All Saints and All Souls

Posted by St. Joseph

Two great celebrations for the faithful Catholic are upon us.  (Neither are Halloween, or trick or treat.)  The Solemnity of All Saints and The Commemoration of All Souls celebrate the promise of Heaven (All Saints) and the mercy of God (All Souls). 

All Saints is a Holy Day of ... Read More »

The Mass and Its Roots--Part II

Posted by St. Joseph

This is the second part explaining the Mass.  May it be a great help to giving God true worship.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The word “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving.”  In this part of the Mass we celebrate two ancient traditions:  Bread-breaking and a sacrifice offered to God.

The ... Read More »

The Mass and Its Roots--Part I

Posted by St. Joseph

I thought it would be good to explain the Mass.  The more we know, the more we can give proper and holy worship to God.  So, this week and next I will give some general understandings to why we do what we do.  I hope it is ... Read More »

Anointing of the Sick

Posted by St. Joseph

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is a wonderful celebration of prayer for health and recovery from  sickness, surgery and other maladies afflicting the human condition.  With Vatican II the Church wisely expanded this Sacrament from the more narrow “Last Rites”, where one would only be anointed ... Read More »

The Month of the Rosary

Posted by St. Joseph

The month of October is celebrated in the Church as the month of the Holy Rosary.  The Rosary has been a source of devotion and prayer, as well as solace and comfort, for many centuries.  It is a great weapon of spiritual force against temptations and trials in our ... Read More »

Prayers and Sacrifice

Posted by St. Joseph

I want to ask a special favor of you.  In the bulletin are two prayers:  for vocations to the priesthood and for priests.  Would you make every effort to say both of these prayers at least once a week, either individually or as a family?  These formed prayers will ... Read More »

Religious Education--CCD

Posted by St. Joseph

Our Religious Education program begins this weekend.  As we bless our students and teachers, and pray God to form their hearts and minds with a spirit of love and trust, we see the Church alive in our young people.  They are not just “future Church”, they are the Church. 

... Read More »

The Problem of Pornography

Posted by St. Joseph

The Barna Group just released a study regarding pornography and the Christian in the modern world.  The following (and very startling) numbers are:

+64% of all self-identified Christian men and 15% of women view pornography at least once a month.

+37% of Christian men and 7% of women view ... Read More »

Labor Day

Posted by St. Joseph

Labor Day has always been an interesting holiday.  For many people it seems but one of two bookends, (Memorial Day being the other), to the summer season.  Traditionally, it is more than that.  The right to work and to organize to defend that right remain the original meaning of ... Read More »

Independence Day

Posted by St. Joseph

The Fourth of July remains my second favorite holiday, right after Christmas.  Fireworks are one of the fun parts of the day.  (I seem to never get enough of such a visual display—not to mention the booms and WOWS).  Cooking out, spending time with family, the  warmth of a ... Read More »