Pope Francis cites St. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 25, verse 40 as he continues to link our proclamation of the Gospel to the social teachings of the Church. And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40) We immediately recognize this quotation coming from the scene in Matthew's Gospel of...
Today, February 11, 2014, is the World Day of Prayer for the Sick, the 21st since instituted by Pope John Paul II to coincide with the Church's remembrance of Our Lady of Lourdes. Ever since the Immaculate Conception appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto or cave of Massabielle, a mile distant from her home.
In the year 1991, Pope John Paul II was diagnosed with...
Accepting the first proclamation, which invites us to receive God's love and to love him in return with the very love which is his gift, brings forth in our lives and actions a primary and fundamental response: to desire, seek and protect the good of others. (Evangelii Gaudium, 177)
When I was a boy in the third grade I made my First Holy Communion in November of 1955. If my...
Every five or six year, the calendar plays a bit of a trick on us. No fewer than five of the Sundays in Ordinary Time will be pushed aside this year in favor of Solemnities and Feasts of the Lord which will supersede them. This coming Sunday is one of those times. We will celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Sunday, February 2. This day, also known as Groundhog Day in...
I am sure that most of us are aware of the popular tune "Accentuate the Positive," published in 1944 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Did you know that the message of the song was inspired by a sermon? Johnny Mercer heard a sermon by Father Divine and wrote the song after hearing the priest's message. It was recorded many times by the many crooners and artists of the 1940's including...