Why do we make the sign of the cross when entering the church, at the beginning of the mass or any other prayer? The answer is both simple and profound. In the Sign of the Cross, we profess the deepest mysteries of the Christian Faith, the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the saving  Read more …

The Exaltation of the Cross. As Christians we have become so accustomed to seeing the crucifix in our churches and homes that we can perhaps forget the horrific suffering it represents. When we do reflect on that suffering, the Exaltation of the Cross, that cruel instrument of torture and execution, can seem scandalously insensitive to  Read more …

Is it possible to be a failure at prayer? The answer is “yes,” and this Sunday we’ll talk about two failures at prayer, depicted for us in the Gospel reading, the parable of the Publican and Pharisee. Think about this for a moment: What are you telling God in prayer that He, God, doesn’t already  Read more …

The image of Mary as Queen Mother is directly related to the first official Marian dogma defined by the Church: Mary’s status as Mother of God. The Greek word for the title is Theotokos, which literally means “God-bearer.” That title is one of the oldest and most commonly used titles for Mary, with Christians using  Read more …

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary What is it exactly? Where is it in the Bible? And what the doctrine and tradition of this church say about this holy feast? These are questions we will explore in our homily this Sunday. In the light of the Assumption of Mary, it is easy to pray  Read more …

The image of Mary as Queen Mother is directly related to the first official Marian dogma defined by the Church: Mary’s status as Mother of God. The Greek word for the title is Theotokos, which literally means “God-bearer.” That title is one of the oldest and most commonly used titles for Mary, with Christians using  Read more …

It is never too late to return to God It is never too late to return to God. This Sunday liturgy talks about faith as acceptance of, or the return to God. The parable of the prodigal son in today’s gospel underlines two aspects of faith: individual and ecclesial (community). The individual aspect is reflected  Read more …

A History Lesson The image of Mary as Queen Mother is directly related to the first official Marian dogma defined by the Church: Mary’s status as Mother of God. The Greek word for the title is Theotokos, which literally means “God-bearer.” That title is one of the oldest and most commonly used titles for Mary,  Read more …

It is never too late to return to God It is never too late to return to God. This Sunday liturgy talks about faith as acceptance of, or the return to God. The parable of the prodigal son in today’s gospel underlines two aspects of faith: individual and ecclesial (community). The individual aspect is reflected  Read more …

There’s something strangely comforting about the messy stories of God’s saints in Scripture. We might expect the heroes of the Bible to go from one episode of obedience to the next, successive faith victories on the path to eternal glory. But that’s not what we find in the Bible. Take Abraham, for instance. In Genesis  Read more …