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…)

The Merciful King

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 20, 2016 – Year C
Readings: 2 Sm 5:1-3 / Ps 122 / Col 1:12-20 / Lk 23:35-43
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, which is the last Sunday in the liturgical calendar, and this year is also the last day of the Year of Mercy.  It is the hope of our Holy Mother Church that the emphasis on God’s infinite mercy this past year will remain with us to ponder upon and reflect on for the rest of our lives.  (more…)

The Resurrection of the Body

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 6, 2016 – Year C
Readings: 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14 / Psalm 17 / 2 Thes 2:16-3:5 / Lk 20:27-38
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

In case you haven’t noticed, the year is coming to an end. While 2016 is indeed coming to an end, our church year ends before then. The liturgical year will end at the completion of the second period of Ordinary Time, and a new liturgical year will begin with the first Sunday of Advent. Additionally, the year is broken up into seasons and there is a 3 year cycle of readings – A, B and C. In 2016 we have been reading from cycle C which focuses on the Gospel of Luke. When we begin the next year we will read cycle A, which focuses on Matthew. (more…)

Saving the Lost

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 30, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Wis 11:22-12:2 / Psalm 145 / 2 Thes 1:11-2:2 / Lk 19:1-10
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Each and every one of us, who is old enough to have a life history, must have experienced being lost sometime in the past, either literally or figuratively. On a dark, winter night a few years ago, I was on my way to attend the priest gathering at the rectory of Fr. Dan Kelly in Nelson County. (more…)

The Power of Mustard Seed Faith

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 2, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4 / Ps 95 / 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14 / Lk 17:5-10
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

Praying with all of you, as we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is such a great honor and privilege, for our presence here is an amazing expression of our faith.  Some of our friends or acquaintances may ask why we need to go to church, when we could pray at home or practically anywhere.  As we know and believe, God is everywhere.   

If we say that we are here to listen to God’s words, they may ask, “Can you not just read the Bible at home, or even listen to the sacred scriptures on a CD while you are driving?”  It’s more convenient.  (more…)

Mystery and Math

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
May 22, 2016 – Year C
Readings:  Prv 8:22-31 / Psalm 8 / Rom 5:1-5 / Jn 16:12-15
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

The Holy Trinity. We say it all the time. It’s the foundation of Christianity. It’s what makes us unique. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God, three Persons. NOT three Gods. We are not polytheistic, as some people accuse us. But no other religion on earth has this understanding of the Divine Nature. (more…)

God’s Way

First Sunday of Lent
February 14, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Dt 26:4-10 / Ps 91 / Rom 10:8-13 / Lk 4:1-13
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

During the season of Lent we remind ourselves that our prayers are most effective when they are accompanied by sacrifice.  At fourteen degrees outside, it’s surely a sacrifice to be here this morning.  If somebody tells you that he or she is tempted to walk to church this morning instead of driving, you will find difficulty in believing it.  But if you say that you are tempted to sleep in instead of coming to Mass, everybody will easily believe you.

This is what temptation is all about: taking life the easy way. (more…)

A Baptism Story

The Baptism of the Lord
January 10, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 / Ps 29 / Acts 10:34-38 / Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
by Rev. Richard Mooney, Guest Celebrant

In early December of 1952, I was baptized.  It was something my parents did for me.  I was about six weeks old.  For a while, I thought it was something my parent had done to me.  Later on I realized it was something my parents had done for me.  And I think they did the best they could, especially while trying to raise six boys (I was the third of them).  They had us all baptized as infants.  (more…)

“Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
January 1, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Nm 6:22-27 / Psalm 67 / Gal 4:4-7 / Lk 2:16-21
by Rev. Mr. Mike Stinson, Permanent Deacon

“Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

I’m a teacher, and one morning a few weeks ago, I was driving to school, and my son Jeremy was in the car with me. As we got to a long curve in the highway, I noticed a car that was coming the other way was drifting across the yellow line, moving into my lane.

I moved over slightly and assumed he would move back into his lane — but he didn’t. He kept drifting over towards me, and I moved over some more, and he kept coming, until finally at the last second I jerked my wheel to the right — then there was a loud bang! and then what was left of my rear view mirror was dangling from a wire, thumping the side of my car door as I drove on down the road.

(more…)