The Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6th

This Friday, August 6th, we celebrate the feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord. All three Synoptic Gospels tell the story of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36). With remarkable agreement, all three place the event shortly after Peter’s confession of faith that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ first prediction of his passion and death.  Peter’s eagerness to erect tents or booths on the spot suggests it occurred during the week-long Jewish Feast of Booths in the fall. (Read more…)

Sts. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On Monday, July 26th, we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Joachim and Anne were the parents of Jesus’ mother, Mary. We don’t know many details about their lives because they are never mentioned in the New Testament. Everything we know about them comes down through tradition — the stories people told about them.

We believe that they were respected members of the Jewish community and that they wanted to become parents so much that Joachim went into the desert to fast and pray that God would hear their prayer. (Read more…)

Return to Mass

Many of us have friends, relatives, siblings, co-workers, or neighbors who are Catholic but who do not come to Mass on a regular basis. They may fall away from the active practice of the faith for a time but some eventually come back and begin participating in the life of the Church. As disciples, we are challenged to assist those who are considering a return to the Church. They need our guidance; they need our support; they need our encouragement; they need our prayers. (Read more…)