Priestly Ponderings

I want to thank all who have already volunteered to help and I encourage -those who have not signed up to help with the picnic to do so. After the masses, there will be an opportunity to take a shift in any one of the booths. In the years since the Covid 19 pandamic, many tradtional social gatherings have changed and even disappeared. The Parish Picnic is one such event. The call to volunteer is often un-heeded and ignored. There is no doubt that a lot of hardwork by many pe

DECREE on the Celebration of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus in the General Roman Calendar In the household of Bethany the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them. Martha generously offered him hospitality, Mary listened attentively to his words and Lazarus promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the One who humiliated death. The traditional uncertainty of

Ten years ago, on June 10, 2016, the liturgical celebration honoring St. Mary Magdalene on July 22 was raised from a memorial to a feast, putting her on par with the Apostles. "On the one hand, she has the honor of being the 'prima testis' to the resurrection of the Lord, the first to see the empty tomb and the first to hear the truth of His resurrection. Christ has a special consideration and mercy for this woman, who shows her love for Him, looking for Him in the garden wi

There has been much news surrounding the recent consecration of four bishops for service to the The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). The SSPX was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and has long stood at the center of tensions within the Catholic Church. Its history, rooted in resistance to certain post-Vatican II developments, culminated in a major rupture in 1988 with the unauthorized ordination of bishops. Recent events these past weeks echo this history, as the SSP

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

Tomorrow (Monday, June 29), we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Saints Peter and Paul are considered the principal pillars of the church. Peter, at this point in the narrative, is known by his given name, Simon and, we are told, he was the son of Jona and the brother of Andrew. It was Andrew who introduced Peter to Jesus. Upon this introduction, Jesus immediately gave Peter the symbolic name, Kephas, which is translated, Peter, meaning “rock” (Jn 1:42). In o

Father’s Day, that we celebrate today is an annual Sunday holiday that occurs each year on the third Sunday in June. It was created to celebrate the men who lead our families and Father’s Day reflects how we honor our heavenly Father by honoring our earthly fathers. The fifth commandment tells us to honor our father and mother (Exodus 20:12); therefore, it is right and fitting to honor our earthly fathers as commanded by our Father in heaven. Even though fathers don’t tradit

Today’s readings speak about God’s love. They began with the Book of Exodus and God reminding Moses that He had chosen the Hebrew people as His people. They did not deserve this choice. He chose them out of love. He saw Abraham’s faith and responded with his love for Abraham and his progeny. The people witnessed this love when they were delivered from slavery and led through the desert to the Promised Land. God only asked them to remain faithful to Him, a response to his

On Saturday, June 13 is celebrated as the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua. On this day there is a distribution of St. Anthony’s Bread which is a Catholic devotion and charitable act honoring St. Anthony of Padua, rooted in a 13th‑century miracle and later popularized in the 19th century. It combines prayer, thanksgiving, and almsgiving to help the poor. The tradition dates back to 1263, when a child drowned near the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua. The child’s mother praye

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST that we celebrate today, also known as Corpus Christi. This Solemnity celebrates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi honors the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, affirming that Jesus is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—under the forms of bread and wine during Mass. It emphasizes that in every Mass, Christ’s one sacrifice on Calvary

THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB) approved the consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 2026 to accompany the country’s 250th anniversary. At the USCCB Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, bishops voted “to entrust our nation to the love and care of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” Devoting the nation is an opportunity “to remind everyone of our task to serve our nation by perfecting the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel as taught by the

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY That we celebrate Today, is the central Christian mystery of one God in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one God in three persons, each fully divine yet distinct in relation: the Father generates, the Son is begotten, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (Lateran Council IV, 1215). This doctrine emphasizes that God is relational, eternal, and pe

Catholic Memorial Day is a time to honor the deceased, especially those who sacrificed their lives in service, through prayer, Mass, and reflection on spiritual freedom. Spiritual Significance As we celebrate Memorial Day as Catholics it should be more than a national holiday; it is a sacred opportunity to unite patriotism with prayer and remembrance. The day honors men and women of the Armed Forces who gave their lives, reflecting Christ’s teaching: “Greater love has no one

THE SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST The Solemnity of Pentecost is one of the great solemnities of the liturgical year and marks the close of the Easter season. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops lists Pentecost Sunday among the principal celebrations of the 2026 liturgical year, following Easter Sunday on April 5 and the Ascension of the Lord in this past Sunday. But Pentecost is not simply the end of Easter. It is the day the Church celebrates

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus, celebrated forty days after Easter, commemorates the moment when the risen Christ, in the sight of his apostles, ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). It marks the completion of his earthly mission and the beginning of his exaltation at the right hand of the Father, where he intercedes for us as our eternal High Priest. The Ascension is a remind

On Wednesday, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, this memorial is more than secrets and public consecrations of the Pope and the bishops of the world. It is a continual message of seeking Mary’s intercession is a world that continues to be at war. A public dispute has unfolded after Pope Leo XIV’s repeated public appeals for peace in the Iran war prompted sharp criticism from President Donald Trump; both figures have stood by their statements, and the

Each spring, as blossoms return and creation awakens, the Catholic Church turns with love and reverence to the Blessed Virgin Mary—our Mother and Queen. Among the most cherished devotions of this season is the May Crowning, a time-honored tradition that lifts our hearts toward heaven through Mary, who always leads us to her Son. To crown Mary is to acknowledge what the Church has always believed: that she who said yes to God deserves our highest honor — not as an equal to Go

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER- ‘Preach the truth as if you had a million voices. It is silence that kills the world.’- St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church This Wednesday, April 29, the Church remembers St. Catherine of Siena. Throughout St. Catherine of Siena’s life, the actions and lifestyles of many in the Church did not match up with the Church’s faith. Stagnation reigned over religious praxis in Europe. Ecclesial ministe

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER- FIRST COMMUNION SUNDAY Today is a very special day for many children, in our parishes at Holy Childhood of Jesus and St. Liborious, as well as many other numerous Catholic children throughout the world as they celebrate their First Holy Communion. This time is also an excellent time for all of us to reflect on that moment in which we all received our First Eucharist. First Communion is one of the most significant and memorable

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER- SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY WHAT IS DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY? In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000. St. Maria Faustina Kowalska is the Polish religious sister whom our Lord chose to be his apos