stceceliastgabriel

Communion

This Tuesday, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints. It is one of the greatest feasts of the year because it is a celebration of those who have reached the final destination for which we are made and to which we all aspire, with the help of God’s grace. It’s important to remember thatContinue reading “Communion “

Altars

The most important object in every Catholic church is the altar. An altar is a table-like structure upon which is offered a sacrifice to God. In the worship rituals of the Old Testament, a sacrifice of an animal or grains would be offered to the Lord on the altar. The sacrifice would then be burned,Continue reading “Altars “

An Odd Sort of Mercy

Graham Greene was one of the most acclaimed writers of the 20th century, whose best novels feature morally complex characters who experience grace through their very real struggles with fallen human desire. I recently read his 1951 novel, The End of the Affair, which takes place in London in the mid-1940s. A writer named MauriceContinue reading “An Odd Sort of Mercy “

Bending the Knee

When I was a seminarian, I had a summer assignment at a parish where the pastor gave me the task of training the altar servers. I was very pleased when a pretty decent number of kids showed up to the training session. The first thing we practiced was processing down the aisle at the beginningContinue reading “Bending the Knee “

The Beautiful Life of St. Francis

In the Italian city of Assisi there is a small church named San Damiano located halfway down the hill upon which the city is built. There, in the year 1205, the young Francis knelt in prayer before a large crucifix. Suddenly, he heard the voice of Christ speaking to him from the crucifix, calling toContinue reading “The Beautiful Life of St. Francis “

Singing and Parking

On Singing: “He who sings prays twice.” This is a phrase attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of our Diocese. He is saying that when we sing our prayers, we adorn the words we speak to the Lord with a beauty that comes from our hearts’ love for Him. It is likeContinue reading “Singing and Parking “

Gift Exchange

“O, marvelous exchange! Man’s Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.” This is the Antiphon that opens the liturgical celebration of the Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1). It expresses a central claim of orthodox Christianity: thatContinue reading “Gift Exchange “

Survey Says

A couple of months ago, the Diocese approached me and asked whether our parish might be interested in participating in a program that assists in outreach and ministry to married couples and families. After listening to what they had to say, I saw it as a good opportunity. There seems to be little debate thatContinue reading “Survey Says “

Knowing Ourselves

When the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope were released in July, the public response was astonishment. What the Hubble Telescope had revealed faintly was now seen with unprecedented clarity – thousands of galaxies in a patch of sky the size of a grain of sand, some of whose light took over 13Continue reading “Knowing Ourselves “

On the Calendar

In the kitchens of my sisters’ homes a guest will notice a large calendar hanging on a prominent space on the wall. Except, it’s not just a calendar. In their homes it is referred to as THE calendar. According to them, the calendar is what keeps their homes from falling into complete and utter chaos. Continue reading “On the Calendar “