Holiday 2010

Please note the updated homilies from the past months. Click on titles for audio file or read text.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fr. Matthew

Homily JFK School Mass Immaculate Conception 2010

Homily JFK School Mass All Souls 2010

Homily Fourth Sunday of Advent 2010

Homily Christ the King 2010

Christmas Homily 2010

Homily Christmas 2010

In 1860, Cambridge, Massachusetts, captured the essence of American Christmas.

Under starry skies, rows of New England houses

push their way up through a thick white blanket.

Sounds of sleigh bells and laughter resound through the countryside

as the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family, bundled in winter wool,

is carried along in a sleigh behind a team of sleek, strong horses.

Swaying branches release a cascading shower of snow.

As they race across the frozen fields,

the children hear the beautiful sounds of Christmas: the ringing of the bells –

single steeple bells, bundles of carillon bells,

playing the familiar carols of the season,

the music of hope and peace.

The following year, 1861,

America needs that music of hope and peace

to counter fife and drum of the civil war.

As well, that summer a fire in the Longfellow home

claimed the life of Henry’s beloved wife Fanny.

Fanny was buried on the 18^th anniversary of their wedding,

while Henry, severely burned in the fire, is fighting for his life.

As the civil war rages outside, Henry battles within.

The next two Christmases come and go

and Henry writes how “inexpressibly sad” he is without his wife.

His sadness is doubled when his son Charles is seriously wounded in battle.

At Christmas in 1863, Henry describes how his life feels

as if an “earthquake” has struck.

“In despair I bowed my head.”

There is no peace,

for “hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”

In difficult times, Henry and we often face the same question:

Where is the music of hope and peace?

That same Christmas, Henry writes how sure is his wife’s presence,

as if he can feel her in the room.

Death is the beginning, not the end, he writes.

As the children are whisked along through forests and valleys

in the sleigh once again,

they hear the familiar sounds of Christmas morning: the bells!

Henry is renewed by the music of the bells, which remind him of the season of hope,

and the One whose birth brings peace to mankind.

From his window he looks out across the snow-covered fields,

picks up his pen and draws it across a fresh sheet of snow white paper,

and writes the carol we have all heard many times:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play.

Wrong shall fail and right prevail,

In peace on earth, goodwill to men.

In the bells the message is clear:

a child is born in a stable, a child whose coming brings peace and hope.

And so he writes:

Though in a manger thou draw breath

Thou art greater than life and death

Because of Christmas, Fanny lives on, Henry lives on, our nation lives on!

Because of Christmas, and the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ,

we may live on, through life’s earthquakes and tragedies, in peace forever!

Our smiling faces and beautiful holiday outfits reveal the joy of our hearts:

the joy brought to the world by the coming of the Lord.

As we gather in this church to celebrate the coming of God among men

we hear the familiar sounds of worship: the bells!

The cupola bells summoned us into prayer

as we streamed in from our various homes and walked across the parking lot.

Like the poor shepherds and the wise kings,

we the faithful come to adore the Savior.

Hark how the sweet silver bells all seem to say: throw cares away, Christmas is here!

Soon the consecration bells will call our attention to the Eucharist

and proclaim that Jesus is here, truly here,

and His loving and abiding presence brings us peace.

Hark how the sweet consecration bells

awaken us to the truth that Jesus lives among us.

Jesus was born in a crude manger, in a humble stable,

in a little town called Bethlehem.

Do we know what “Bethlehem” means?

In Hebrew it means “house of bread!”

How providential since “bread” is an essential image of Christ.

When we celebrate Mass, bread becomes the real Body of Jesus.

Summoned by the church bells, we are gathered together in this sacred place:

the tabernacle, where Jesus lives and waits for us to come to Him

the monstrance, where parishioners and friends have adored Jesus

here in perpetual adoration for 15 years

the altar, where Jesus enters our world in the mystery of the Eucharist

the church building, where Christ’s mystical body gathers in His presence.

This is the house of the Bread of Life!

In our homes, we each have a beautiful Christmas tree:

carefully illuminated and decorated amid family celebration and tradition.

On Christmas morning,

children throughout the world cannot contain their excitement

over the treasures left beneath their trees.

Some of you boys and girls may be waiting to see if Saint Nicholas

brings you the latest fashions, some new Lego toys

the last Harry Potter book or Twilight DVD,

Madden 11 or Call of Duty Black Ops for the X-Box 360.

Here in the House of the Bread of Life, beneath the Tree of Life, which is the Cross,

we receive and unwrap the greatest gift God has given to all the world:

the gift of His Son Jesus.

As we sing, the ribbon is untied on the lovely package which is the liturgy.

As the prayers of the Mass unfold, the paper is torn asunder and excitement builds

until we reach the consecration and embrace the gift:

we become one with Jesus in Holy Communion.

Like a wide-eyed child staring at his brand new model train for hours

as it circles the tree,

we fall to our knees in awe and wonder.

Look what God has done!

He sent His Son to come among us as a baby and to save us from sin!

He comes to us in the Eucharist in every Mass as food for our souls!

What a precious treasure: Jesus lives among us! He loves us without condition!

Christmas comes but once a year, but every time we come to Mass

we are with Jesus, we are in Bethlehem, we receive the greatest gift of all!

A little child who receives a special gift, carefully chosen and beautifully wrapped,

might turn away to play with the box and paper.

But we come here because we appreciate what God has given.

Our celebration of God’s gift only begins here in the Mass.

From this source and summit of the Church’s life,

we are sent forth to share the love of Jesus with all people.

When men and women experience death, sickness, loss, depression or loneliness,\

unemployment and poverty

their hearts cry out for love and comfort.

Jesus alone can bring that perfect love, that enduring peace,

for which every human heart longs.

For Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the music of the bells, the hope of Christmas,

the love of Jesus, born in a manger and triumphant over death,
brought him hope

after the death of his wife and the suffering of his family.

For us the love that Christmas brings, the love of Jesus,

is the source of our hope and our peace amid the trials and the stresses of life.

And so we pray.

We need to pray each and every day, to take time to be one with Jesus, speak to Him

to listen to His Word, and to feel the love of God embrace us.

And then we share.

We share the love of Jesus we experience here in church

and in our prayer and the blessings of our lives

with our families, friends, co-workers, and even strangers in need.

By taking time to pay attention to the physical and emotional needs

of those around us and to reach out a helping hand, an open heart,

we make Christmas come alive every day.

Today the bells remind us that God gives us an unsurpassable gift –

a gift which brings hope in trials and peace in uncertainty

a gift we cannot help but share

a gift, a person, Jesus who is our first and greatest love.

Masses, etc.

No assignment/homily for last weekend
December 19th: 8:30 am at OLPH in Aurora, Ohio

Christmas Eve: 5:00 pm at O.L. Mt. Carmel, Youngstown, Ohio

Homily Second Sunday of Advent 2010

Click on title for audio file.

Still editing and formatting Christ the King homily.
The deacon preached last week.

Mass December 5th

St. Jude, Columbiana
Noon

N.B. I did not preach last week, so no homily file. The deacon preached.

November 28th 2010 Sunday Masses

First Sunday of Advent
November 28th 2010
Masses
Saint Peter Canton
10:00 A.M. and Noon

Masses November 21st - Christ the King

8:00 AM Saint Jude
Columbiana

10:00 AM Immaculate Conception
Youngstown

Masses November 21st - Christ the King

8:00 AM Saint Jude
Columbiana

10:00 AM Immaculate Conception
Youngstown

Homily 33rd Sunday of the Year 14 November 2010

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Saint George Church, Lisbon

Homily 32nd Sunday of the Year 7 November 2010

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Sacred Heart Church, Youngstown

Masses November 14th

8:30 Saint George Lisbon
11:15 Saint Agatha West Point

Homily 31st Sunday of the Year 31 October 2010

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Homily 29th Sunday of the Year 17 October 2010

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Homily 28th Sunday of the Year 10 October 2010

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Sunday October 31st

Sunday Mass
8:45 Saint George Lisbon
11:15 Saint Agatha West Point
Columbiana County

October 24th

Sunday Masses:
9:30 am Sacred Heart Youngstown
11:00 am Saint Stanislaus, Youngstown
Free thereafter

BLOG UPDATED!

All the recent homilies have been uploaded. Enjoy!

Mass Schedule:

October 3rd
9 am at O. L. Lourdes in East Palestine

October 10th
9:30 and 11:30 am at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Niles

October 17
St. Nicholas in Struthers at 7:45 and 9:45 am

Homily October 3rd 2010 27 OT

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Homily JFK All-School Mass October 1st 2010

This was our first all-school Mass at which I was the celebrant.

Homily September 26th 2010 26 OT

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Homily September 19th 2010 25 OT

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Masses

September 19
Immaculate Heart of Mary Austintown
8:30
11:00

September 26
Saint Edward Youngstown
9:00
11:30

Homily 23rd Sunday of the Year 2010

Click on the title for my homily from this past Sunday. Homilies will be posted as I am assigned to weekend parish assignments and am able to record and post them. Please check back at least monthly.

My mailing address is:
Saint Rose Parish
48 East Main Street
Girard, Ohio 44420

This weekend...

September 5th 2010
Blessed Sacrament Warren Ohio
9 and 11 am Mass

Mass Schedule

After two weeks of vacation and a free weekend after my frst week of faculty meetings, I have my first weekend assignment as a travelling priest. I will be celebrating Mass at 10 am at St. Joseph in Warren, Ohio, this Sunday August 29th.

Homily 17th Sunday of the Year 2010

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Homily 14th Sunday of the Year 2010

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Homily 12th Sunday of the Year 2010

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Homily 11th Sunday of the Year 13 June 2010

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Corpus Christi 2010

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8:45 and 10:30 Masses run back to back.

Homily Trinity Sunday 2010

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Homily Sixth Sunday of Easter 9 May 2010

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First Communion 2010

April 25th 2:00 pm Saint Michael School
May 2nd 12:15 and 2:00 pm PSR

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Homily Fifth Sunday of Easter 2010

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Homily Fourth Sunday of Easter

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Homily Third Sunday of Easter 2010 / Bishop’s Appeal

The internationally-known and timeless Frank Sinatra –

one of the 20^th century’s great musicians and cultural figures –

is best remembered for his signature song “My Way.”

One might even consider that song the theme of his exciting self-made life,

and in certain ways it is.

Since Frankie made it famous, “I did it my Way”

has been a quintessential description of an accomplished life.

However, it is interesting to note, his tombstone in Desert Memorial Park in CA

includes an inscription from another of his famous songs.

His final resting place bears the words: “The best is yet to come!”

With everything from Burger King to Chase Bank

encouraging us to have it our way and to live how we want,

Frankie’s “My Way” is a theme

running through much of our contemporary culture.

And yet, the harsh realities of life show us that we can’t always have it our way,

and that living only for ourselves, or for this world,

ends in heartache and frustration.

Selfishness doesn’t help anyone to be happier.

Our experience proves this time and again.

The scriptures in the Easter season –

readings taken from the post-resurrection Gospels,

the accounts of the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles
and the Book of Revelation

focus our attention on higher realities than this world:

the love of God, the witness of the Church, and the glory of heaven.

In today’s Gospel, the apostles encounter the Risen Jesus while fishing.

On shore, Jesus has prepared a fire around which they all prepare and eat a meal.

Then, after the meal, Jesus engages Peter in a conversation of great significance.

Recall that, on the eve of Jesus’ passion, as He predicted,

Peter denied even knowing Jesus, three times,

while standing around a charcoal fire outside the home of the high priest.

To make up for his denial and pledge once again his loyalty to Jesus,

Peter now stands with Him, again around a charcoal fire,

and three times declares his love.

With each proposal of the question “Do you love me?”

Peter becomes more frustrated as the wound of his denial is re-opened

and he comes face-to-face with his human weakness.

Yet, with his pledge of love a deep bond is formed

and on the foundation of that love, professed without reservation,

Jesus issues his command to follow Him and to feed his sheep.

The encounter that Peter and the apostles have with the Risen Christ

changes their lives forever

and once they are filled with the promised Holy Spirit at Pentecost

they are compelled to proclaim the Good News

of their new life in Christ

and even to be joyful that they suffer dishonor for the sake of His name

as the Acts of the Apostles recalls for us today.

We hear Saint Peter speaking boldly before the Sanhedrin,

whose hatred for Jesus had led them to persecute His followers.

Peter says: “We are witnesses to Jesus. We must obey God rather than men!”

The apostles could no longer hide, deny, or cover up their love for Jesus.

They do not seek to have everything their way but God’s way!

They do not live for themselves, or for this world, or for man’s approval,

but for Heaven, their true home, where, indeed, the best is yet to come!

You and I have also encountered Christ and have been changed:

in His Church, through Word and Sacrament

in the common faith and sacrificial love of fellow Christian people.

We also possess the gift given to the apostles:

God’s love in our hearts, the Spirit dwelling in us because of our Baptism.

This is not a gift we can keep within us.

We, like Peter and the others, are compelled by our love for Jesus

to reveal His presence in our lives

and even to suffer dishonor for the sake of His name.

We are called to live not for ourselves but for Him who has loved us,

not for this world but for Heaven’s eternal joys.

Jesus shows His love for the apostles by inviting them to “Come, have breakfast.”

They experience His presence in simple ways: as He feeds them

and in their companionship with the Risen Christ.

The poor, suffering, and neglected of our community

experience companionship with the Risen Jesus through our love

as we share our resources and ourselves.

The work of Catholic Charities in our six-county diocese

is the living presence of Jesus for so many people in need:

people who have lost jobs, young mothers, parents of sick children,

and families struggling, even while working hard, to make ends meet.

The number of people helped by CC has increased by 35% this past year.

So, this weekend, on behalf of Bishop Murry and Father Helman,

I come to ask your support for the 2010 Bishop’s appeal.

The appeal is the primary source of funding for CC

as well as a source of funding for diocesan ministries and programs:

marriage and family life, religious education, vocations, and others.

The appeal allows the work of the Church in our midst to continue.

This year our parish goal is $139, 991.

50% of money raised above goal returns to the parish.

Personally, I give the full amount asked of diocesan priests to this appeal

and I ask you to join with me in supporting Bishop Murry

the work of our Church and the needs of our community,

by a generous pledge.

Our gift today may not seem valuable to us, will not bring us any worldly honor.

But today we store up treasure in Heaven.

Every gift matters…none is too small.

We all experience the burden of difficult economic times,

but today the love of God in our hearts

calls us to take part in witnessing to the presence of Jesus

by sacrificing for the sake of the suffering

and for the good of the Church.

Take envelopes…

Suggest $150.00 per family per year…

Many donors have given in advance…

Thanks…

Indeed we are glad!

The appointment of Archbishop Jose Gomez to the see of Los Angeles is probably the most significant episcopal appointment in the last 30 years.

Los Angeles has been the source of an endless stream of dissent, open challenges to the Holy Father, and infectious progressive drivel for the last 40 years. The Church in LA may very well become smaller but will certainly grow stronger and be closer to the heart and mind of the Church and the Heart and mind of Jesus. For this we must rejoice. Christ is Risen! He is alive and has appeared to Los Angeles! The Mystical Body of Christ, the Church in LA, will rise from the progressive tomb and live again in the Light of Christ!

I had the pleasure of meeting and spending a little time with the Archbishop when he visited the seminary I attended. I recall that I and many others were impressed by him.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop_gomez_deeply_grateful_for_los_angeles_appointment/

Today's readings reveal the constancy of the presence of Christ in the Church. In the Gospel, Jesus opens up the Scriptures for the disciples, revealing how they spoke of Him all along. He shows them that He is the fulfillment of all the ancient law and prophets foretold. He reminds them of what must happen and how they are witneses of God's saving work to all the nations. In the first reading from Acts, Peter is speaking to the crowds of people in the portico of the Temple. He is speaking to Jews and contextualizes the person of Christ and His saving message within the history of the Jewish people. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had glorified Jesus, the Scriptures proclaim Him, Moses and the prophets foretold Him. And we are witnesses of these things. What Peter speaks is an extension of what he heard from Jesus. This is the very definition of Tradition: what Christ spoke, the Apostles handed on, and the Fathers safeguarded. Peter presents Jesus just as He revealed Himself: the fulfillment of all the law and prophets. The Church continues to proclaim Jesus Christ as He truly is and all that a relationship with Him entails. We are witnesses of these things!

The Church holds the Tradition. The Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church, as Vatican II and Pope Benedict XVI have clearly stated. In other words, all that Christ intended for His Church remains complete and permanent in the Catholic Church.

Christ has revealed God to us in the most powerful way: His Paschal Mystery. The Church witnesses to the reality of that revelation and its implications.

Today's Collect begins "Father, you gather the nations to praise your name..." At the Easter Vigil men and women across the globe entered the Church. Last year the Holy Father announcemed the establishment of a special canonical structure and ordinaries to facilitate Anglicans coming into the Church. Many members of the Anglican Communion are disenfranchised because of the continual splintering within their community. Last week the U.S. Anglican Bishops voted to ask the Pope to bring their 120 parishes and 3,000 persons into the Catholic Church. Similar decisions are being debated in other countries. The Church holds the Tradition and it is a beacon of hope and truth for many. Christ is gathering the nations to praise His name!

http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/anglo-catholic_bishops_vote_for_rome1/

These are the days the Lord has made, and indeed we are glad!

The Easter Homilies

Easter Vigil 2010

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen! Alleluia!

On this most sacred of all nights

the heavenly powers sing in jubilation

all the earth exults in the shining splendor of the conquering king

Mother Church rejoices in the glory of her risen Savior.

This sacred place resounds with joy

echoing the mighty praise of God’s people, redeemed by the risen Christ!

Tonight we bask in the glory of the Light of Christ

listen with reverence to the great stories of salvation history

bathe in the saving waters of Baptism

and rejoice that Christ has returned to us

and is alive in the Eucharist we celebrate once again on the third day.

With excitement the Apostles and the women who cared for Jesus

proclaimed to one another in the brightness of Easter morning:

He is alive and has appeared to us!

For over two thousand years hence the Church has proclaimed the same message:

Christ is a alive and has appeared to us

in Word and in Sacraments

in Scripture and Tradition

in the ministry of priests and the love and service of all God’s people.

Tonight our world-wide, trans-cultural, and centuries-old family of faith

welcomes nineteen of its newest members

through the waters of Baptism and the anointing of Confirmation.

You have been preparing through the RCIA process for this most special night

when your souls are joined to Christ permanently and indelibly

as members of His Mystical Body.

We welcome you into our local parish under the patronage of St. Michael –

a community of faith with a rich history and a legacy of service.

More significantly we welcome you into the universal Church,

which has for two millennia transcended all human boundaries

holding fast and proclaiming the fullness of Christ's love and truth.

This great family includes people of every race.

We are young and old, rich and poor, men and women.

We are sinners and saints.

We have spanned the centuries and the globe.

With God’s grace, we have established hospitals to care for the sick.

We have built orphanages to rescue God’s precious children.

We have served the needs of the poor and brought comfort to the afflicted.

Our religious and lay teachers educate more children

than any other academic institution.

Our scholars and monks developed the scientific method and the college system.'

We defend the dignity of all human life

and uphold the sacred realities of Marriage and family.

At 1.2 billion, we are the largest religious community in the world.

Many of the world’s greatest cities are named after our revered saints.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Fathers of the Church compiled the Bible.

We are guided in the ways of faith by Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition

which together reveal the Word of God to us.

Jesus Christ is the foundation and center of our faith

and encountering Him more deeply is the goal of our lives.

Our Church is grounded in an unbroken succession of shepherds –

from Jesus’ chosen Apostles under the leadership of Saint Peter

to the pope and bishops of our own day

who proclaim God’s love and truth in a confused and hurting world.

In a world of chaos and hardship,

we take comfort in knowing that some things are consistent, true and safe:

the teachings of our Catholic Faith and the eternal love of our God.

We rejoice in the precious gift of the seven Sacraments,

outward signs of God’s hidden grace.

and especially for the Eucharist, the living and abiding presence of Jesus Christ

in the Mass and in the tabernacles of our churches throughout the world.

We have prayed for the world for centuries as we offer the Mass

and our priests have been instruments of mercy in every age and land.

Tonight we welcome nineteen men and women

into this extraordinary community of faith.

Tonight the waters of the font give birth to the newest Christians

as they are reborn in Baptism.

Tonight we who have been Catholic for many years

consider for ourselves how we might renew and deepen our faith

and more deeply experience the fullness of what Christ desires to give us

in the teaching, sacraments, and traditions of our Church.

We are one family, united in Jesus Christ, who is alive and revealing Himself to us!

My dear friends about to be baptized and confirmed…

we are the Catholic Church…

welcome home!

Easter Sunday 2010

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen! Alleluia!

On this most sacred of all days

the heavenly powers sing in jubilation

all the earth exults in the shining splendor of the conquering king

Mother Church rejoices in the glory of her risen Savior.

This sacred place resounds with joy

echoing the mighty praise of God’s people, redeemed by the risen Christ!

This morning we bask in the glory of the Light of Christ

are sprinkled with the saving waters of Baptism

as we renew our commitment to Christ

and rejoice that He has returned to us

and is alive in the Eucharist we celebrate once again on the third day.

On Easter morning the women travel to the tomb where Christ was buried

expecting to find His body

and to anoint Him with the spices they had prepared.

Yet when they arrive they find the stone rolled back,

the tomb empty

and the body of Jesus gone.

Mary Magdalene is stricken with sadness and panic:

“They have taken the Lord

and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

The women and the Apostles are confused and in fear,

having experienced the cruel and burial

of their trusted friend and teacher

and now unable to find His body.

Peace returns to their lives and hearts only when they can see Jesus again.

He appears to Mary, who is weeping outside the tomb,

then to a few disciples on the road to Emmaus

and finally on Easter evening to all of them gathered in the upper room.

He speaks to them, allows them to touch Him, and embraces them.

They have seen Him once again, have touched His body,

and rejoice that their beloved Jesus has returned to them.

They had seen for themselves the lifeless Jesus and sealed the stone-cold tomb.

And now…oh what wonder and amazement…He is alive!

With excitement the Apostles and the women who cared for Jesus

proclaimed to one another:

He is alive and has appeared to us!

For over two thousand years hence the Church has proclaimed the same message:

Christ is alive and has appeared to us!

And we have seen His body…His Mystical Body, the Church…

and His Mystical Body is alive!

The universal Church has for two millennia transcended all human boundaries

holding fast and proclaiming the fullness of Christ's love and truth.

Our great family includes people of every race.

We are young and old, rich and poor, men and women.

We are sinners and saints.

We have spanned the centuries and the globe.

With God’s grace, we have established hospitals to care for the sick.

We have built orphanages to rescue God’s precious children.

We have served the needs of the poor and brought comfort to the afflicted.

Our religious and lay teachers educate more children

than any other academic institution.

We defend the dignity of all human life

and uphold the sacred realities of Marriage and family.

We are guided in the ways of faith by Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition

which together reveal the Word of God to us.

Jesus Christ is the foundation and center of our faith

and encountering Him more deeply is the goal of our lives.

Our Church is grounded in an unbroken succession of shepherds –

from Jesus’ chosen Apostles under the leadership of Saint Peter

to the pope and bishops of our own day.

In a world of chaos, hardship, and heartache,

we take comfort in knowing that some things are consistent, true and safe:

the teachings of our Catholic Faith and the eternal love of our God.

We rejoice in the precious gift of the seven Sacraments,

outward signs of God’s hidden grace.

and especially for the Eucharist, the living and abiding presence of Jesus Christ

in the Mass and in the tabernacles of our churches throughout the world.

We have prayed for the world for centuries as we offer the Mass

and have been an instrument of mercy in every age and land.

Christ is alive as well in our local parish under the patronage of Saint Michael.

Last night at the Easter Vigil we welcomed eighteen men and women into the Church

through the waters of Baptism and the anointing of Confirmation.

We have at least 6 young men in our parish considering a vocation to the priesthood

and a strong committee of parishioners supporting them

and working and praying for vocations.

We have a vibrant respect life committee

which brings to our minds knowledge and opportunities

to help form us as a community that loves all human life.

We have a dedicated and talented music ministry,

which gives life to our celebration of the liturgy

and increases the richness of our prayer.

We have an active social concerns committee and extensive outreach to those in need.

We have a strong Catholic school, the Parish School of Religion,

and vibrant Life Teen program.

We adore the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday during the day.

Our ministries reach out to the grieving, the sick, hospitalized and homebound.

Our volunteers and staff serve the community with love and faith.

In these and other ways we are confident that Christ is alive and has appeared to us

in the life and ministry of the universal Church

and in our own parish of Saint Michael.

What is more, His Body, the Church, is alive!

Today we consider for ourselves how we might renew and deepen our faith

as we renew our commitment to Christ.

We consider how we might more deeply experience

the fullness of what Christ desires to give us

in the teaching, sacraments, and traditions of our Church.

If you have been away from the Church, please see the bulletin

for information about Catholics Returning Home.

We are one family, united in Jesus Christ. We are the Catholic Church.

Christ is alive and is revealing Himself to us.

May we answer the call to join him in His redeeming work.