Let Us Be One

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 11, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46 / Ps 32 / 1 Cor 10:31 – 11:1 / Mk 1:40-45
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

The gospel today picks up where we left off last week. We have Jesus performing another miracle of healing. Now, at first glance, you could say, “Oh, this is Jesus, the healer. He’s doing another miracle.” There’ve been many attempts in the past hundred or so years to explain the miracles away. You see that happening all the way back to the time of the founding of our country. (more…)

Fall Back

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 5, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Mal 1:14B-2:2B, 8-10 / Ps 131 / 1 Thes 2:7B-9, 13 / Mt 23:1-12
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

It has been said that the “fall back” day, when we turn our clocks back an hour, is one of the days of the year that people look forward to. It’s pretty much like Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, because who wouldn’t want an extra hour of time to rest?

As we gather here together this morning, we all know the reason why we pray: because we “fall back” to God. (more…)

Training for Mercy

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 17, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Sir 27:30 – 28:7 / Ps 103 / Rom 14:7-9 / Mt 18:21-35
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Wow. That’s some pretty intense stuff. I’m not sure what I think about those readings. I think it is worth recapping the important points. In the first reading we have,“The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, for He remembers their sins in detail.” In the gospel, “The master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will My Heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives from your heart.” (more…)

The Assumption – Our Hope

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Rv 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB / Ps 45 / 1 Cor 15:20-27 / Lk 1:39-56
by Rev. Salvador Anonuevo, Pastor

Ever since I can remember, I always had a beautiful experience praying in the cemetery.  I didn’t know the reason why.  Maybe, because I grew up in a very small town in the more than seven thousand islands in the Philippine archipelago, where our house was not too far from the cemetery.  The priest there celebrates Mass every Monday in the cemetery. (more…)

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…)

Confess and Be Free

Pentecost Sunday
June 4, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 2:1-11 / Ps 104 / 1 Cor 12:3B-7, 12-13 / Jn 20:19-23
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant

Last Sunday after 5:00 Mass in Moneta and dinner in the parish there, I left at about 10:00 at night.  If you remember, last Sunday night it was very foggy.  Suddenly, ten minutes into my driving, swirling lights appeared behind me. I’m not a fast driver, so, only a little worried, I pulled over.  Thank God, he continued on past me. (more…)

Unfathomable Mercy

Sunday of Divine Mercy
April 23, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 2:42-47 / Ps 118 / 1 Pt 1:3-9 / Jn 20:19-31
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

A little more than ten years ago, a man by the name of Charles Roberts went to a one-room Amish school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and cold-bloodedly shot ten Amish schoolgirls, killing five of them before he killed himself.  But in the midst of their grief over this shocking loss, the Amish community didn’t cast blame. (more…)

Cherish No Grudge

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 19, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Lv 19:1-2, 17-18 / Ps 103 / 1 Cor 3:16-23 / Mt 5:38-48
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant 

One of my little peculiarities is that I enjoy walking through a graveyard and looking at epitaphs.  Every so often I say to people in New Jersey, “Oh, in today’s reading, there is a lovely epitaph.”    (more…)

The Armor of Light

First Sunday of Advent
November 27, 2016 – Year A
Readings: Is 2:1-5 / Ps 122 / Rom 13:11-14 / Mt 24:37-44
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

About 20 years ago, while I was having a lively dinner conversation with my cousins in New York during my first week in the United States, they gave me the honor of hearing about all they had done – a sort of summary of their lives.  This included not only their achievements but also the mistakes they made and what they should have done.  (more…)

Prayer Power

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 16, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Ex 17:8-13 / Ps 121 / 2 Tm 3:14-4:2 / Lk 18:1-8
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

Many years ago, a young Catholic lady got married to a man who not only was a pagan, but also had a very bad temper.  But she bore all her sufferings with patience and with fervent prayer. (more…)