“Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus.”  This unique statement in John’s gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, her sister, and her brother.  Apparently, Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha’s home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem.  We read of three visits in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-53, and John 12:1-9.

Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them.  (Read more…)

Next Saturday, 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…)

On Wednesday, July 16th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah in northern Israel in the 12th century. They had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. By the 13th century they became known as “Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.” They soon celebrated a special Mass and Office in honor of Mary. In 1726, it became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. (Read more…)

In a few weeks many of us will have an opportunity to take a break from school or work and make time for leisure activities. As we continue to make time for leisure activities and travel, we are strongly encouraged to keep our focus on God. We are reminded that the time for Mass and prayer should be included in our plans.

When attending Mass, especially during the summer months, we are asked to exercise prudence and judgment in how we act and in what we wear. (Read more…)

As disciples of Christ, we are challenged to set a good example for others and to truly and publicly live our faith. We are therefore invited to prayerfully consider making time for the Lord by making the Mass the heart of our day, not just a small part of our day, each Sunday and each Holy Day of Obligation. This is especially true as we make time for rest and recreation as summer approaches.

The third commandment of God is to remember to keep holy the day of the Lord, and keeping holy the day of the Lord is something that Christians of all faith traditions should strive to do. (Read more…)

Today is the great Feast of Corpus Christi, when the Church, with joy, celebrates the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1247, the Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in France for the first time. It gained widespread acceptance throughout the Church after 1300. The Feast is generally considered to reflect the Holy Thursday Mass, but without its sorrowful connection to the Passion.

An outdoor procession has been an integral part of Corpus Christi since its beginning, and may have originated from the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose that is conducted on Holy Thursday. (Read more…)