of mine, Father Anton Grech, a young Maltese priest, is the pastor of La Parroquia de Jesús Crucificado, …

Thursday, August 13, 2009 By Terrance Callan Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:2-3, 10-15; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-8 When we try to overcome any difficulties we encounter, it can be helpful to analyze them, trying to see the precise nature of the difficulty. It can also be …

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 By Scott Mussari Every year on August 6, the Catholic church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The significance of this particular event with regards to our religion is apparent in numerous ways. Number one, for example, is the initial recorded recognition and …

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 By Terrance Callan Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: 1 Kings 19:4-8; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51 We often encounter obstacles that prevent us from simply being or doing what we want. At times such obstacles cause us to give up our initial goal. At other times we …

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 By Father Rob Waller Getting ready for a trip I tend to over pack and over plan. Early on I realize that I have more with me than I need or want. I waste energy arranging and re-arranging it and carrying it around, and I have …