stceceliastgabriel

Looking Up

In his Easter homily last year, Pope Francis reflected on St. Mark’s account of the resurrection, which begins with the women going to Jesus’ tomb at dawn. Having had to bury the Lord in haste on Good Friday before the start of the Passover Sabbath, they returned on Sunday to perform the proper anointings ofContinue reading “Looking Up “

Sanctified along the Way

“Hallow” is the number one Christian prayer app in the world. This Lent, it has featured daily readings from The Way, a spiritual classic first published in 1934 by St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. The Way is a book filled with short, paragraph-long meditations on various subjects. The intended audience for theseContinue reading “Sanctified along the Way “

Seeking What Is Hidden

This weekend you will notice that the statues in our churches are covered with violet veils. It is part of a very old tradition that on the fifth week of Lent images are veiled to mark our entrance into what’s called Passiontide, the final two weeks of Lent. Lent can seem like a disorienting time.Continue reading “Seeking What Is Hidden “

Putting in the Work

Shannon Sharpe is considered to have been one of the best tight ends to ever play professional football. He won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and one with the Baltimore Ravens and retired from the NFL in 2003 as league leader in receptions, touchdowns, and receiving yards at his position. These days, heContinue reading “Putting in the Work “

Being Healed

This Friday (3/28) at 7pm we will be hosting what’s called a “Healing Mass” at St. Cecilia Church. While every Mass is a source of healing in a certain sense, this Mass will have a particular focus on the healing of the sick and the suffering. The main celebrant of the Mass will be Fr.Continue reading “Being Healed “

The Greatness of St. Patrick

A priest friend of mine who grew up in the Chicago area once shared with me the story of his Confirmation. The bishop, upon arrival, decided he wanted to meet with the young men and women he would be confirming that afternoon, including my friend. He went around the room and shook their hands, askingContinue reading “The Greatness of St. Patrick “

Fasting for the Word

There are some years when Lent sneaks up on you. It has happened more than once in my life that I have found myself in the first weekend of Lent without a clear idea of what my Lenten discipline would be. Perhaps this has happened to you as well. And in those cases, if you’reContinue reading “Fasting for the Word “

Not Doing What We Can

At last weekend’s Masses, the Church had us reflect on a scripture passage about King Saul falling into the hands of David (1 Sam 26:2-23). Saul had been making David’s life miserable for years, trying to kill him out of envy. Suddenly, David has a golden opportunity to put an end to his ordeal byContinue reading “Not Doing What We Can “

Drifting Apart, Marching Back

Last weekend our parish hosted a marriage workshop called “Adventures in Marriage.” Over the course of three days, 22 couples spent time learning how to constructively work through challenges together, and by all accounts the program was very well-received. I was able to watch parts of the presentation and witness some of the exercises thatContinue reading “Drifting Apart, Marching Back “

Tenderness in Small Things

In a recent article published on Word on Fire, author Leah Libresco Sargeant wrote about the second miracle attributed to Pier Giorgio Frassati that will lead to his canonization by Pope Francis this summer. Handsome, charismatic, and deeply religious, Frassati was known for organizing mountain climbing excursions with his friends, for encouraging his peers toContinue reading “Tenderness in Small Things “