posted 7/4/20 Today we celebrate the 244th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which we recognize as the birthday of our nation. Although the celebrations of this great holiday must be relatively quiet this year, I hope you get to enjoy the weekend with family and friends as best you can. Our nation is obviouslyContinue reading “Our Birthday”
Author Archives: stceceliastgabriel
The Paralytic
posted 7/2/20 Today’s gospel is St. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic in the town of Capernaum (Mt 9:1-8). The afflicted man is brought to Our Lord by his friends, lying on a stretcher. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.’” I wonder if there wasn’tContinue reading “The Paralytic”
St. Junipero Serra
posted 6/30/20 Tomorrow, July 1, is the feast day of St. Junipero Serra. In recent weeks, we’ve seen statues pulled down by activists decrying what they understand to be crimes committed by historical figures. Even prior to his canonization by Pope Francis in September 2015, St. Junipero Serra had been the subject of harsh criticism and the defacement of his image, especially in California,Continue reading “St. Junipero Serra”
St. Peter & St. Paul
posted 6/27/20 This Monday, June 29, is the Solemnity of St. Peter & St. Paul. These two saints are the patrons of the city of Rome, where they died as martyrs for the Faith. It’s traditionally the day on which new archbishops go to Rome to receive something called the “pallium” from the pope. The pallium is a white piece of woolenContinue reading “St. Peter & St. Paul”
Images of God
posted 6/25/20 When I was a kid, I liked to read the copy of The Children’s Bible, which was first published by Golden Press in the 1960s. Even before I learned to read, the pictures depicting the Bible stories fascinated me, especially those of the Old Testament. In my mind I can still see the picture of the animals entering Noah’s Ark asContinue reading “Images of God”
The Narrow Gate
posted 6/23/20 The first reading for today’s Mass is from the Second Book of Kings (2 Kings 19:9-36). It is an account of the siege of Jerusalem that took place about 700 years before the birth of Christ. The ruler of the Assyrian Empire, King Sennacherib, had already conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel and sent 10 of the Israelite tribesContinue reading “The Narrow Gate”
Immaculate Heart of Mary
posted 6/20/20 Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There are two references in the Gospel of St. Luke to the heart of Our Lady. The first is the account of the shepherds who visited the place where the newborn Christ was in response to the message they had received from the angels aboutContinue reading “Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Sacred Heart of Jesus
posted 6/19/20 On a hill overlooking the city of Paris is the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a modern structure, whose construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914. Because of the outbreak of the First World War, it was not consecrated until 1917. Probably the most remarkable thing aboutContinue reading “Sacred Heart of Jesus”
Blessed are You
posted 6/18/20 I had a music teacher in high school named Mr. Guzzi who had regular gigs playing piano in a jazz band. During one class one day, he told the story about the trumpeter in his band, who was obsessed with Louis Armstrong. More than anything, he wanted to play the trumpet like Armstrong. So, Mr. Guzzi said,Continue reading “Blessed are You”
Persecuted for the Sake of Righteousness
posted 6/17/20 Blessed Franz Jagerstatter was born in Austria in 1907. As a young man, his Catholic faith wasn’t very important to him, but he later had a profound conversion through the influence of his deeply devout wife. He developed a love for scripture, the stories of the saints, and the Mass. When Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, the vast majority of Austrians were in favor of it. But Jagerstatter wasContinue reading “Persecuted for the Sake of Righteousness”
