Sunday Sermon, January 17th -- Gaining the Virtue of Purity

 St John Vianney gives three works for gaining purity, with a preparation and a follow up.

Preparation: Penance and mortification

Three works: Practice the presence of God, daily mental prayer, and frequenting the sacraments.

Follow up: Spiritual reading.

Listen online [here]!

Adult Faith Formation, January 12th -- Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton, Session 1: Introduction

 Introduction to GK Chesterton and the book Orthodoxy.

Sunday Sermon, January 10th -- What is Required for a Valid Baptism?

 The feast of the Baptism of the Lord gives us the opportunity to consider the sacrament of baptism and what is required for a valid baptism: the minister, the recipient, the water, the words, and the manner of baptizing.

Listen online [here]!

High School Youth Group, January 10th -- The Catholic Response to Atheism, Session 9 -- The Problem of Evil or the Problem of Good

One of the common objections to the existence of God is that, if there were a good God then he would not allow so much evil in the world.  The Catholic response is that God only allows evil to bring good out of it. Indeed, the real question is not "why is there evil in the world?" but "why is there so much good?" - and the answer is, God.

Sunday Sermon, January 3rd -- Epiphany: How to Make Christ Manifest to the World

 Bishop Warfel visited the parish for the Saturday evening Mass and preached on Epiphany as our manifestation of Christ to the world.  My own sermon followed his theme.

The three Magi offered gifts: Gold, to symbolize our life of virtue. Frankincense, to symbolize our practice of divine worship (and here we note that it is quite unthinkable in our own day that any serious Catholic would not attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days as well as at least some daily Masses, if his health permits and in those areas where daily and Sunday Masses are easily attended). Myrrh, to symbolize self denial.

Further, we manifest Christ to the world through the Catholic Family. Our Diocese will be having a synod on the family later this year.

Listen online [here]!

 

Holy Days of Obligation, Days of Penance and Movable Feasts of 2021

 

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION – 2021

Friday, January 1^st – Mary, Mother of God

Wednesday, December 8^th – The Immaculate Conception

Saturday, December 25^th -- Christmas

 

Epiphany (Wednesday, January 6^th), Ascension of the Lord (Thursday, May 5^th), and Corpus Christi (Thursday, May 26^th) are all transferred to Sundays. St Joseph, Husband of Mary (Friday, March 19^th) and Sts Peter and Paul (Tuesday, June 29^th) are not obligation days in the USA.

The Assumption of Mary (August 15^th) falls on a Sunday.

All Saints’ Day (November 1^st) is not a day of obligation this year, because it falls on a Monday. Mary, Mother of God (January 1^st) will not be a day of obligation in 2022, because it falls on a Saturday.

 

DAYS OF PENANCE and EMBER DAYS – 2021

Every Friday throughout the year (abstinence or some penance)

Friday, January 22^nd – Anniversary of Roe v Wade (recommended fasting and abstinence)

Every Day of Lent – February 17^th to April 3^rd (Sundays and Solemnities are generally less penitential)

Wednesday, February 17^th – Ash Wednesday (fasting and abstinence)

Fridays, February 19^th, 26^th, March 5^th, 12^th, (not 19^th), 26^th – Fridays of Lent (abstinence)

Friday, April 2^nd – Good Friday (fasting and abstinence)

Saturday, April 3^rd  – Holy Saturday (recommended fasting and abstinence)

 

EMBER DAYS and ROGATION DAYS (recommended fasting and abstinence)

February 24^th, 26^th, 27^th – Ember Days of Lent (February 24^th is the feast of St Matthew)

April 25^th – Major Rogation day (this year falls on a Sunday, no penance)

May 10^th, 11^th, 12^th – Minor Rogation Days; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the Ascension

May 26^th, 28^th, 29^th – Ember Days of Pentecost (penance is commonly moved to the following week, on             account of the Octave celebration of Pentecost)

September 22^nd, 24^th, 25^th – Ember Days of September

December 15^th, 17^th, 18^th – Ember Days of Advent

 

Penance is not required on the following Fridays: January 1^st (Mother of God), March 19^th (St Joseph),

            April 9^th (Octave of Easter), June 11^th (Sacred Heart).

* Abstinence means abstaining from meat, and binds from 14 years until death. Abstaining from eggs and dairy    as well as from meat is a laudable tradition.

** Fasting means one regular meal and two small snacks, and binds from 18 until 60.

 

MOVABALE FEASTS – 2021

Ash Wednesday, February 17^th; Palm Sunday, March 28^th; Easter Triduum, April 1^st-3^rd

Easter Sunday, April 4^th; Ascension Thursday, May 13^th; Pentecost, May 23^rd

Corpus Christi Thursday, June 3^rd; Corpus Christi Sunday, June 6^th; Sacred Heart, June 11^th

First Sunday of Advent, November 28^th

 

 

 

 

Holy Day Sermon, January 1st -- The Octave of Christmas, the Motherhood of Mary, and the Circumcision of Jesus

 This feast commemorates three realities.  The Octave day of Christmas is a second celebration of the mystery of our Lord's Nativity. We come to this mystery in a new perspective, still considering the newborn King but now more in relation to his Virgin Mother. 

Mary was a virgin before, during, and after giving birth to Jesus. She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, gave birth without any pain or labor, and remains a virgin forever.

Finally, this eighth day is the day of our Lord's circumcision. This is the first shedding of his precious blood for our salvation. Also, on this day, the Child is given the Holy Name of Jesus.

Listen online [here]!