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…)

Rebuild

Easter Sunday
April 21, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Acts 10:34A, 37-43 / Ps 118 / 1 Cor 5:6B-8 / Jn 20:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

In 2011 I was blessed to be able to go to Europe on a trip with my family. As part of that trip, we got to spend a few days in Paris and visit the Cathedral of Our Lady, Notre Dame de Paris. Earlier this week when I got the message from my wife that Notre Dame was on fire, I thought, “What?” I pulled open a news app and I saw the images of this wonderful eight-hundred-year old cathedral in flames. I just couldn’t believe it. Then as I watched the video of the spire collapsing and falling through the roof, my heart just ached that this beautiful memorial to the glory of God was gone. (more…)

A Mother is Always There for Her Children

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8, 2018 – Year C
Readings: Gn 3:9-15, 20 / Ps 98 / Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 / Lk 1:26-38
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

For today’s feast, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the gospel is about the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Mother with the greeting, “Hail, Full of grace, the Lord is with you,” announcing to her that she would be the mother of God. That’s the beginning of the Immaculate Conception of Jesus, when He was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Mother. We celebrate that feast on March 25th. From March 25th to December 25th is exactly 9 months.

But the Immaculate Conception of Jesus is not the feast that we celebrate today. What we celebrate today is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mother, when she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. (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…)

Purging the Stain of Sin

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 4, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Dt 6:2-6 / Ps 18 / Heb 7:23-28 / Mk 12:28B-34
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant

This month of November is dedicated to the souls in Purgatory, and the Church sets aside the entire month for us to pray for the dead. So the question is, “What actually is Purgatory?” Because it exists in eternity, and the only experience we have is that of time, our knowledge is scanty. We don’t know an awful lot about the mystery of the next life, because we go by time – present, past, future. (more…)

Connecting With God

Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 29, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Acts 9:26-31 / Ps 22 / 1 Jn 3:18-24 / Jn 15:1-8
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The Lord Jesus was a master communicator. He could present something that is full of mystery in a way that even a little child in those times could understand.

In the gospel that we have just heard, when the Lord Jesus was telling His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” they must have been walking in the vineyard and seeing the vines all around them, hanging heavy with ripe fruit.

Understanding these words of Our Lord is not rocket science. Plain common sense tells us that a branch can’t remain alive just by itself, let alone bear fruit. (more…)

Justice and Mercy

Second Sunday of Easter (Sunday of Divine Mercy)
April 8, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Acts 4:32-35 / Ps 118 / 1 Jn 5:1-6 / Jn 20:19-31
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Happy Easter! Amen, Alleluia! If you are thinking, “This isn’t Easter,” you’d be wrong. Easter is too big to be celebrated in one day, so we celebrate and celebrate and celebrate. These eight days from last Sunday are the Octave of Easter, this being the last day, but it doesn’t end there. We actually celebrate the Easter season for fifty days. It is the summit of our faith, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Easter is why we are Christian, so we celebrate it appropriately. (more…)

Learn Compunction

Ash Wednesday
February 14, 2018 – Year B
Readings: Jl 2:12-18 / Ps 51 / 2 Cor 5:20 – 6:2 / Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Happy Ash Wednesday . . . or is it Happy Valentine’s Day . . . or is it Happy St. Cyril and St. Methodius Day? I don’t know. Do you know? Have you ever wondered how we know what feast is on what day? How do we know whether it’s a feast, whether it takes precedence over something else? (more…)

Don’t Wait Until Later

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 12, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Wis 6:12-16 / Ps 63 / 1 Thes 4:13-18 / Mt 25:1-13
by Rev. Dan Kelly, Guest Celebrant

There was once a poor farmer who lived on a hillside. Way up on the mountain was a monastery. He thought “I need a way to get down to the village to get my supplies. I think I’ll go up to the monastery and see if they have a mule I can buy.” So he hiked way up the mountain to the monastery. It was a long and difficult hike. It took him a long while, up hills and down valleys, but finally he reached the monastery. (more…)

The Assumption – Our Hope

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Rv 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB / Ps 45 / 1 Cor 15:20-27 / Lk 1:39-56
by Rev. Salvador Anonuevo, Pastor

Ever since I can remember, I always had a beautiful experience praying in the cemetery.  I didn’t know the reason why.  Maybe, because I grew up in a very small town in the more than seven thousand islands in the Philippine archipelago, where our house was not too far from the cemetery.  The priest there celebrates Mass every Monday in the cemetery. (more…)