Power, Authority, and Faith

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 28, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Dt 18:15-20 / Ps 95 / 1 Cor 7:32-35 / Mk 1:21-28
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Since the first of January, a group of fifteen men here at Holy Name, including me and Deacon Eddie, embarked on a spiritual journey called Exodus 90. There are also nineteen women in our parish who are doing Nineveh 90. These two groups are doing the same type of spiritual exercises.

Here are a few of the things we do for ninety days that might be of interest to some of you. In addition to weekly prayer meetings, we also do daily meditation, spending at least an hour a day on personal prayer, and fast twice a week. (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…)

Anxiety Free

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 8, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Is 5:1-7 / Ps 80 / Phil 4:6-9 / Mt 21:33-43
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Most of those who attended the mission at Resurrection parish were not aware that attending with them was a priest – Father Bob. He is a retired Air Force chaplain as well as a retired priest of the diocese of Erie.

If you are one of the few – as I was – who had the privilege of speaking with him, you would think that he is the person to speak with when you are experiencing trials and tribulations in this life. (more…)

Mary Knows the Way

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 1, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Ez 18:25-28 / Ps 25 / Phil 2:1-11 / Mt 21:28-32
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today is the first day of October, the month of the Holy Rosary. In just two months and twenty-four days, we will be celebrating Christmas 2017. But this month we will first celebrate the feast of the Holy Rosary, this coming Saturday, then we will be joining more than 1.2 billion Christian Catholics all over the world on October 13 in celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s last apparition at Fatima. (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 Power of Family Prayer

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 10, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Ez 33:7-9 / Ps 95 / Rom 13:8-10 / Mt 18:15-20
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The other day I was called to give the Last Rites at Smith Mountain Lake. The location was one of the few places at the Lake that I have never been, but with the assistance of the GPS I didn’t have any difficulty finding it. However, what this device didn’t know was that I was going to a group of apartment buildings, and this made my search more challenging. (more…)

Box of Chocolates

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 20, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Is 56:1, 6-7 / Ps 67 / Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 / Mt 15:21-28
by Rev. Salvador Anonuevo, Pastor

A few years ago, Bishop DiLorenzo visited us here in Holy Name of Mary.  After celebrating Mass on this altar and preaching at this ambo, he was at McNally Hall to meet and greet all of us, the Christian family of Holy Name.  One of our Faith Formation children asked him, “How long do you think you will be our bishop?” (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…)

The Shepherd’s Life

Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 2:14A, 36-41 / Ps 23 / 1 Pt 2:20B-25 / Jn 10:1-10
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

In the priests’ retreat I attended last week, the resident spiritual director and confessor was a priest in his late 80s, whom everybody called Monsignor John.   Although he has been a priest for more than fifty-seven years, his zeal and enthusiasm for everything he is doing in his ministry is similar to that of a 25-year old, newly ordained priest.    (more…)

The Lure of Sin

First Sunday of Lent
March 5, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Gn 2:7-9, 3:1-7 / Ps 51 / Rom 5:12-19 / Mt 4:1-11
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

For those who are hooked on fishing, Smith Mountain Lake is one of the best places to be.  Within its 20,600-acre reservoir is an abundance of popular game fish.   

To go fishing you need at least a fishing rod, a reel, and a line with a hook at the end of it.  But you need one more thing that is really important, because the fish will not bite an empty hook. (more…)