Reflections of a Roman Catholic Priest
With great joy, we celebrate today the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when God raised His blessed Mother into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life. In the year 1950, Pope Pius XII declared that this belief about Mary has been held by Christians since the early... Continue Reading →
Jesus tells us today the parable of the dragnet. A dragnet is a very large net that brings in all kinds of different fish and debris from a lake. Fishermen cast this net over a very large area of a lake and then pull it in to the shore. After they draw in the catch,... Continue Reading →
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” What a challenge it is to heed Jesus’ call to love our enemies rather than hating them. Who are the “enemies” in your life right now? Who are the people you struggle to love rather than hate? Who comes to mind? Doesn’t Jesus understand how... Continue Reading →
St. Thomas Aquinas "Wisdom from above is first of all innocent. It is also peaceable, lenient, docile, rich in sympathy and the kindly deeds that are its fruits, impartial and sincere. The harvest of justice is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace."-James 3:17-18 What is wisdom? It seems to be one of those... Continue Reading →
Very strong is the language and powerful the imagery that we hear in our readings today. We can’t help but feel personally chastised and convicted by the directness of it all. Our Lord exclaims through the prophet Amos in our First Reading: “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” But because the readings in every Mass... Continue Reading →
Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who is a remarkable example to us of what it looks like to lay down one’s life out of love for God and one another. Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan missionary priest who founded the Militia Immaculata, a movement that encourages total consecration to the Blessed... Continue Reading →
Total Surrender 