Pastor's Blog

Dear Parishioners The Gospel reading this week-end is taken from what is known as St. Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. In the previous chapter Luke describes Jesus’ debate about the Sabbath with his disciples and then reveals the mission of the twelve. As happens so often, Jesus had departed to a mountain to pray, and when he descended the mountain he called t ...Read more

Dear Parishioners Generations of children learned the basic tenets of their faith through the Baltimore catechism. The word "catechism" comes from a Greek word with means "to speak so as to be heard, hence to instruct orally." During the patristic era (the times of the early Fathers of the Church) and during the medieval period, catechisms were traditionally pre-bapt ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, As children we learned the definition of a sacrament. "A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." With that simple definition we grew to learn more about the sacraments. As infants water is poured upon the forehead and the child becomes a member of the Christian community. Six or seven years later the child meets the Lord i ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, We are all familiar with the opening words, the prologue, of St. John’s Gospel. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." This week we are introduced to the beginning of the Gospel of St. Luke, and only the Gospel of Luke opens with a literary prologue that clearly sets forth Luke’s motive for writi ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, While we are entering the Second Week in Ordinary time. The days we celebrate this week are certainly far from being ordinary days. On Monday the nation pauses to celebrate the ninetieth birthday (January 21) of Martin Luther King. Boston holds a special place in the life of Doctor King who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in combat ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, We celebrate this weekend the Baptism of Jesus. It might seem strange that Jesus, who was without sin, would need to be baptized since Baptism takes away all, but the little prayer book Magnificat gives us an explanation of the event. Jesus joins his people going out to John the Baptist in a gesture of repentance, not because there is sin in him bu ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, This week the Church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany. In Greek an epiphany designated a manifestation of a divinity, and later, important events in the life of a king. A feast on January 6th is first mentioned by Clement of Alexandria around the year 215 AD who said that the Baptism of Christ was celebrated on that day. There is evidence that the  ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, One of the shortest pontificates in history was that of Pope John Paul I, the Pope of September, 1978. He was a man short of stature with a very short time in office, but he stood tall when it came to sharing his warmth and joy that endeared him to Catholics everywhere. Forty years ago Pope John Paul addressed a group of bishops visiting from the U ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, We gather in faith these days to celebrate the birth of a child, a child who is Christ the Lord. For us as Christians it is a time of joy and expectation, for we are also celebrating our birth. We live because Christ lives. But on Christmas day each one comes to celebrate for a particular reason and in a different way. Some of the reasons may  ...Read more

Dear Parishioners, Recently, a parishioner said to me: "I’m not comfortable with the vestments for Mass being purple during these days of Advent. Purple to me speaks of penance and reconciliation, while Advent speaks of repentance, anticipation and hope. "Perhaps that is why the Church interrupts both the Advent and Lenten journeys mid-way through the seasons t ...Read more