Embrace Change

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 7, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 6:1-2A, 3-8 / Ps 138 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 / Lk 5:1-11
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

This Sunday is not the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  But with these readings, it very well could be.  These readings have a common theme going through them: the theme of God calling and people answering, plain and simple. (more…)

Seeing God’s Presence

Fourth 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…)

Showing Small Mercies

Second 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.

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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…)

You Are a Star

The Epiphany of the Lord
January 3, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 60:1-6 / Ps 72 / Eph 3:2-3A, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Yesterday morning, I had the wonderful privilege to preside at the communal celebration of Penance here in Holy Name of Mary church for the children who received the sacrament of Confession for the first time. I was amazed to see their joyful faces before they went to the confessional, because a good number of Catholics feel that going to confession is pretty much like going to the dentist: It is not a pleasant experience. (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.

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A Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
December 27, 2015 – Year C
Readings: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 / Psalm 84 / Col 3:12-21 / Lk 2:41-52
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Today is the feast of the Holy Family. You may be wondering why the church has all these feasts. It’s an opportunity for us to take a look at figures from our past or an aspect of our faith, to reflect on their lives and what their lives mean to us today.

Now if I asked you to name Holy Family, I’m sure most of you would say it’s Jesus, Mary and Joseph. But if we consider scripture and we take a look at it closely, really we should respond that the Holy Family was Joseph, Mary and Jesus. We can learn a lot if we take a look at their lives as reflected in scripture. (more…)

Home in the Lord

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
December 25, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 9:1-6 / Psalm 96 / Ti 2:11-14 / Lk 2:1-14
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

I love Christmas music. I start listening to it at the beginning of Advent, and I listen to it all the way through Advent and Christmas, all the way up to the Baptism of the Lord. This started when I was a little boy. My parents had an assortment of Christmas albums and I had a little record player, and I would sit and I play them over and over. And my parents had everything from “Oh Holy Night” to “Blue Christmas” by Elvis. I think I wore those albums out.  This year one particular song got stuck in my head throughout the whole month of December. That song is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” (more…)

Blessed Are You Who Believe

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 20, 2015 – Year C
Readings: Mi 5:1-4a / Psalm 80 / Heb 10:5-10 / Lk 1:39-45
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

About 3 days ago, a couple visited our sister parish, Resurrection, in Moneta. They were looking for a priest because they claimed they could see demons in their home. Since I wasn’t there, they told their story to Deacon Chris. He prayed with them, and gave them holy water to take home and sprinkle on their house. By the way, this couple wasn’t Catholic. But yet they believed that, somehow, our church could assist them in driving out their demons. When I heard this story, it reminded me of a post from one of my Facebook friends. It said something like, “People make fun of us Catholics until they see demons in their homes.” (more…)

Rejoice Always

Third Sunday of Advent
December 13, 2015 – Year C
Readings: Zep 3:14-18a / Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 / Phil 4:4-7 / Lk 3:10-18
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

While I was waiting for my food at one of the local fast food restaurants yesterday morning, I had the wonderful opportunity to see living examples of why the town of Bedford deserves its title of “The Christmas Capital of the State of Virginia”. It is not only the beautiful display of lights, which are one of the best in the state, but because of the people who live here. There was an elderly couple, or if I may use the words of St. Luke: “a couple advanced in years”, who were so vibrant, spreading the joy of the season by just being themselves, and greeting everyone with “Merry Christmas”. (more…)