Coming Home

First Sunday of Lent
February 22, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Gn 9:8-15; Psalm 25; 1 Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

I would like to thank all of you for praying for me while I traveled back from the Philippines. It’s quite a change from 90-degree temperature all the time to 8 degrees with snow. 99 percent of my relatives & friends in my hometown have never seen, much less touched, snow. So when they heard there was a snowstorm here, they asked me to try to explain snowflakes and snow formation. I tried, but (more…)

Prescription for Healing

Ash Wednesday
February 18, 2015
Readings: Jl 2:12-18; Psalm 51; 2 Cor 5:20-6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

You may have noticed that, for the past few Sundays, Jesus the Great Physician has been very busy. Since the beginning of Ordinary Time, we have been in the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark. Now, Mark doesn’t beat around the bush. His Gospel is the oldest and the shortest and he gets right down to business. He spends just 20 verses telling us about the events that led up to Jesus’ ministry. Contrast that with John who devotes 51 verses, Matthew who spends 87, and Luke who spends 183. (more…)

The Healing Touch of Jesus

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 15, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; 1 Cor 10:31-11:1; Mk 1:40-45
by Rev. Louis Benoit

In today’s gospel, Jesus heals a leper. This is a little bit different from other healings that Jesus does. A leper was an unclean person and he was isolated from the rest of society. He had none of the support of society. He had to live apart. The only people he was living with were other lepers. The only thing to look forward to was death – a pretty miserable existence. (more…)

Healing Is for Service

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 8, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Jb 7:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 147; 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mk 1:29-39
by Rev. Richard Mooney

This entire stretch of time between the end of Christmas and the beginning of Lent, we are spending in the first chapter of the gospel of Mark. In that first chapter, we are being introduced to Jesus. One way to get a lot out of it is to read the chapter as if you had never heard these stories before. When you do that, you are more likely to get a sense of the challenge that is built into these stories. (more…)

Come after Me

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 25, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Jon 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 25; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20
Rev. David Hyman

Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Come after me.” Those are the key phrases for me this morning.

“The kingdom of God is at hand” simply means that Jesus is here. The final revelation of God is here. Come after me, sign up – you and I have done it. We’ve been baptized, we’ve been confirmed, we belong to the kingdom of God. We’d like to think that we’re all coming after in the ways in which we’ve been shown and the ways we’ve chosen to do it. And so it is. (more…)

Listening to the Voice of God

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 18, 2015 – Year B
Readings: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40, 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42
by Rev. Louis J. Canino, ofm

This past week, I was in Syracuse NY for the funeral of an aunt who died at 102 years of age. It was quite a celebration of her life. I hadn’t seen some of my cousins and relatives in years. After the wake and funeral, we gathered together in my aunt’s house. There were about 30-40 of us. In one particular circle of people, I felt there were about 3 conversations going on at one time, and I didn’t know who to listen to. (more…)

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
January 11, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Is 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm – Isaiah 12; Acts 10:34-38; Mk 1:7-11
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

From September 1940 until May 1941, Hitler’s Luftwaffe carried out an intense bombing campaign of London. His intent was to demoralize the British people and and encourage them to surrender quickly. The damage inflicted on the city was great and causalities were high. The destruction in the East End of London was especially bad. In spite of this and against the advice of many of his advisors, King George VI and his wife Elizabeth decided to stay in London instead of evacuating to the countryside. (more…)

Follow the Star

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
January 4, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Is 60:1-6; Psalm 72; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A few weeks ago on a dark, rainy morning like today, I was called by one of our parishioners who wished to receive the sacrament of holy anointing. Since the address was in Bedford, I didn’t bother to ask for detailed directions. I figured that since she didn’t live that far away, even my 8-year-old GPS could find her place. That’s what I thought. (more…)

Dwelling in God’s Eternal Kingdom

Mass of Christian Burial for Baby Moses Jacques Baptiste
January 2, 2015
Readings: Lamentations 3:17-26; Psalm 25; 1 John 3:1-2; Matthew 25:35-40
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

In 28 years of the priesthood, I have never had a funeral Mass for a baby as young as Baby Moses. This is a first for me. (more…)

Can We Be Like the Mother of God?

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
January 1, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Nm 6:22-27; Psalm 67; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21
by Rev. Mr. Mike Stinson, Permanent Deacon

What does a Mother do? She helps her child grow. First, her child grows within her. Then her child is born. And then she encourages her child to keep growing, and she introduces him to others.

Like any mother, Mary remembered the events surrounding the birth of her child — the gospel says she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” These events showed the unique nature of her child. A human baby — but also God, come to earth in human form. (more…)