Open to Grace, Now

The Resurrection of the Lord
April 4, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 / Ps 118 / Col 3:1-4 / Jn 20:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Today we celebrate the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ! The tomb is empty! Jesus has destroyed death, and He has gone to Galilee. That’s the story we hear in the gospels.

Last night, at the Easter Vigil, we had nine readings. Father Sal explained to us that the first seven are actually a love story – the love story between God and His people. (more…)

Baptism: Together in Ministry

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
January 12, 2020 – Year A
Readings: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 / Ps 29 / Acts 10:34-38 / Mt 3:13-17
by Father Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and an interesting question is why did Jesus get baptized? He had no need of it, yet He did it. In Jesus’ baptism, He gets baptized in solidarity with us. He identifies with us in our simple state. He walks with us as we are.

That’s the baptism of Jesus, and of course, there is a good analogy here, in that we are made holy in the waters of baptism. Jesus, in His baptism, makes the waters holy. And so we have Jesus identifying with us, and He is identifying with us in a simple way, walking with the people, curing people, taking care of them, preaching to them, preaching a kingdom of peace and justice and love. (more…)

The Cost of Freedom

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 30, 2019 – Year C
Readings: 1 Kgs 19:16B, 19-21 / Ps 16 / Gal 5:1, 13-18 / Lk 9:51-62
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Four days from now we will celebrate the Fourth of July, and it is a privilege to wake up each morning knowing that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave and the greatest nation on earth.

It is also great news that the importance of our Lord God and Creator is acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence. Once again let us remind ourselves of these two lines from the Declaration:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” (more…)

The Real Presence

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
June 23, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Gn 14:18-20 / Ps 110 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / Lk 9:11B-17
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told that, one day, Saint Mother Teresa went to see a man who owned a big bakery in India. She asked him to give bread for her hungry orphans. Annoyed that Saint Mother Teresa’s presence in his store might not be good for business, he spit in her face. Unperturbed by the man’s horrible actions, Saint Mother Teresa said, “That’s for me. How about some bread for my orphans?” Shamed by the saint’s response, he gave her all the bread she needed. (more…)

Come, Holy Spirit!

Pentecost Sunday
June 9, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 2:1-11 / Ps 104 / 1 Cor 12:3B-7, 12-13 / Jn 20:19-23
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Good morning and Happy Birthday! Because it is our birthday. Now you are probably thinking, “Deacon Eddie, it’s not my birthday!” But you would be wrong, because it is your birthday. Because, you see, at your baptism, something special happened. At your baptism, a change took place in your very being. Each and every one of us who has received that sacrament became a son or a daughter of God, we became a temple of the Holy Spirit, and collectively we became a part of the Body of Christ, or in other words, the Church. (more…)

First Communion

Third Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 5:27-32, 40B-41 / Ps 30 / Rev 5:11-14 / Jn 21:1-19
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

How many of you can remember your First Communion? Now I want you to think about how you felt the first time you received. Now think how you felt the last time you received. It was probably a little more exciting the first time.

Today, at the next Mass, a group of children will receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time. So I started thinking that I get a much better view of this event than you because I get to stand up here, and I get to see their nerves, but I also see their excitement. So I wonder, how can we maintain that excitement? I thought that maybe we need to review it just a little bit. (more…)

Seek Mercy, Show Mercy

Second Sunday of Easter / Sunday of Divine Mercy
April 28, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 5:12-16 / Ps 118 / Rev 1:9-11A, 12-13, 17-19 / Jn 20:19-31
by Father Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant

At this very late stage in my life I have entered into the 21st century with emailing. I received an email from a couple from my hometown in Ireland saying to me, “Father Paddy wants to see you when you come home to visit in the summer.” I knew Father Paddy from when we were younger, and our fathers worked in the same village.

About nine years ago, Father Paddy was appointed the pastor of the parish in my hometown.  I want to plagiarize him a little today because it is relevant to Divine Mercy Sunday. (more…)

Begin Again

Third Sunday of Lent
March 24, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Ex 3:1-8A, 13-15 / Ps 103 / 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 / Lk 13:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Today I want to focus on one event in “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is the part where the band of heroes is forced to go underground and travel through the mines of Moria, a dark, foreboding, and evil place. They travel safely for a few days and are almost at the end, when they are discovered by the evil orcs who live there. A fight ensues and they must flee for their lives. This fight culminates when they have to cross the bridge of Khazad-dûm. (more…)

Are You a Star?

The Epiphany of the Lord
January 6, 2019 – 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 I had the privilege to be with my brother Knights at a state meeting. The Bishop just appointed me as an associate state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, so I am to be there for the state gatherings. The other associate chaplain is Monsignor Cregan from the Diocese of Arlington.

I was having coffee with him in one of the hotels nearby, before we went to St. Michael’s. He was so worried about the whereabouts of Kevin, the state deputy, because he was to follow him to St. Michael’s. I asked him if he couldn’t use his GPS instead, and he replied that he did not have GPS and had no interest in learning how to use it. I reassured him that the church was only three minutes away, but he insisted he would find someone who knew the place since it would be simpler just to follow. Of course, he made it there. (more…)

Scoring for God’s Team

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 11, 2018 – Year B
Readings: 1 Kgs 17:10-16 / Ps 146 / Heb 9:24-28 / Mk 12:38-44
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant

A couple of months after I was ordained, I was sent to New Zealand, down to the South Island and Christchurch, over to a wee town on the west coast called Hokitika. When I got there, the west coast of New Zealand had no soccer. So I introduced soccer to the west coast, and the team (I was the coach and the captain of the team) was called the Corinthians. I don’t recall why. There was always a little titter on a Sunday morning, when the lector would get up and say, “A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.” (more…)