stceceliastgabriel

4th Sunday of Advent

Please click the following link to watch the parish Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/j4F5UWjUgrE posted 12/20/20

A couple of weeks ago, on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis declared that 2021 would be a year dedicated to St. Joseph. Since 1870, St. Joseph has been venerated as the Universal Patron of the Church, and the Holy Father decided that this is a fitting moment in history to “go to Joseph”Continue reading “Year of St. Joseph”

Liturgy, Part 5

Pope (emeritus) Benedict XVI is widely considered to be one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the past 100 years. One of his most famous books is entitled The Spirit of the Liturgy, which he published in the year 2000 as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, five years prior to his election to the papacy. Among the topics that Ratzinger examines in that book is the relationship of the liturgy to timeContinue reading “Liturgy, Part 5”

3rd Sunday of Advent

To watch the parish Mass for the 3rd Sunday of Advent on our YouTube channel, please click the following link: https://youtu.be/R4lyCefB9rg posted 12/13/20

Miraculous Image

During a visit to Mexico City in 2009, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unscheduled stop to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. After spending a few moments looking at the image of the Blessed Mother on the famous tilma of St. Juan Diego, Clinton turned to her guide, Msgr. Diego Monroy, and asked: “who paintedContinue reading “Miraculous Image”

The Immaculate Conception

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is the feast in which we celebrate the special grace given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was preserved from the stain of Original Sin from the moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. The life of grace begins for you and me atContinue reading “The Immaculate Conception”

2nd Sunday of Advent

Please click the following link to view the parish Mass for the 2nd Sunday of Advent on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2QTpUdpoS1g posted 12/6/20

St. Nicholas

The Feast of St. Nicholas is tomorrow, December 6. Because it falls on a Sunday this year, we will not be celebrating his feast day at Mass. Nevertheless, since St. Nicholas is a fascinating character, so I thought it a good opportunity to share a few thoughts about him with you in this space. St. Nicholas was born in a port cityContinue reading “St. Nicholas”

St. Francis Xavier

After St. Paul, the greatest of all Christian missionaries was St. Francis Xavier, whose feast day we celebrate today. He was one of the original members of the Society of Jesus, and his passion for bringing the Gospel to the people of Asia was enflamed through the influence of his spiritual mentor, St. Ignatius ofContinue reading “St. Francis Xavier”

Liturgy, part 4

When we think of the word “sacrifice,” we might think of it as a form of delayed gratification, where we deprive ourselves of something we want now for the sake of enjoying a better thing later on. We might also think of the sacrifices that parents make for their children, or that members of the military make for the protection of our country. ButContinue reading “Liturgy, part 4”