So what is heaven really like?
Someone approached St. Paul one day with a question, “Paul, what will heaven be like?” Paul replied, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much dawned upon the human mind what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). Paul answered it, y...Read full story »
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Celebrate the bride and groom: Sing at the wedding
For some reason, when Catholics gather to celebrate a wedding, they do not seem to know what to do. Their verbal responses to the prayers are barely audible, and they rarely join in singing the principal parts of the mass (if the wedding is between two Catholics) such as the “Holy, Holy...Read full story »
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Exploring ideas for new marriage traditions
As a newly ordained priest, I purchased a 25-page magazine-like formatted booklet entitled “Alternate Ideas for Weddings.” Being very green, I shared some ideas with couples coming for marriage preparation. Over the years, the booklet must have landed up in the hands of a co...Read full story »
Monday, September 16, 2013
More on old and new wedding traditions
In my last article several months ago, I presented the idea that both parents could walk their son and daughter down the aisle on their wedding day as a sign of their support for them, similar to their presentation for baptism and First Communion. Couples who have chosen this option ha...Read full story »
Monday, September 02, 2013
Why a bride isn't seen by her groom before the wedding
Planning a wedding ceremony can be a very stressful time in an engaged couple’s relationship. Many of you have probably experienced this because you are dealing with two families with different ideas of what should take place during the ceremony, as well as the reception, often times ov...Read full story »
Monday, June 10, 2013
The Risen Christ makes himself known in times of tragedy
On the same Sunday that Deacon Tom Evans preached about the Boston Marathon bombings at St. Matthew Church in Mount Vernon, the beautiful Gospel of the Good Shepherd was proclaimed. Deacon Tom very inspiringly connected the events of Boston with the Good Shepherd, which we may also apply to our per...Read full story »
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Learning to find the risen Christ, even in the midst of evil and despair
Our human minds can never fully grasp the full meaning of Jesus’ Resurrection. For the Jewish people, Jesus was executed as a “common criminal” outside Jerusalem. Thus, Je...Read full story »
Monday, May 20, 2013
Christ's death and resurrection both convey essential truths
Catholics of my generation and older remember the days when funeral Masses were celebrated with the priest wearing black vestments, the casket surrounded by six “orange” candles, and the “Dies Irae” (“Day of Wrath”) was chanted as the sequence before the G...Read full story »
Monday, May 06, 2013
Reflections on Dolores Walker and others who have touched my life
Upon hearing the news that Dolores Walker, the mother of Judicial Vicar Father Ken Walker, had passed away last week, the following quote by an anonymous author immediately came to mind: “Our lives are shaped by those who love us and by those who refuse to love us.” I had...Read full story »
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Addressing the post-Easter spiritual needs of our new members
Welcome and congratulations to all those who joined the Catholic Church on Holy Saturday. What an inspiring experience it is for us who have been Catholic all or most of our lives to witness the Church grow each year! Thank you for saying “Yes” to the Lord’s call to...Read full story »
Monday, April 01, 2013
