Lay Down Your Burden

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 9, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Zec 9:9-10 / Ps 145 / Rom 8:9, 11-13 / Mt 11:25-30
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Some of you may have noticed that I was absent for a couple of weeks.  I got to go on a pretty cool trip, out to New Mexico to the Philmont Scout Ranch.  I went with a group of scouts, one of them being my son, and we got to spend a couple of weeks hiking, and backpacking, and camping on the trail.  In eleven days we hiked eighty-eight miles.  Most of our time was spent above eight thousand feet, and we topped out at over twelve thousand feet. (more…)

Embrace the Mystery

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
June 11, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Ex 34:4B-6, 8-9 / Dn 3:52-56 / 2 Cor 13:11-13 / Jn 3:16-18
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant

Are you familiar with Rabbi Harold Kushner? His son had the serious disease of premature aging which caused him to die at the young age of fifteen. So Rabbi Kushner wrote a book, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
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The Shepherd’s Life

Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 2:14A, 36-41 / Ps 23 / 1 Pt 2:20B-25 / Jn 10:1-10
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

In the priests’ retreat I attended last week, the resident spiritual director and confessor was a priest in his late 80s, whom everybody called Monsignor John.   Although he has been a priest for more than fifty-seven years, his zeal and enthusiasm for everything he is doing in his ministry is similar to that of a 25-year old, newly ordained priest.    (more…)

Our Journey Home

Third Sunday of Easter
April 30, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Ps 16 / 1 Pt 1:17-21 / Lk 24:13-35
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

At some time in the past, many of us have experienced the feeling of arriving home with our hearts heavy and our heads down.  It could have been the time when our favorite sports team lost a championship game, or a loved one was diagnosed with a serious illness, or we were returning from a friend’s funeral.  Whatever the reason, we probably felt that only those who had been through the same type of sadness would be able to empathize with us.    (more…)

Mary’s Intercession Brings Miracles

3rd Sunday of Lent
March 19, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Ex 17:3-7 / Psalm 95 / Rom 5:1-2, 5-8 / Jn 4:5-42
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The wonderful things that have been happening here in Holy Name of Mary Parish since Friday are all manifestations of the Blessed Mother’s love for us. For instance, although the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima was scheduled to leave yesterday at 5 pm, by some miraculous events she has remained here overnight in our sanctuary. This is now the second Mass we are celebrating in the presence of the miraculous pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima. (more…)

Up and Down the Mountain

Second Sunday of Lent
March 12, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Gn 12:1-4A / Ps 33 / 2 Tm 1:8B-10 / Mt 17:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon 

Last weekend my wife and I were in Munich, Germany.  We went there because my wife was invited to give a recital at the Gasteig.  It’s a big concert hall with multiple venues, similar to the Kennedy Center or Carnegie Hall.  It’s very active:  They do a thousand events there a year. (more…)

Chasing Happiness?

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 29, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Zep 2:3, 3:12-13 / Psalm 146 / 1 Cor 1:26-31 / Mt 5:1-12a
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

We all know that everybody wants to be happy. The courses on the science of happiness are becoming more and more popular in colleges and universities when, not too long ago, they were not even part of the curriculum. The song entitled “Happy” by Pharrell Williams was number one on the billboard charts for many weeks. It was downloaded more than a million times, and was used in music videos and animations. All these are confirmations of the fact that happiness is indeed a basic human desire. (more…)

Light in Darkness

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 22, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Is 8:23-9:3 / Ps 27 / 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17 / Mt 4:12-23
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

Today is once again the first day of the rest of our lives. Not only our life here on earth, but our lives that will never end.   (more…)

The Power in the Words

The Nativity of the Lord
December 25, 2016 – Year A
Readings: Is 9:1-6 / Ps 96 / Ti 2:11-14 / Lk 2:1-14
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

This morning, when I visited Our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful our sanctuary looked.  The flowers and the arrangements are truly a work of art.  During the Advent season, we don’t have flowers, so what a change. 

But what makes our sanctuary really beautiful tonight is that we are all here, in the sanctuary of Holy Name of Mary, as members of God’s family, to celebrate the birthday of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  (more…)

St. Joseph’s Faith

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 18, 2016 – Year A
Readings: Is 7:10-14 / Ps 24 / Rom 1:1-7 / Mt 1:18-24
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

A story is told about a worried mother who phoned a church office on the afternoon before the annual Christmas program to say that her small son, who was to play the role of Joseph in the Christmas pageant, had a cold and had gone to bed on doctor’s orders.  When the director of the play heard this, he said, “It’s too late now to get another Joseph. We’ll just have to write him out of the script.”  And they did. (more…)