Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. (Lk 12:39-40). There are two ways by which we will see God face-to-face: upon our death or at the time of the Second Coming. And the truth is that we really don’t know when either of those events might occur! Several years ago, I was the celebrant at two funeral Masses in a few days that marked a real contrast. The first funeral was of a young, 18-year-old boy in the beginning of a promising life. And the second was of a 93-year-old great-grandfather. Although it’s certain that only God knows the state of their souls at their death, we prayed at both funeral … [Read more...]
The Angelus
The Angelus is a prayer of devotion to the Blessed Mother commemorating the announcement of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The name “Angelus” comes from the opening words in Latin: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ (“The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary”) and refers to the Angel Gabriel, the messenger of God who revealed to Mary that she would conceive a child named Jesus who would be called the Son of God. (Lk 1:26-35). The Angelus is prayed by reciting three verses from Luke’s Gospel, and alternating with the “Hail Mary.” In a Catholic tradition dating to at least to the 14th century, the Angelus is prayed in churches, convents, and monasteries three times daily - 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. - and is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell. As stated in the … [Read more...]
Symbols of the Eucharist
The “IHS” monogram is an abbreviation or shortening of the name of Jesus in Greek to the first three letters. It is sometimes transliterated into Latin characters as IHS. The abbreviation is meant to reflect the Holiness of the Name of Jesus – something to be revered. Oftentimes this symbol is present on the large host that the priest consecrates at Mass to remind the priest that – after the Consecration – he is holding Jesus. The particular symbol above is also the symbol for the Society of Jesus founded by St Ignatius Loyola, whose feast was July 31. … [Read more...]
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Stephen Catholic School has its first day of classes on Monday, August 11, and we have our first weekly school Mass in the Basilica of St. Stephen on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at 9:00 am. This is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will also be celebrated at St. Henry Church at 6:30am. I wish each parishioner could come to at least one school Mass (which are normally at 9:00am on Fridays) during the year to see what well-behaved, enthusiastic, and attentive students we have at St. Stephen’s. Unfortunately, most of the children that attend St. Stephen Catholic School do not live in the parish and, therefore, attend Mass at their home parish. However, you do know some of our students (and former students) who participate as altar servers at our … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – August 3, 2025
“There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, ‘Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!’” But God said to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God. (Lk 12:18b-21). A few years ago, I spoke to a Catholic group in Baton Rouge. Although my talk was about the Apostolicity of the Church (being founded on the Apostles and the current bishops being their successors), at the end a man asked me a question about clerical celibacy. “Father,” he asked, “why do priests have to be celibate?” Unfortunately, celibacy is looked upon … [Read more...]
Workshops for New Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Basic workshops for new Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) are being presented this Summer by the Office of Worship. Attendance at a workshop for EMHCs is required before a person can be delegated by the Archbishop to serve in this ministry. The complete schedule and more information can be found on the Office of Worship website at nolacatholic.org/lay-liturgical-ministry-formation. Participants are to be pre-registered by their parish before attending. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Worship at 504-861-6300 or worship@arch-no.org. … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – July 27, 2025
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Lk 11:9-10) per·se·ver·ance?[pur-suh-veer-uhns] –noun 1.steady persistence in a course of action, a pur-pose, a state,etc., esp. in spite of diffic-ulties, obstacles, or discouragement. 2.Theology . continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation. Anything that’s worth doing requires perseverance. The Latin verb “perseverare” is composed of two words: “per” meaning “through”; and “severare” meaning “to be severe or strict.” So perseverance means to achieve something through being strict. And the obvious object of the strictness is … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – July 20, 2025
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Lk 10:25-27) There’s a tendency to take this Sunday’s Gospel as an encouragement of laziness. We hear that Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus doing nothing, and Martha is doing all of the work. Yet, when Martha complains, Jesus reassures the two that Mary has “chosen the better part.” So doing nothing but listening to Jesus is better than helping out around the house? Sounds like a quick way our of household chores! “Need me to mow the lawn? Sorry, but I’ve chosen the “better portion”; I’m heading to the Adoration Chapel to pray! That’s not really what’s going on here. What Jesus is referring to is not the literal … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – July 13, 2025
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 10:25-27) If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Would you ask about the future? Would you ask for the next Powerball number? Next year’s Superbowl Champion? Or perhaps you’d want to know about something from the past. Why did Katrina hit us? Why did my loved one have to die? Perhaps you’d want to know the answer to something current. Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the cure for cancer? If … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – July 6, 2025
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. … Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ (Lk 10:1, 7-9) The mission of the 72 disciples of Jesus has been spoken about by the Fathers of the Church in several ways. St. Augustine thought the 72 to be the first priests of the Church working in concert with the 12 Apostles (bishops). Other saints, such as St. Cyril, saw the 72 as the first worshipping community of Christians sent out to teach. Either way, the 72 brought the Gospel (Good News) of Christ to those who had never received it. Theirs was the work of “evangelization,” from the Latin word … [Read more...]
