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Easter Sunday
March 27, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 / Psalm 118 / Col 3:1-4 / Jn 20:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon
When Father Sal told me he wanted me to preach this morning, my first thought was, “What do I say?” After all, today is THE day, the pinnacle of days. Today we celebrate the triumphal conclusion of Christ’s Paschal Mystery; His suffering, death and His glorious resurrection. What can be said except, “Jesus Christ is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!” Amen!
That was my first thought, but then I remembered my number one obligation is to preach the Gospel; the Good News of Jesus Christ. I can sum up this Gospel with three words: God loves us. God loves us and I can even prove it. (more…)
KEEP READINGSecond 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.
KEEP READINGSolemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 22, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Dn 7:13-14 / Psalm 93 / Rv 1:5-8 / Jn 18:33b-37
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor
St. Augustine once said that the world is a book and those who do not travel, read only one page. All of us have been traveling with the Lord Jesus in the company of God’s family at Holy Name of Mary since November 30, 2014, the first Sunday of Advent. Today, which is the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ, as King of the universe, marks the end of our spiritual journey in cycle B in our liturgical calendar. (more…)
KEEP READING21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 23, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b / Psalm 34 / Eph 5:2a, 25-32 / Jn 6:60-69
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor
Yesterday, the Holy Name of Mary Men’s Breakfast Group had a very enlightening spiritual discussion on the sacrament of marriage. They based their reflections on today’s second reading, which is taken from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, part of which says, “Husbands should love their wives, as their own bodies.” This biblical passage implies that wives should also love their husbands in the same way, even as Christ loves His Church. (more…)
KEEP READING20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 16, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Prv 9:1-6 / Psalm 34 / Eph 5:15-20 / Jn 6:51-58
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor
A story is told about a man who was desperately late for an important appointment as he drove into an underground parking garage. He jumped out of the car and opened the back door to get his briefcase. Just then, an attendant came up and explained to him that the garage was a ‘self-park garage’ and he would have to park his car himself. Since he was in such a hurry, he quickly jumped back into the car and rolled down the window and said, “Okay, okay, which way do I go?” The attendant leaned into the window and replied, “Up the ramp and to your right, sir; but first you’ll have to get into the front seat of your car.” (more…)
KEEP READING19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August, 9, 2015 – Year B
Readings: 1 Kgs 19:4-8 / Psalm 34 / Eph 4:30-5:2 / Jn 6:41-51
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon
I want you to think for a minute and see if you can remember where you were and what you were doing on March 13, 2013. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I was at work, sitting at my computer, working on a design for a new machine, when all of a sudden something caught my attention on my Twitter feed. White smoke had been seen over the Vatican, indicating that we had a new Pope. (more…)
KEEP READING18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 2, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15 / Ex 16:2-4, 12-15 / Jn 6:24-35
by Rev. Richard Mooney, Guest Celebrant
My name is Father Richard Mooney. I am a priest of the Diocese of Richmond, ordained thirty-six years. My present work is to be the volunteer Catholic chaplain to four state prisons that are scattered in that enormous stretch of territory south of Petersburg and north of the North Carolina line. I don’t have a commitment to a parish on Sundays, which leaves me free to come and be with you today and to spend a little time with you with Chapter Six of the Gospel of John today, the Bread of Life chapter.
If you’ve never actually read the whole chapter from beginning to end, do that, because it’s really a challenging piece of work and full of teachings. (more…)
KEEP READING17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 26, 2015 – Year B
Readings: 2 Kgs 4:42-44 / Psalm 145 / Eph 4:1-6 / Jn 6:1-15
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor
Just over 6 years ago, a girl about 8 years old regularly attended Mass with her grandparents in my former parish of St. Luke’s in Virginia Beach. None of us in the parish bothered to ask why she was living with her grandparents instead her own parents. We were just happy to have her there because we enjoyed her company. She had a way of making everyone around her feel special and important just by being herself. (more…)
KEEP READINGPentecost Sunday
May 24, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Acts 2:1-11 / Psalm 104 / 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 / Jn 20:19-23
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor
According to Beliefnet.com, one of the three most popular prayers in the world, which is being prayed by thousands, and even millions, of people every day is the Serenity Prayer. Part of it says, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” We all know that trying to change our DNA, or our genes, or our family, is an exercise in futility. But there are still a lot of things in the world and in ourselves that we can change. (more…)
KEEP READINGSixth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 / 1 Jn 4:7-10 / Jn 15:9-17
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon
As you all know, today in the United States is Mother’s Day. It’s a special day when we’re supposed to thank and celebrate our mothers. But I’ve heard people make the accusation that Mother’s Day is really just a Hallmark holiday and was created by greeting card companies to sell more products.
I’ve also heard it said that, really, shouldn’t we thank and be grateful to our mothers every day? Yes, this is true. We should. But it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of that, even if it’s just once a week. I mean, a month. I mean, a year. You should do it every day. (more…)
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