Martha and Mary nursed Lazarus thourgh his final illness, death and burial. The two sisters knew that they had sent an accurate message to Jesus, telling Him of the imminence of their brother’s death. They also knew that if Jesus and the apostles were to travel immediately, they would see Lazarus before he died. When […]
Passion Sunday – Cycle “Aâ€, April 10, 2011 Read More »
True reverence for the Lord’s passion means fixing the eyes of our heart on Jesus crucified and recognizing in him our own humanity. The earth – our earthly nature – should tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer. […] Foreshadowings of the future resurrection should appear in the holy city, the Church of God: what
From a sermon of St. Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome Read More »
Today, in the Gospel, a man born blind will be our companion and will help us to see clearly. This poor man has never known what it is to see. His world is darkness. More than that, he is sometimes despised for his condition, as if he himself is to blame, as if his blindness
Fourth Sunday of Lent – Cycle “Aâ€, April 3, 2011 Read More »
There are three things, my brethren, by which faith stands firm, devotion remains constant, and virtue endures. They are prayer, fasting and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy receives. Prayer, mercy and fasting: these three are one, and they give life to each other. Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is
From Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop Read More »
Women play a major role in the Gospel of St. John. Mary the Mother of Jesus is the one who launches Him on His public life at the marriage feast of Cana. Martha will be the one who declares that He is the Christ in a way reserved to Peter in the synoptic Gospels; and
Third Sunday of Lent – Cycle “Aâ€, March 27, 2011 Read More »
At the transfiguration the divinity of Christ and the holiness of His humanity shine out over the apostles. The cloud that overshadows Him reminds us of the cloud in the Old Testament, which is a symbol of God’s presence. The transfuguration reveals the identity of Christ as second person of the Blessed Trinity, and as
Second Sunday of Lent – Cycle “Aâ€, March 20, 2011 Read More »
Lent began on Ash Wednesday. As Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert, the Church traditionally fasts during Lent. A form of bodily prayer, fasting and abstinence in union with other Christians reminds us of our total dependence on and love for God. Please remember that Wednesdays and Fridays are days of abstinence from
The Holy Season of Great Lent Read More »
Today we celebrate the Institution of the Polish National Catholic Church. “This year marks the 114th Anniversary of the organizing of the PNCC in Scranton, PA by a group of Polish immigrants under the leadership of Father Francis Hodur in March 1897. […] When the PNCC was organized, Bishop Hodur did not want to establish
Today we have heard the final words of the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon that is Jesus’ manifesto, His picture of what real Christian living means. It ends with a plea that is also a warning against hypocrisy: He urges us to put our faith into practice. Jesus illustrates the point with a parable,
Quinquagesima Sunday – Cycle “Aâ€, March 6, 2011 Read More »
When Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “You cannot be the slave both of God and of money,†He goes to the heart of the problem. Earning and spending are necessary, and prosperity in itself is good, but our human condition is such that we can so easily allow ourselves to be enslaved by materialism. We
Sexagesima Sunday – Cycle “Aâ€, February 27, 2011 Read More »