Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. (Mk. 9:2-3) Last week Jesus was out in the desert, hungry and thirsty. And this week, He’s on top of a mountain, transfigured in dazzling white before Peter, James and John. This transfiguration has traditionally been interpreted as a preliminary revelation of the glory of Jesus given to His closest collaborators so that they might be strengthened in advance of the scandal of the cross. And in this moment of mystical experience, they also hear a voice from heaven: “Listen to Him.” During Lent, there is something comforting about the transfiguration for us, too. It reminds … [Read more...]
LENT SCHEDULE
Fridays in Lent: There will be Stations of the Cross at the Basilica of St. Stephen with Confession at 5:30pm and the Stations at 6:00pm. Remember that Msgr. Nalty is also in the Confessional from 3:00-3:45pm on Saturdays and 9:00-10:15am on Sundays. … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – February 18, 2018
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. (Mk. 1-12) I always look forward to Lent. And this year is no exception. Now that Lent is here, I’m happy to create my own little desert of calm by the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It’s the perfect remedy for the last two weeks of noise, feasting and excess. One of the good disciplines of Lent is “giving something up.” When I was in seminary, I remember my rector publicly acknowledging that he gave up cigars during Lent. And then one Friday in Lent, I walked by his room and smelled cigar smoke. The next day I asked him about it, and he said that he decided to do something different that year because he felt like everyone knew he gave up cigars. He felt … [Read more...]
Safe Haven Sunday: Equipping the Family, Safeguarding Children
The Archdiocese of New Orleans is setting aside this weekend, February 17- 18 as “Safe Haven Sunday” in order to give focused time and resources to address the harmfulness of pornography and other online threats in marriages, family life and culture. Today’s awareness day is celebrated through prayer and a reflection within the context of the Mass. While the parish doesn’t have too many copies currently available, we can order more copies of the book, Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture, to be made available. This book includes a unique seven-day text-to-opt-in program: The Equipped 7-Day Challenge. To order this challenge, you need only text “secure” to 66866 on your mobile phone. This Challenge provides seven days of practical tips that any caring adult can … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – February 11, 2018
Brothers and sisters, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31) Over the next three days, many of us are going to do a fair amount of eating and drinking! 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 it’s certain that excessive drinking and obesity are unhealthy, but can we … [Read more...]
Father Ward Lenten Mission
Former pastor of St. Stephen Church, James Ward, C.M., will lead a Lenten Mission which will take place Monday-Wednesday, February 26-28, 2018 at St Henry Church. The theme for the Mission is “The Wisdom of Pope Francis.” More information will be provided next weekend, but the schedule is below. 6:00 pm, Mass 6:30-7:15 pm, conference 7:15-8:00pm, questions and answers Daily topics: Monday: Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) Tuesday: On the Care for the Common Home (Laudato Si’) Wednesday: On Love in the Family (Amoris Laetitia) … [Read more...]
MINISTRY TO THE POOR REPORT FOR 2017
Our parish is incredibly generous in contributing when we ask for money for the poor. Recently the Society of Vincent de Paul compiled a list of all of the services that we provided as a parish. Here is the list: 4 Seminars held on Saturdays each quarter. Our SVdP volunteers including an attorney, CPA, housing advocate and other volunteers counsel people on how to resolve problems and better their lives. 40 Easter and Christmas Baskets were handed out which provided for a complete holiday meal. We also provided Christmas gifts for families and their children. 144 Bus Tokens – Tokens help people to pay for a bus ride to an interview, job or a doctor’s appointment. The ride costs $1.25 but we buy for $1.09. 418 Food Bags were given to people who … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – February 4, 2018
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...]
REMINDER
Next Sunday the Masses are at 4:00pm (Saturday Vigil), 8:00am and 10:00am (Sunday) … [Read more...]
