540-586-8988
[email protected]
540-586-8988
[email protected]
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 30, 2017 – Year A
Readings: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12 / Ps 119 / Rom 8:28-30 / Mt 13:44-52
by Rev. Mike Boehling, Guest Celebrant
Six years ago, John Christian was the very last person to apply to the seminary that year. I remember that he was anxious, and as I met with him time and again as the Vocations Director, there was anxiety about taking the next step. (more…)
KEEP READINGThe Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
June 18, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a / Psalm 147 / 1 Cor 10:16-17 / Jn 6:51-58
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell-Duggan, Guest Celebrant
Can you imagine Oprah Winfrey being stuck for a word? She said it happened once when she was being interviewed by Gene Siskel, the Chicago Sun Times film critic, in an interview before he died. He asked her a question that stumped her, “Tell me, Oprah, what do you know for sure?” That’s a great question, and she said, “Um, uh, I know for sure . . . actually, Gene, I need more time. I can’t answer that question right now.” (more…)
KEEP READINGThe 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?
(more…)
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…)
KEEP READINGThe Ascension of the Lord
May 28, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 1:1-11 / Ps 47 / Eph 1:17-23 / Mt 28:16-20
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant
Tomorrow is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy. To mark the occasion, the Post Office put out a beautiful stamp of Kennedy. Of course, we all know his most famous statement. If you ever visit Arlington National Cemetery, you’ll see the Eternal Flame and the words from his inaugural address in stone: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” (more…)
KEEP READINGSixth Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 / Ps 66 / 1 Pt 3:15-18 / Jn 14:15-21
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant
I’ve always been impressed by the quality of the hospitality of Filipino families. I have spent almost fifty years in New Jersey, and in every parish I was in, we always had Filipino families.
There was one in particular that would call at least once a month, sometimes twice, “Father Paul, can you come over?” It’s 8 o’clock at night or 9 o’clock, and I say “Oh, I’d love to, certainly.” At that hour, I’ve already had my dinner. When I go over, there is a huge dinner waiting. (more…)
KEEP READINGSeventh 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…)
KEEP READINGConfirmation
April 22, 2016
by Msgr. Mark Lane, General Vicar
Before I do anything tonight, I have one request of the young people about to be confirmed: Breathe. You’re not breathing. Unless you breathe, you’re going to fall out. And while in the charismatic renewal movement and within the gifts of the Spirit there is such a thing as being “slain in the Spirit,” tonight is not the night for being slain in the Spirit, I can assure you. (more…)
KEEP READINGFourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 31, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19 / Ps 71 / 1 Cor 12:31-13:13 / Lk 4:21-30
by Rev. Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant
Jesus goes to his hometown and proclaims the Good News of healing and liberation, and the people are impressed. But then they begin to say, “Wait a minute! Isn’t this Joseph’s son? Isn’t he the carpenter’s boy? Where did he get all this? We know where he comes from.” They begin to question. Jesus points out to them that sometimes people outside Judaism have greater faith than these people inside Judaism. And this really gets the people riled up! They want to throw him over the edge of the hill where the town is built, but he goes through their midst and is gone…
Of course, the tragedy is that Jesus, God incarnate in a human person, is among them and they don’t see it. Their vision is too narrow, and they miss it. (more…)
KEEP READINGSecond Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 17, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 62:1-5 / Ps 96 / 1 Cor 12:4-11 / Jn 2:1-11
by Rev. David Hyman, Guest Celebrant
Today’s gospel is the story of Jesus’ first miracle of changing water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana. This story was depicted on Facebook recently with a picture of a store window. At the top of the window was the word “WATER” and below it was displayed a row of wine bottles. Below the wine were the words, “JESUS WAS HERE”.
I like to begin my homily with a commentary like this as a springboard to the real story. I want to share some of the points of this story I find interesting and important.
KEEP READING