The Solemnity of the Assumption is a celebration in which we profess that Mary was assumed body and soul to heaven. This was a belief going back to the early church but was not declared an infallible doctrine until 1950 by Pope Pius XII. The key sentence from the decree is, “The Immaculate Mother of […]
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Where do we expect to experience the presence of God? That is the question that comes from reading the passage from the First Book of Kings. God raises up Elijah as a prophet during a very difficult time in Israeli history. After the death of Solomon Israel became a divided kingdom into two kingdoms and […]
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As a new student monk residing at Sant’ Anselmo, the Benedictine motherhouse in Rome, one of the first small tasks I had to master was to memorize the Latin version of one of the traditional monastic forms for grace before meals. The opening of this prayer was an adaptation of the Psalm we sing together […]
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The Gospel begins with a series of short sayings about finding things of value; a buried treasure, a precious pearl, and a net full of fish. Jesus compares these to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is instructing us that the Kingdom of Heaven is the most important and valuable treasure there is. Just like those […]
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The Book of Wisdom we hear from today was composed quite late in the Old Testament era, likely less than a hundred years before the birth of Jesus. Its inspired author wrote in Greek rather than the Hebrew language in which the earlier books of the Old Testament were written, and he had developed a […]
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When I read the Gospel I thought of a verse from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians; ”Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows, because the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for […]
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On Independence Day Americans remember our founding as a nation when the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Traditionally this day is marked by celebrations of national unity and remembrance of those who have served in the armed forces to preserve our freedoms—especially those who have died […]
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In the Gospel today Jesus asks a very difficult question. Who do we love most? If one were to pose this question to people on the street most would likely answer; my husband/wife, mother, father, children, fiancé’, etc. These are the people we have close contact with and hold close to our heart. Married couples […]
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In today’s first reading the prophet Jeremiah finds himself denounced and pursued on every side, though he does not lose heart, saying: “the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion” (Jer 20:11). […]
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Today is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ and this Feast probably means more to us this year than anytime in the past. This is a year when we were not permitted to receive Holy Communion because of the restrictions necessary to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus. As the old saying […]
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