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The first reading for today’s (February 15, 2017) Mass comes from the story of Noah and the Great Flood. Â The reading picks up at the point where it has just stopped raining for forty days and forty nights. Â There is…
Read MoreIn mid-October, I went on retreat for a week. Â I was at a place in Pennsylvania on a quiet road surrounded by woods. Â It was very peaceful and I was able to do a lot of spiritual reading and fruitful…
Read More29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Exodus 17:8-13 Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 Luke 18:1-8 October 16, 2016 The Israelites had to defend themselves from an attack by Amalek. Joshua leads the battle but Moses is…
Read MoreLast week I did my first presentation at St. Michael’s Church in Newark. Â It is called “What Comes After the Jubilee Year of Mercy?” Â It largely contains pieces of what I did in my three presentations at Immaculate Conception Church…
Read More20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18 (14b) Hebrews 12:1-4 Luke 12:49-53 Jesus tells us that he comes to bring division, to set father against son and mother against daughter, and in-laws fighting. The…
Read MoreToday we celebrate the Feast of St. Lawrence. Â He was a deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II and was martyred in 258 A.D. Â Yesterday we celebrated the optional memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (aka Edith Stein) who…
Read MoreIf you look at today’s gospel, you will see it begin with Jesus saying “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.”  I think that is all some people hear today…
Read MoreTomorrow I complete my first month at St. Michael’s in Newark. Â Of course, the month has been full of meeting new people. Â Every parishioner is a new face to me. Â While every person has been a new face to me,…
Read MoreToday’s (7/26/16) first reading comes from the Book of Jeremiah. Â Jeremiah served as a prophet in a time when people had fallen away from faith in our God. Â The people faced a very difficult time and wondered if God had…
Read MoreWell, I have been at St. Michael’s for two weeks now. Â I have felt very welcomed by the parishioners and that has been great. Â The staff has also been great. Â I realize now that I had forgotten what it was…
Read MoreAs I prepare to move to my new assignment at St. Michael’s in Newark next week, I have thought about the various places I have served. Â Next Thursday, June 30th, I will celebrate my ninth anniversary of my ordination to…
Read MoreWe are just about to mail our June 2016 parish newsletter. Â As I prepare to leave the parish, below is the last column I wrote for the Immaculate Conception newsletter. Final Thoughts Four years ago, on June 26, 2012, I…
Read MoreIf you are a regular reader of my blog, by now you know that on June 28th, I will end my assignment as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca and move to Newark, NY where I will become the pastor…
Read MoreTenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 1 Kings 17:17-24 Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13 Galatians 1:11-19 Luke 7:11-17 June 5, 2016 In our first reading Elijah restores the widow’s son to earthly life. Jesus does the same…
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I announced (https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/?p=1807) that I would be leaving Immaculate Conception Parish at the end of June. This required a lot of faith in God for me because I like to know what is coming. So I…
Read MoreThis weekend we have given special recognition to Jesus’ role as the Good Shepherd. The concept of the Lord as our shepherd is not new with Jesus. Around 600 BC, the Lord promises to shepherd his people. Going back even…
Read MoreToday we celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the United States. Â The first Thanksgiving happened almost 400 years ago when the Puritans came to the colonies and arrived in what would become Massachusetts. Â It was very hard for them…
Read MoreWe continue to see stories in the news about surveys that say people of faith hold the same values as people who don’t go to church.  For example, the divorce rate among Catholics is nearly the same as among the general…
Read MoreThe following is taken from a column I wrote for the local Knights of Columbus Chapter. Well, not exactly. The Pope didn’t come to Tompkins County but he did come to Cuba, Washington, DC, New York City, and as I write…
Read More23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Isaiah 35:4-7a James 2:1-5 Mark 7:31-37 *Psalm 146, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b) September 6, 2015 “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! What frightens us? What comes to mind…
Read More22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 August 30, 2015 Some of the Pharisees, along with some of the scribes, have come to observe what Jesus and His disciples…
Read MoreThis weekend (Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B) our second reading is Ephesians 5:21-32. Â The passage speaks of marriage and how it is a symbol of Christ’s love for the Church. Â This reading is among the suggested readings for…
Read MoreIn May, I offered the fifth and final presentation, “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church” in my series on the Creed.  You can know watch the video online at https://www.renewaloffaith.org/video—one-holy-catholic-and-apostolic-church.html. Peace, Fr. Jeff
Read MoreWhat follows below is the article I wrote for the cover of our parish bulletin last weekend. Â I had meant to post it before now but forgot. Â I was reminded of it yesterday when I attended our annual diocesan ministerium…
Read MoreHi, I just posted the video of my fourth presentation in the We Profess, We Believe series on the creed on my website at https://www.renewaloffaith.org/video—jesus-and-the-holy-spirit.html.  Later tonight, I will be giving the final presentation in the series.  Watch for that video coming…
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