The Hebrew sacred scriptures are brimming with the expectation of the justice and peace, the Messiah and the reign of God that will one day come to this world. The Christian sacred scriptures are full of the same expectation and hope. We hear the word “Emmanuel†in our readings twice this Sunday, first in the […]
Fourth Sunday of Advent – “A†– December 22, 2013 Read More »
The most famous story of Charles Dickens is A Christmas Carol published in 1843, whose central character bears the name that has come to personify all that is mean and misery – Scrooge. The surviving partner of a London firm of moneylenders and now an old man for whom life means no more than making
Third Sunday of Advent – “A†– December 15, 2013 Read More »
December 24, 2013 – January 1, 2014 Tuesday, December 24th, 2013 – CHRISTMAS EVE 10:00PM – Mass of the Shepherds (Pasterka), and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Wednesday, December 25th, 2013 – NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 9:30AM, Holy Mass in Shenandoah 11:00AM, Holy Mass in Frackville Thursday, December 26th, 2013 – Feast – St.
Schedule of Services During the Christmas Season Read More »
The realities of planting and growth are never very far from biblical texts. The prophetic vision of Isaiah sees the coming Messiah as just that kind of kingdom and is compared to that ruthlessness that all farmers and gardeners know: what is fruitful is nurtured, but what fails to bear fruit is harshly treated. Images
Second Sunday of Advent – “A†– December 8, 2013 Read More »
Perhaps on this day we want to pay particular attention to the first reading, because not only is this the first scripture passage to be proclaimed today, it is the first passage for this liturgical year; and, because this is year A, it provides the first words of scripture we read in the entire 3-year
First Sunday of Advent – “A†– December 1, 2013 Read More »
In the time of Jesus, the people wanted to unite around a king, a new David, who would deliver them from their enemies and oppressors. At first, they thought that Jesus was such a Messiah. But in today’s Gospel, we see that, in the end, they rejected Jesus as their king, they mocked Him and
Christ the King – Thirty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– November 24, 2013 Read More »
In the face of the Church’s call to mission and evangelism, what do you think is the most effective way for Christians to spread their faith among others? Should we use all the techniques of advertising to persuade people that what we believe is worth sharing? Advertising is useful, but the problem is that the
Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– November 17, 2013 Read More »
The letter to Hebrews does center on a word that we use quite frequently: sacrifice. The word Veteran stems from the Latin “vetusâ€, meaning old. We think of veterans that way, yet, today we look around and see those we call veterans of a much younger age. The parades are no longer for the old
Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– November 10, 2013 – Veterans Day Read More »
Zacchaeus’ great gift is not that he has led a disciplined life of prayer and goodness; he has become thoroughly sucked in to a life of wealth and position, even at the cost of marginalizing himself from his own people. His great gift is simply the desire he has to see Jesus. Not only does
Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– November 3, 2013 Read More »
In today’s Gospel, two men go up to the Temple. One asks for something, the other doesn’t ask for anything. If you look at what the Pharisee is actually saying, he isn’t asking for anything, he is just telling God what God already knows. His description of himself is very superficial. Firstly he describes himself
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – “C†– October 27, 2013 Read More »