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Last week I wrote about the hope I saw in the Alabama State Supreme Court’s decision that “embryos are children” (“There is Hope in Alabama”). Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that many people do not get the significance of the…
Read More3rd Sunday of Lent, Year BExodus 20:1-17Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 12 (John 6:68c)1 Corinthians 1:22-25John 2:13-25March 3, 2024 At times, Paul tells us that as Christians we are not under the Law. Rather, we are under the Spirit. This does…
Read MoreThe Eucharistic Prayer – The Concluding Doxology The Eucharistic Prayer ends with the priest saying, “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours,…
Read MoreAfter three months of much work, my website has a new look. Those of you who know me, know that I normally update my website myself. The change started when my old blog crashed in November. It didn’t work for three days.…
Read MoreLast Tuesday, I read Daniel Payne’s article, “Alabama Supreme Court rules that embryos are children under state law,” (2/20/24. Catholic News Agency. Accessed online on 2/27/24 at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256891/alabama-supreme-court-rules-that-frozen-embryos-are-children-under-state-law). In the very first line he reported, “The Alabama Supreme Court has…
Read More“God put Abraham to the test.” How would you fair with the same test? Last week I spoke about our struggles to resist temptation. Who you do any better with the test that Abraham faced when God told him, “Take…
Read MoreLast night I offered a new presentation, Why Should I Go to Confession?. The recording of the video and the slides are now available on my website at https://www.renewaloffaith.org/whyconfession. If you view the video in the next few days, you can complete…
Read MoreThe Eucharistic Prayer – Intercessions As we conclude the Liturgy of the Word, we offer the Prayers of the Faithful. Here, we offer explicit intercessions in prayer. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Eucharistic Prayers also include intercessory prayer…
Read MoreAs I have said before, there are many people who choose not to watch the news because it is full of negativity. I myself watch the news less than I used to because of the negativity along with seeing a…
Read More1st Sunday of Lent, Year BGenesis 9:8-15Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, (10)1 Peter 3:18-22Mark 1:12-15February 18, 2024 “Repent and believe in the gospel.” These are the words that were said as ashes were placed on the foreheads of people as we…
Read MoreThe Eucharistic Prayer – The Oblation The greatest sacrifice ever offered is the sacrifice of Jesus freely giving his life for us on the Cross. As Jesus says in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down…
Read MoreLent starts tomorrow (February 14, 2024). What comes to mind when you hear the word “Lent”? Do you have feelings of dread or joy? Why? Is Lent just something “necessary to get to Easter and the Resurrection”? We all want…
Read MoreJesus had been healing many people. In today’s gospel, “A leper came to Jesus.” Given the number of people that were coming to Jesus one might think of the man with leprosy as one of many. He knelt before Jesus and…
Read MoreThe Eucharistic Prayer – Memorial Acclamation & Anamnesis Following the words of Jesus that transubstantiate bread and wine into his Body and Blood, comes the Memorial Acclamation and Anamnesis. At this point in the Mass, we recall the paschal mystery…
Read MoreHow much time do you spend trying to make other people happy? Now, there are clearly some people that we should want to make happy. Certainly, a married person should want their spouse to be happy. We should want our…
Read More5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – HomilyJob 7:1-4, 6-7Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (3a)1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-3Mark 1:29-39February 4, 2024 “Job spoke saying: Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?…I shall not see happiness again.” These are the words…
Read MoreThe Eucharistic Prayer – The Institution Narrative cont’d Last week we discussed the Institution Narrative where Jesus instituted the Eucharist as he said, ‘this is my Body…this is my Blood.” We believe in the Real Presence because Jesus says so. …
Read MoreSome Christians will ask, “when were you saved?”. Generally, the people who ask this question have experienced a time in their lives when they felt a profound conversion in their lives and gave their lives over to Christ. This is…
Read MoreThe Eucharistic Prayer – The Institution Narrative After the Epiclesis comes the Institution Narrative. The Institution Narratives are Jesus’ own words at the Last Supper. The Catholic Church did not make up its teaching on the Eucharist. Our belief in…
Read More3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – HomilyJonah 3:1-5, 10Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (4a)1 Corinthians 7:29-31Mark 1:14-20January 21, 2024 You can see near the end of this homily, I did something different to help people understanding the Bible shapes…
Read MoreThe Liturgy of the Eucharist – “My Sacrifice and Yours” As we transition from the offertory to the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest says, “Pray my brothers and sisters,, that my sacrifice and yours, may be acceptable to God, the almighty…
Read MoreThe Nativity of the Lord (Mass During the Night)Isaiah 9:1-6Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2023 We come today to celebrate something very special and we do so with “abundant joy and great rejoicing.” We come into church from a world with…
Read MoreWe are about to start a very busy weekend in the Church. This Sunday (December 24th) is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Then Christmas arrives on Monday. That means there will be the normal Sunday Masses. Then, at 4 pm…
Read MoreThe Liturgy of the Eucharist – The Offertory Part 3 When the gifts of bread and wine have been placed on the altar, water is used twice. The first is as the priest or deacon pours wine into the chalice…
Read MoreAs we approach Christmas, there are specific readings for daily Masses on the final eight days before Christmas. The gospel readings focus on the events just before the birth of Jesus including the announcements of the pending births of John…
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