Brothers and sisters, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31) It’s too bad that this year we won’t be able to gather in front of our church as we watch parades! But I’m sure we’ll all figure out some way to celebrate Mardi Gras. And that’s not a bad thing. Fat Tuesday is meant to be a time of feasting in preparation for the fasting and austerity of Lent. But that doesn’t mean that Lent is a “holy” season and Mardi Gras is a “pagan” season. As St. Paul tells us above, everything should be done for the glory of God. A recent article in the Times Picayune had a question asked the question: “What vices are you giving up for Lent?” And then it listed a long list of “vices,” including among them “meat” and “alcohol.” Now … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – February 7, 2021
Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. (Job 7:4) Most of us know the story of Job. He was faithful to God, but God let the devil take away all of Job’s possessions, kill all of his children and ruin his health. And despite his misfortunes, Job does not curse God. But that doesn’t stop him from bemoaning his situation. The passage above reflects his poor attitude, but it speaks to a truth. The world often imposes on us many miseries. We get tired and frustrated with work. We get in arguments with family members and friends. We get sick, we can’t pay the bills, … [Read more...]
Good Stewardship
An article in the Times-Picayune several years ago woke me up a bit. It said that out of all religious groups in America, the group that gave the smallest percentage of their income to their church were Catholics. While Mormons generally give the Biblical 10% we call “tithing,” and while the average churchgoer in the United States gives 2.4 %, Catholics give the lowest percentage of every other religion. And I don’t write this because we still haven’t completely funded our Restoration (but we haven’t!) or because we need more money to operate (but we do!), but let me tell you the real reason: giving to charity shows a great reliance on God, and God rewards a cheerful giver. Ever since I began “tithing,” God has given me more blessings than I can imagine. And as He gives me more, I … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – January 31, 2021
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. (Dt. 18:18-19) In the Acts of the Apostles, both St. Peter (3:22) and, St. Stephen (7:37) quote the above passage as referring to Jesus. Jesus is the prophet who came to teach us (in word and deed) how to live according to God’s plan and attain the Kingdom of Heaven. And when the time came, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon His Apostles to guide them and us through the Holy Catholic Church. But Jesus foretold that some would not listen to His words, and He warned us that we would be persecuted for following … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – January 24, 2020
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mk. 1:14-15) The words above are the first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. How are we to interpret them? Clearly the words evidence the reality that occurred when God was incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. If God is incarnate, then “this is the time of fulfillment”; all of the prophecies have been fulfilled. And if Jesus is present, then the Kingdom of God is present, since the Kingdom is present where the King is present. But what about the middle part “repent and believe in the Gospel”? There are different ways to understand the words “repent and believe in the Gospel. They … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – January 10, 2021
This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. For centuries, Christians have celebrated the season of Christmas as twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany. The season ends with our celebration of the Lord's baptism. The public life of Jesus begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John hesitates, but Jesus insists. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son.” Similarly to the visitation of the magi, this is an “epiphany” – a manifestation of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. The baptism of the Lord is the acceptance and inauguration of Christ’s mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners, and he becomes “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – Jan 3, 2020
“And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.” (Mt. 2:9-11) Why were the “wise men” wise? Were they wise because they knew the movements of the stars in the sky? Were they wise because they understood the seasons of the year or the movements of nature? What made them wise? The word for “wise men” is a Greek word that we transliterate as “magi.” The magi were interested in trying to understand the created world, but they searched for more. The magi might have been smart because of all of their knowledge of the physical world, but wisdom is … [Read more...]
Sacramentum Caritatis
The Sacrament of Love: the Holy Eucharist (part 1 of 3) On March 13, 2006 the Vatican released an Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI entitled Sacramentum Caritatis – the “Sacrament of Love” – in which the Holy Father offered “some basic directions aimed at a renewed commitment to Eucharistic enthusiasm and fervor in the Church.” The document offers the Holy Father’s reflections on the Synod of Bishops called by Pope John Paul II at the conclusion of the Year of the Eucharist (October 2004 - October 2005). Sacramentum Caritatis is the second major document of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict and must be read in the context of his first Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est – “God is Love” – itself a meditation on the nature of love. Although the Holy Father uses many … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – December 20, 2020
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:31-32a) A few years back I was praying the Rosary with our small group at 11:00 am in front of the abortion clinic on St. Charles Avenue near Louisiana (before it closed), and I got yelled at by a Fundamentalist. Although I’m used to experiencing taunting while I’m praying in front of abortion clinics, I’m not used to being yelled at by a fellow “Christian” because I’m praying the Rosary. One would think we could take a moment to set aside our differences in a mutual effort to pray for an end to abortion! The point of the man’s rant was that I was “glorifying” Mary by saying the “Hail Mary.” He was yelling at us “Mary is dead. Why … [Read more...]
December 13, 2020 – 3rd Sunday of Advent
"Gaudete" Sunday enters in rose colored vestments signifying joy. Isaiah’s message is upbeat, filled with joy and possibilities. James, on the other hand, is encouraging patience. He cautions us against complaining while enduring any hardship. Matthew’s Gospel relates the story of Jesus being asked by John the Baptist if He was the one who was to come. Jesus confronts both John the Baptist and the crowds, including us. “What did you expect?” It is time for us to answer that question. What do we expect of Christ in our lives? How can we use this time to answer that question? … [Read more...]
