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”
Author Archives: stceceliastgabriel
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”
1st Sunday of Advent
Please click the following link to watch our parish Mass for the 1st Sunday of Advent on our parish YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/msA7W8xLh_k posted 11/29/20
Advent
A priest friend of mine recently shared with me an excerpt of a meditation on Advent by Br. Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourette, who is a Benedictine monk living in a monastery near Millbrook, NY. Br. Victor-Antoine works on the monastery’s farm and is in charge of cooking for the community, which fosters in him a deep reverence for the differentContinue reading “Advent”
The Gift of Gratitude
Thanksgiving reminds me of my grandmother, Elizabeth. When we were little, our family used to make the trek down from Trumbull to Staten Island where she lived, braving both the BQE and the Verrazano Bridge – which is not for the faint of heart even on the best of days. My grandmother was one of seven children born to the Fallon family in County Longford,Continue reading “The Gift of Gratitude”
Solemnity of Christ the King
To watch the video of our parish Mass for the Solemnity of Christ the King please go to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/7Xcw8p1-RcM posted 11/22/20
