20 February 2024 - prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring up hope. 

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you give us strength on our journey. 

Priest: Out of the humility of our hearts, let us present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That God will help our governmental leaders fulfill their duties and guide them in building cooperation with others. 

2. That God will heal the divisions and animosity that exists in our society and help us to listen to one another. 

3. That our families may be channels of God’s love and signs of God’s presence in society. 

4. For all engaged and newly married couples, that they may invite Jesus to be part of their relationship and grow in their love and commitment to each other. 

5. For the unity of all Christians, that God will heal the wounds in the body of Christ and help us to give common witness to God through prayer and acts of loving compassion. 

6. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. For the souls in purgatory. 

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. 

Priest: With faith and hope, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

20 February 2024 - Dorothy Gauchat - homily for Thursday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time - Mark 8:27-33

Dorothy Gauchet met her husband bill while he was operating a Catholic workers house in Cleveland, Ohio. They were inspired by the message of the Catholic worker, that Christ often comes to us in the form of our neighbor. They were asked to care for a disabled infant who was not expected to live. Though they had many reservations, they took in the child and cared for him, which to them taking in other foster child, most who had many problems and issues. Dorothy and Bill later opened a large home where they could care for dozens of disabled children, which they named “Our Lady of the Wayside.”  Dorothy carried on this mission after her husband’s death with the founding of a hospice for infants with HIV and AIDS in 1987.  Dorothy died on February 20, 2000. She is a great example of faith for us. 

In the Gospel today, when the crowds were asking about Jesus’ identity, he asks his disciples: Who do you say that I am? We can answer this questions with words, but are the ultimately answer to this question is through our actions and our way of life. We have example of faith such as Dorothy Gauchet who followed Christ in a very unconventional way. Her actions show us who Jesus is in her life. 

19 February 2025 - St Conrad of Piancenza - Wednesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time - Psalm 116

Conrad of Piancenza came from a noble family in northern Italy. His wife was also from noble lineage. After he confessed to a crime that had committed for which a peasant had been wrongfully accused, he and his wife separated, with his wife entering a poor Clare monastery and Conrad professing a life according to the third order Franciscans. Conrad lived in a hermitage in Sicily for the rest of life, devoting himself to prayer. Whenever he was tempted to sin, he would turn to prayer and penance. He died while kneeling before a crucifix. Conrad of Piancenza died in 1351. He was canonized in 1625. 

In our psalm today, the Psalmist prays: “To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.” We can praise the Lord in different ways. We can make sacrifices to the Lord in different ways. St Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan religious order, praised the Lord both in contemplation and in preaching; his periods of intense prayer nourished his preaching. Some of his early followers, however, felt called to a life of greater contemplation, such as St Conrad of Piacenza. While such an austere life of living as a hermit is not the norm of the Church, their life of faith helps our understanding and appreciation of prayer and contemplation. 

19 February 2024 - prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring healing into our lives. 

Christ Jesus - you are the beloved son of the Father.

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit. 

Priest: With great joy, let us bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we in the Church may recognize the gifts of the Spirit Holy in our lives and the works of God at work in our families and our community. 

2. That we may all become better disciples by doing all that God asks of us. 

3. That we utilize the gifts that we have been given to build up the Body of Christ and to serve those who are in need. 

4. That we may appreciate the abundance of God’s generosity toward us and rely upon God who never tires of providing for us. 

5. For our veterans, the men and women serving in the military, our medical professional, and our first responders. 

6. That we may grow in intimacy with God, the source of our life, through prayer, reflection, and service. 

7. For healing for all of us in body, mind, and spirit. 

8. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our heart. 

Priest: We present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

18 February 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of the 6th week of Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit.

Christ Jesus - you call us to be your disciples. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to have faith and hope. 

Priest: With faith, hope, and love, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father this evening: 

1. That God will lead us in wisdom to live the virtues of the Christian life. 

2. That God will help us discern our motivations and make life-giving choices each day. 

3. For all who hand-on the faith to others. That Church leaders, teachers, and parents may share the faith clearly and convincingly. 

4. That our prayers, words, and actions may come to greater integrity and wholeness. 

5. That God will heal the pain of those who have experienced abuse, discrimination, or human trafficking and fill them with hope for the future. 

6. For all who are suffering from natural disasters and for those assisting them. We pray for those who are recovering from the California wildfires.  For healing and recovery. 

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. 

Priest: We present our prayers this evening through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

18 February 2025 - Tuesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time - Genesis 6:5-8 and 7:1-5, 10

Although Michelangelo has not been canonized a saint by the Church, he was a very devout Catholic who contributed greatly to the life of the Church. He died on this day in 1564.  Michelangelo is most remembered as being the gifted artist who created the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and as being the sculptor of famous statues such as David and the Pieta. He is also the architect of the basilica of St Peter in the Vatican, to which he devoted three decades of his life. In the 11th chapter of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, in the story of the tower of Babel, architecture became the subject of human folly and was used in a way that disrespected God. In the work of Michelangelo, architecture is used in an opposite way, of being used to glorify God. 

The story of the tower of Babel showed the wickedness that could be in the hearts of humankind, of the way we think we can become God. This same wickedness was the reason for the great flood and the story of Noah and the ark. Yet, God saw in Noah a righteous man who could be a remnant of humanity. Through Noah, humanity and God’s creation survived. God is faithful to his covenant. We also must do our part.  

2 de febrero de 2025 - Homilía de la presentación del Señor - Lucas 2:22-40

La presentación de Jesucristo en el Templo por sus padres se celebra 40 días después de Navidad, siempre el 2 de febrero cada año. María y José viajan al templo de Jerusalén para ofrecer su hijo a Dios y para que María se purifique 40 días después de dar a luz según la costumbre judía.

Tradicionalmente, este misa se llama la Candelaria. Tenemos las bendiciones de las velas como parte del ritual de la misa este domingo. El tema de la luz en la Misa de hoy continua de la temporada navideña en la que Jesús nace como la luz del mundo el día de Navidad, en la que la luz de la estrella guía a los Reyes Magos hacia Jesús en la celebración de la Epifanía. Entonces, esta fiesta también es una celebración de luz. El Vaticano mantenga su pesebre hasta hoy, siguiendo el tema de la temporada navideña, como Simeón profetiza en el Evangelio este domingo que Cristo será “luz que alumbra a las naciones.”

En un sentido simbólico, esta celebración es el punto de encuentro del Nuevo Testamento y el Antiguo Testamento. Jesús, el nuevo Templo de Dios, entra en el antiguo Templo de la antigua alianza en Jerusalén. Jesús, que simboliza la ley del amor de Dios, viene a visitar al pueblo de Dios en el Templo, el lugar donde se practicaba la ley de sacrificio de Dios. Cristo es el cumplimiento de la obediencia a la ley de Dios. Y Cristo inicia el último temporada de salvación. El Templo en Jerusalén es donde la divinidad y la humanidad se abrazan, donde convergen el pasado y el futuro.

De todas las personas que estaban en el Templo ese día, dos ancianos del pueblo judío, Simeón y Ana, notan la presencia de la Sagrada Familia, una presencia en el Templo nueva y especial. Su vigilancia y su temporada de espera, de adoración a Dios día y noche con ayuno y oración, llega a un gozoso final.

Para nosotros los católicos, la Candelaria es también un momento para renovar nuestro compromiso con Cristo. Con los desafíos y obstáculos en el mundo moderno, ese es un compromiso que debemos considerar constantemente. Así como la familia de Jesús lo trajo al Templo para presentarlo a Dios, nosotros, los fieles, estamos invitados a presentarnos a Dios, ofreciendo nuestras vidas en servicio y amor. Hoy, recordamos nuestro llamada a vivir como “hijos de la luz”, a caminar siempre en fe y confianza.

Hoy, vamos a escuchar el mensaje de audio del Obispo Kopacz sobre nuestra Campaña de Servicio Católico. La próxima semana, tendremos los sobres para la Campaña de Servicio. Aquí está el Mensaje de nuestro Obispo.