Today, May 12th, we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, commemorating that day when Jesus was taken up to heaven, to the glory of his Father – 40 days after he rose from the dead and 10 days before the Feast of the Pentecost.  What is so significant or important about this feast?

Once, I was asked, “If Jesus loves us and lives forever, why did he leave?” It’s an excellent question. If we consider the Ascension simply in terms of Jesus leaving us, then we might wonder why He did it. (Read more…)

Next Sunday, May 12th, we celebrate Mother’s Day and we honor our moms for all they do for us and for the sacrifices they make for us. They do many ordinary things and do them extraordinarily well. Primarily through their teaching and their example, they assist in an important way, in passing down our precious faith to their children.

When we think of mothers, we only have to think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. May is the month of Mary, and this month we honor her in a special way. (Read more…)

“For perfected souls every place is to them an oratory, every moment a time for prayer. Their conversation has ascended from earth to heaven—that is to say they have cut themselves off from every form of earthly affection and sensual self-love and have risen alone into the very height of Heaven.”  St. Catherine of Siena

On Monday, April 29th, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena.

Born in 1347, Saint Catherine was the youngest of 25 children. (Read more…)

On Saturday, April 13th, thirteen children made their First Sacrament of Reconciliation. What a joy and privilege it was to see them at this Sacrament!

We also encouraged the whole family to come to church with the child and to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation too. I’m pleased to say that I was able to hear the confession of some families that morning.  This was a great example not only to the children in the family but indeed to other children and adults present in church – including myself. (Read more…)

Next Sunday, April 21st, is World Day of Prayer for Vocations. On this day, the Church throughout the world, in a special way, encourages prayer for vocations. It also asks us to do the following:

· Make a special effort to ask the Lord for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

· Pray for the priests who have ministered to you throughout your life, both living and  deceased.

· Keep our parish priests in your prayers throughout the week. (Read more…)

Divine Mercy Sunday

Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Francis has urged us to embrace this day and truly reflect a spirit of mercy, repentance, and reconciliation in our lives. On this day, one week after Easter, we are reminded why Jesus rose from the dead; and one of the reasons was to shower the world with divine mercy.

This is what the Church has to say in part about this great feast: “During the Church’s millennium celebration in 2000, Pope John Paul II declared that the Second Sunday of Easter be known as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” (Read more…)