Keep Moving Forward

First Sunday of Lent
February 21, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Gn 9:8-15 / Ps 25 / 1 Pt 3:18-22 / Mk 1:12-15
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

During these difficult times, we all hunger for the Good News. The story of Noah, which we heard in the First Reading is, indeed, great news for all of us, God’s children. The Lord God told Noah that he and his descendants could move forward, free from fear. He promised that bodily creatures will never again be destroyed by a flood. (more…)

How to Get Closer to Jesus

Ash Wednesday
February 17, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Jl 2:12-18 / Ps 51 / 2 Cor 5:20-6:2 / Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today, Ash Wednesday, as we begin the forty-day season of Lent, we may have at the back of our minds that this is the time we are supposed to give up something. Many, perhaps, will ask, “Is there anything else left that we can still give up?”

Since the beginning of this pandemic, we might feel, and rightfully so, that we have already given up quite a bit in our lives. We gave up shaking hands, gathering for parties in our homes or elsewhere, traveling, and going on vacations. Even in the church, we have given up sitting in our favorite pews and, for a good number of us, due to our health conditions, we are forced to give up being physically present in our liturgical celebration in the church. (more…)

The Miracle of Grace

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 14, 2021 — 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

Today, we have another of Jesus’ early miracles—the healing of the leper. The idea of miracles can be a contentious topic. A lot of people have a hard time believing in miracles. It’s not just something that is going on in our day and time. Famously, Thomas Jefferson had a problem with it, so much so, that he took a razor blade and cut out from the Gospels any hints of Jesus’s divinity or anything to do with miracles. (more…)

To Pray is Our Way

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 7, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Jb 7:1-4, 6-7 / Ps 147 / 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mk 1:29-39
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

It’s a beautiful snowy day in our area today, Super Bowl Sunday. Whether you are rooting for the Chiefs or the Buccaneers, I believe that you are hoping and praying that your team will win. There is a possibility that we will hear the words “Hail Mary” in the last few seconds of the game tonight, and for the record, American football did not popularize these words. Millions and millions of Catholic Christians have been praying the Hail Mary through the years, since the Angel Gabriel said these words to the Blessed Mother more than two thousand years ago. (more…)

Dealing with Anxieties

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 31, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Dt 18:15-20 / Ps 95 / 1 Cor 7:32-35 / Mk 1:21-28
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

At the present time, we are all aware that many people are experiencing some sort of anxiety. They ask questions like: “When will this pandemic finally end?” “When can we all get the vaccine?” “Will it really work?” “Can we ever go back to our normal life, or will the so-called ‘new normal’ go on forever?”

Being anxious about the uncertainty of the future is a matter of course for a good number of people nowadays. Yet, St. Paul is telling us, through his First Letter to the Corinthians, that he wants us to be free of anxieties. (more…)

Scripture: A Love Story

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 24, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Jon 3:1-5, 10 / Ps 25 / 1 Cor 7:29-31 / Mk 1:14-20
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Those are the words of Jesus in our gospel today. In the spirit of that command, I have a confession: When I was a teenager sitting in worship service, I spent way more time flipping through the pew Bible than I did actually listening to the sermon. And so, I guess, since I’m standing up here preaching now, that’s my penance. (more…)

Mary Our Guide

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 17, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Gn 3:9-15, 20 / Ps 87 / Acts 1:12-14 / Jn 19:25-34
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Not too long ago, Christina Simos and her 18-month-old baby were caught between a rock and a hard place at their third-story apartment, when it was on fire. To save her child, she wrapped him in her arms and jumped from the third floor of the building. Although Simos severely injured her back, her baby, Camron, had only a few scratches. This is one of the many stories that tells us what a mother would do to save her child from danger. (more…)

God With Us

The Baptism of the Lord
January 10, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 / Ps 29 / Acts 10:34-38 / Mk 1:7-11
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Week after week, we hear four readings from the scriptures. The first reading generally comes from the Old Testament. The psalm generally (but not always) comes from the Book of Psalms. The second reading generally comes from the Letters of the apostles.

We have a three-year cycle of readings for the gospel. In Year A, most of the gospel readings come from St. Matthew. Now, we’re in cycle B, and for the most part the gospels come from Mark. In Year C, they generally come from Luke. The Gospel of John is distributed throughout those years. (more…)

Shine Like a Star

The Epiphany of the Lord
January 3, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Is 60:1-6 / Ps 72 / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, God’s words from the Prophet Isaiah, which we heard in today’s first reading, tell us, “Rise up. Your light has come. Darkness has covered the earth, clouds covered the people. But upon you the Lord shines.”

Figuratively speaking, our world has been in darkness for almost a year now. For many people, the light seems to be hidden, and as a result they wallow in their sorrows. Our presence here inside the church of Holy Name of Mary is a manifestation of the fact that we can somehow see the Lord’s light with the eyes of our faith. (more…)

Mother of Us All

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
January 1, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Nm 6:22-27 / Ps 67 / Gal 4:4-7 / Lk 2:16-21
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told about an eight-year-old boy who lived in Poland about nine decades ago. He used to see his father kneeling down, praying on a hardwood floor in their house when he came home from school. One evening when he came home, he saw his dad kneeling with his shirt soaked with his own tears. When he asked him what was wrong, his father said, “Son, your mother just died.” (more…)