Beginning Friday, August 31, both the School Mass and the Tuesday evening Mass that is preceded by a Holy Our of Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament will return to St Stephen Church. The School Mass is celebrated on Fridays at 9:00am (unless there is a Holy Day of Obligation that week, in which case it is moved to the Holy Day of Obligation), and the Tuesday evening Mass is celebrated at 6:00pm, with the preceding Holy Hour beginning at 4:45pm. … [Read more...]
Confessions
September 8, 2018 By
September 12, 2018 5:00pm – 6:30pm As he did last year, Archbishop Aymond has asked that each parish offer the Sacrament of Confession on September 12, the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. … [Read more...]
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
September 6, 2018 By
Msgr. Nalty with Mother Teresa in in 1996. Sometimes I tell stories in my homilies about the summer that I spent working in Calcutta with the Missionaries of Charity. Saint Teresa of Calcutta used to have a little card that she gave to people she met. She called it her “business card.” I’ve reproduced one she gave to me after I worked in Calcutta one summer: It’s nice having her autograph, but that’s not the point. The point is how she connects silence to prayer to faith to love to service to peace. We all want peace. Mother Teresa provided me that recipe. … [Read more...]
Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother
September 3, 2018 By
by St. Alphonsus de LiguoriO my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolours. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something for your love. "O Lady," will I say with St. Bonaventure, "if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – September 2, 2018
September 2, 2018 By
He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” (Mk 7:15) If there’s one thing in the world we don’t like, it’s hypocrisy. I remember sitting next to a man on an airplane one time. When he saw that I was a priest in clerics, he was initially very courteous. He said he was Catholic and spoke about being involved in the Church when he was younger. As our conversation continued, he began to spend a lot of time criticizing the Catholic Church, particularly it’s teachings on marriage and sexuality, a male priesthood, and the “hierarchy.” After listening for a while, I asked him where he went to church at the moment. He responded: “Oh, … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – August 26, 2018
August 26, 2018 By
As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:66-69) This Sunday we complete our five week Eucharistic study of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Four weeks ago we heard about the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes – earthly food. Three weeks ago we heard Jesus describe Himself as the “bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna sent from heaven to nourish the Israelites in their Exodus in the desert. Two weeks ago Jesus starts facing detractors; but instead of backing down, He … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – August 19, 2018
August 20, 2018 By
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." (Jn 6:53-54) As I mentioned over the last three weekends, the Gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Three weeks ago we heard about the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Two weeks ago we heard Jesus raise the bar and describe Himself as the “bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna from heaven of the Exodus. Last Sunday Jesus starts facing detractors, people who rejected his audacious claims, and He “upped the ante” by describing Himself as the means by which we have access to the Father. This week, things get even … [Read more...]
Symbols of the Eucharist (4 of 5)
August 15, 2018 By
The symbol of the Agnus Dei, the “Lamb of God” is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Eucharist. It is an explicit connection between the Paschal Lamb of Passover and the Sacrifice of Christ on the cross. John the Baptist was the first to call Jesus the “Lamb of God,” and we hear the Lamb of God directed to the Eucharist at each Mass right prior to receiving Him in Holy Communion. … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – August 12, 2018
August 12, 2018 By
The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. (Jn 6:41-44) As I mentioned over the last two weekends, the Gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the 6th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Two weeks ago we heard about the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes. Last week we heard Jesus raise the bar and describe Himself as the “Bread from Heaven,” calling to mind the manna from heaven of the Exodus. This Sunday Jesus starts facing … [Read more...]
