The Protection of Unborn Children
The right to life of an unborn child is neither a federal nor state issue, as it is a fundamental right given to us by God in accord with the very purpose for which our great nation was founded. Our country came into existence on the principle, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is granted to all persons by God Himself.
Hope in the Present Moment
A familiar cycle repeats itself as another year ends and a new one begins. While the cycle may be the same, we are not. The experiences of the previous year have transformed each of us in various ways, and the coming days will likewise do the same. We look back and we look ahead. However, it is important to recognize that it is in the present moment that we live. The past and the future funnel into the present moment.
What is Christmas All About?
Christmas is a celebration of hope. It is a celebration that reminds us in a world torn by war, inequality, tragedy and lack of respect for God’s creation as He planned it, God always remains with us, even to the point of becoming one of us... He will never abandon us, wrapping us in His love. Nothing but the words of the Gospel can give us this hope.
Mary — The New Eve
Mary’s Immaculate Conception makes clear the eminent and singular place she holds in the life of the Church and in heaven. Chosen by God to be the first to share in the fullness of Christ’s redemption, Mary did not have the least complicity with sin. Her Immaculate Conception is the basis for Mary’s being able to be completely free from the slightest sin all during her life.
Reflections for Advent
During this season, may we reflect more deeply upon its meaning in order to bring a fuller joy to our lives. Pope Francis beautifully stated in regard to the season of Advent, “Just as in each of our lives we always need to begin again, to get up again, to rediscover the meaning of the goal of our lives, so also for the great human family it is always necessary to discover the common horizon toward which we are journeying. The horizon of hope!
Thanksgiving is the Heart of America
Thanksgiving is truly American, and its celebration through the years of our nation with sumptuous food, family gatherings, football games and joyful parades is a sign of the abundance of this land. Thanksgiving expresses the heart of our nation, which is gratitude to God for our land rich in many ways, especially our freedom. It is a land of welcoming of others to it.
Hope Does Not Disappoint
Hope is a virtue we may not think about too often but one by which we live our lives each day. Hope is much deeper than simply persevering through difficult times. It is, as defined by The Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in God’s promises and relying not on our strength, but on the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
November, A Transitional Month
St. Therese of Lisieux said that she wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth. What she expressed is the sentiment of all the saints. They want to help us with our problems, with which they are so familiar. No one wants more to build up God’s Kingdom here on earth than the saints, who live in the fullness of that kingdom. Above all, they want to hold out to us the hope of our own life in heaven, for which our present lives are intended.
Eyes Raised, Hands Joined, Feet Bare!
As we go through this life, our eyes must be raised to God in heaven in union with all the saints who are there with Him. They must also be raised to the souls, who are in union with the Lord in a special way as they continue to purge themselves of the sins which were part of their lives in this world. To keep our eyes raised is to realize that life goes far beyond what we see each day before us in this world.
40 Years – A Eucharistic People
A very significant event has occurred in the life of our Diocese of Palm Beach. On Oct. 24, we celebrated 40 years from the foundation of our Diocese... We have been a Diocese for 40 years and have grown and experienced much in that time. Forty years may not seem like a long period of time in contrast to the life of the Church for over 2,000 years. However, during our years, we have been part of the life of the Church as if from the very beginning.
Mary, Our Patroness and Queen
Mary has many titles within the life of the Church. Queen of the Apostles is a significant one as it points to her prominent role among the apostles. After the Resurrection, Mary was the unifier among them as she was the one who completely comprehended what had occurred in the mission of her Son. She handed onto the apostles what she had treasured in her heart all during the years of her Son’s ministry.
We All Have One Origin
I want to congratulate all of you here at the cathedral on 40 years of being signs of the temple of God by coming to this temple and supporting each other in faith, receiving the Eucharist as the center of our lives, knowing that we live in communion. I also thank all of you for your commitment to the sanctity of life from the moment of conception in the mother’s womb until natural death.
I Came so that They Might have Life
As we read from the Book of Genesis on this weekend, God created the human person to share in His life and for life to be a reflection of His love. The human person is meant to live in communion with God and with one other in a family of love. Marriage is the union between a man and woman which reflects the life of God, and in so doing brings life into the world.
The Heart of the Priesthood
A priest’s very heart is Eucharistic. When he is ordained, the priest is configured to Christ in a unique manner so that he is able to act in the very Person of Christ, most especially in the Eucharist. Through ordination, a priest relates to Christ and to the Church in a new way, and this relationship alters his very being.
Grant Me, O Lord, a Good Sense of Humor!
If a person lacks a sense of humor, he cannot see through things. A person who has a sense of humor sees the world as like looking through a window. It’s transparent. He looks out into another world. The words he hears, the things he sees, tell him about something else. To see the world as God sees it is to have a true sense of humor.
