Dear Brothers and Sisters,
St. Paul tells us: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Cor. 11:27–28). First, you must be in a state of grace. That doesn't mean you are perfect. It means you are free from any grave or serious sin. This is an absolute requirement, which can never be dispensed. To receive the Eucharist without sanctifying grace in your soul profanes the Eucharist in the most grievous manner. St. Paul identified at least one person who should not be part of the Church's communion.
The problem is that sometimes, either because of habit and out of fear of what those around them will think if they do not receive Communion, some Catholics, in a state of mortal sin, choose to go forward and offend God rather than stay in the pew while others receive the Eucharist.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we give thanks to God for those who have the special title of father. Everybody has a father… even if he is not in your life right now. There is so much confusion about who and what a father is today. Popular belief often makes fun of the role of the father. In many popular television shows, the father is often seen as very passive and disconnected with reality. This has not been my experience with my father or with many other men of God who are excellent examples of good and holy men of God.
In this particular time in history, we definitely need a positive role model of what it means to be a man and a father. St. Joseph, the appointed father of Our Lord, teaches us the correct role of a father. His committed presence as provider and protector for Our Lord and Our Lady are beautiful reminders of a father's love. Those who have experienced a father's love have experienced a great blessing. For those who have had a negative experience of their earthly father, Our Lord provides us with the answer.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
I have to begin by saying; we cannot judge another person's soul. Only God can judge a person's soul. But we also need to recognize that there are certain actions that would prohibit someone from coming forward to receive Holy Communion.
For example, this concern about who can and who cannot receive Holy Communion usually comes up during election years. Some bishops have told certain disobedient Catholic politicians not to receive Communion. In the past, some supposed "practicing" Catholic politicians have taken public stands promoting abortion. Because of their public stand in support of abortion, they are promoting a sin against life and, therefore, are against God and His teaching that all life is sacred. Therefore they are not able to receive Holy Communion. This may surprise some people. What business, they ask, do the bishops have telling someone they should not receive Holy Communion?
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This is also known as Corpus Christi. Once again we are reminded of the importance of the Eucharist in the life of a Catholic. Of the seven Sacraments, one could say that the Holy Eucharist is central to a person's walk with Our Lord because in no other sacrament, do we receive the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
Invitro fertilization separates the unitive from the procreative aspect of the marital embrace and makes the procreative part the only goal. When the procreative component is the only goal, this is a violation of the child's human dignity because the child is now just a product to be obtained rather than a gift from God to a family. Pope Paul VI said that there is an, "inseparable connection, willed by God, and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning."
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
This weekend, we remember Americans who pledged and even lost their lives to protect our country and preserve our freedom. The cost of freedom was and is paid for by those who are willing to lay down their lives for our great nation. We give thanks to God for all those who are willing to pay the ultimate price for our freedom. If you know a military service man or woman, make sure to thank them for their service and add a few prayers today for peace on earth.
Our Catechism of the Catholic Church helps us to understand what freedom means: Paragraph 1731-1734 says, "The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to "the slavery of sin." Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary. Progress in virtue, knowledge of the good, and self-discipline enhance the mastery of the will over its acts."
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
As you know, there is a war against life. I want to draw your attention to a battle that does not get talked about very much. You may have heard about a custody battle over two frozen embryos that a famous Hollywood couple had planned to implant in a surrogate once they were married. Well they called off the marriage. Surprised?!?!? Then to make a bad situation worse, one of the two started speaking out about why he is suing his ex over custody of the embryos.
Catholics need to know what the Church's position is on frozen embryos because there is so much confusion and misinformation about what is to be done with these embryos. The Church has much to say about such things and we need the wisdom of the Church to guide us.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are blessed with so many families at St. Joan of Arc. I am always amazed at the incredible sacrifices I see parents make at each and every Mass to be a good parent. As I see moms and dads bring their little ones to religious education classes I am so grateful for their dedication and desire to share God's love with their children. The wonderful catechists at St. Joan of Arc are here to help you… BUT your role as your children's primary teacher is your gift to your children. YOU have the awesome privilege and blessing to form the future of the world IN GOD'S IMAGE!
On this Mother's Day 2015, we are reminded that motherhood is a calling by God and it is a gift from God to our world. Today with give thanks to God for the gift of our mothers… and we remember also our mothers who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace. Grant them, O Lord, we pray, a place of refreshment, light and peace.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
It seems like every day there are news reports of assaults against human life. War, abortion and street violence have become so "ordinary" that we hardly notice them.
One of the most quiet and socially acceptable assaults against human life is euthanasia under the guise of mercy. This attack on life is even legal in some states. People "decide" when it is time to extinguish the gift of human life when life becomes "inconvenient" or "messy". The problem with this kind of thinking completely disregards the fact that God is the Author of all life. Our Lord decides when life on earth ends and eternal life begins.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
I've noticed something about the secular world in which we Catholics live today. That is, more and more, people who are hostile about faith believe that people who go to church or express their faith in any sort of substantial way are dangerous zealots. We are "dangerous zealots"?!?! The temptation is to be afraid of being labeled zealots. As a result of this fear, we may overreact and fall into the sin of spiritual sloth. We are constantly tempted to NOT allow ourselves to be excited about our faith, most especially if people are watching.
How often have you been told that religion is a taboo subject and not polite dinner conversation? Nonsense! It is nothing but a tactic to shut us down from the authentic joy that we have as followers of our Jesus.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
Last Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Most of us have at least heard of the story of Divine Mercy brought to us by St. Faustina, a Polish nun of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, who had mystical experiences that focused on God's Divine Mercy. Part of the charism of her community includes the unique task of "cooperating with the Mercy of God in the work of rescuing souls."
Pope Francis blessed the Church and world by announcing at St. Peter Basilica an extraordinary Holy Year of Divine Mercy. The Holy Year will begin on Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. It will end on Nov. 20, 2016, on the feast of Christ the King.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
Pope Francis has declared a Year of Mercy. He recently said, "I have thought about how the Church can make clear its mission of being a witness of mercy… It's a journey that starts with a spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to declare an Extraordinary Jubilee that has the mercy of God at its center."
On Divine Mercy Sunday, the focus is on the healing power of Our Lord's Mercy. Through Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, confessions, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy, we will draw special attention to God's Divine Mercy. Along with the regular Mass schedule, we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church and Confessions beginning at 2:00 pm. In honor of Divine Mercy there will be the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. We will conclude the octave day of Easter with Mass at 3:00pm in which we will ask for Our Lord's Divine Mercy to heal our hearts, our minds, and our bodies.
READ MOREDear Brothers and Sisters,
On Wednesday February 18th, many of us came to church. We came to celebrate our common faith at one of our four Ash Wednesday Masses. On that Ash Wednesday, Catholics came to receive ashes and to take to heart those haunting words: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." And after Mass, many of these Catholics disappeared from church back to their lives. Most were on their way to work or school, having begun the important task of every Catholic: preparing themselves for the coming of Easter six weeks later.
And now we have begun the season of Easter! Lent, like winter, is becoming a distant memory. The purples of Lent have disappeared from our church. The symbols of Jesus' journey in the desert, and His passion and death on the cross have been transformed into signs of His risen life--Easter lilies, spring flowers, the new Paschal Candle, and the abundance of water flowing from our baptismal fonts grace our church!
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