There is a lot going on in the Church at the moment, both in our deanery area as well as in the diocese at large. With so much going on, it can perhaps be a bit much to keep track of. Currently, we have a number of areas where fundraising is going on or being looked at. With that in mind, let me briefly review:

Starting this weekend, we begin the stage of Lent called the “Scrutinies.” These ancient and sacred rites are given to those preparing for Baptism and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. They are preparatory rites, purifying the person and enlightening them in stages as they journey closer and closer to Christ. But what exactly are they? What do they entail?

A couple of years ago, I helped lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Naturally, one of our stops was the Mount of the Transfiguration. A church was built on this holy site that is meant to reflect the beauty and splendor of that moment. It is uniquely built facing north-south, rather than east-west. This is so that the sunlight can enter the church fully and illuminate the mosaics and other artwork throughout the interior. Centermost of these is a mosaic depicting the Transfiguration as well, which is positioned perfectly to catch the sun at certain times of day. At those times of day, Jesus’ body in the picture shines just as brilliantly as it did in that moment! 

Lent is now in full swing. Many of us typically think of Lent as a season to prepare for Easter, and there is truth in that. But did you know: Lent was originally something different. If you look back at the ancient Church, Lent is actually about the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). 

This coming Wednesday, believe it or not, is Ash Wednesday! Every year, we commemorate this occasion by prayer, fasting and (most notably) by putting ashes on our heads. But have you ever wondered why we do this? Why do we start Lent by rubbing (or sometimes sprinkling) ashes on our heads?

This weekend, we welcome three Dominican priests to lead our parish mission as the start of our anniversary celebrations. As a way of introduction, I wanted to devote this bulletin reflection to talking about the Dominican order a bit.

Tomorrow the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation. Believe it or not, this traditionally had been the conclusion of the Christmas season. That’s right: Christmas is more than just 12 days; it was actually 40! 

This past Friday hundreds of thousands of people came together in Washington for the National March for Life, and before that we celebrated the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn.” A couple of years ago, we had a major victory in the fight to protect infants from the sin of abortion with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. However, this victory has left many wondering why should we continue such events as the March for Life. Here is why.

Did you know? Every Mass is offered for an intention; depending on if it is a Sunday or weekday Mass, we always mention “For {insert intention here} for whom this Mass is being offered.” If you look just to the left of this reflection, you should see the Mass schedule, listed with the intentions that that Mass is being offered for. Nine times out of ten, those Masses are offered for someone who is deceased; but the Mass can actually be offered for any intention. Do you know someone who is sick? Have a Mass offered for them. Got a friend or relative who has fallen away from the Church? Have a Mass offered for them. Just had your first child? Have a Mass offered for them. Masses can be offered for any intention that we want to bring to God. 

This week we begin the season of Ordinary Time. Given the name, many people perhaps think of it as the “filler” of the Gospel. Some may even go so far as to say it is the “boring” parts of the Bible. Ordinary time, however, is anything but ordinary. 

In Christian tradition, we do know the names of the Magi to be Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. However, there is little suggesting they were kings. Instead, most evidence from both the Bible and other historical documents suggest these men were astrologers. This would likely make them royal advisers, but not kings. Also, because of this, the consensus is that these men were not Jewish. They were foreigners and pagans, men who did not know God or His Law. And yet, we see them coming to pay homage to the newborn “king of the Jews.” Furthermore, we can tell from their gifts that they have some idea of who Jesus really is: the Son of God. 

Many often joke about how it must have been to be the family of Jesus (God); Jesus standing on the bathwater, Jesus sneaking and multiplying cookies, etc.; and there is some humor to that. But the importance of this feast comes down to: the Holy Family is meant to be the model for all families. If you want to have a healthy family life, then look to them for guidance and example. Some are perhaps thinking, “That is not a fair comparison. Jesus is God and Mary is without sin; of course they are going to be the perfect family. How is that supposed to help my family?” Do not forget that they were not without their problems, too. Remember, Jesus was hunted from his birth; they had to spend two years as exiles in Egypt; Mary lost Jesus for three whole days. They had their fair share of drama as well, but they stayed strong in the face of all of that. 

One question that I have been surprised to get as often as I have is: “What would have happened if Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit?” This is a question that has been asked numerous times over the history of the Church. However, the answer has always been the same: that we can play the “what if” game all we want, it is moot point because at the end of the day they ate it. That being said, one thing we know for sure would have been the same whether they ate the fruit or not is this: Jesus would have still been born.

This past week, the Church celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This feast celebrates the apparition of our Lady to Saint Juan Diego. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has since gone on to become one of the most famous images of Mary as well as one of the most unique. The image itself contains some of the deepest symbolism of any such images. Let’s take a look at some of this symbolism.

Periodically throughout the year, the Church celebrates certain days called holy days of obligation. These are seen as occasions of supreme importance where a Christian is obligated to attend Mass. It is in fact a mortal sin to skip Mass on these days without serious reason. Examples of such occasions would be December 8 (Immaculate Conception) and August 15 (the Assumption of Mary). But did you know: every Sunday is actually a holy day of obligation. This means we are obligated to go to Mass every Sunday, not just whatever day is most convenient to us.

During the season of Advent, many of us have different ways of preparing for Christmas. Some may decorate gradually, putting out a different piece of the Nativity set each day; others may do the Advent Calendar. Easily the most common devotion of Advent, though, is the Advent wreath. But what actually is the Advent wreath? What does each part represent?

Many people are perhaps familiar by now with where the word “Eucharist” comes from and what it means. For those not yet familiar, the word comes from the Greek word “eucharistia,” which translates to “thanksgiving.” The Eucharist is a lot of things for us: our new Passover, the source and summit of the Christian life, the Bread of Angels come down from Heaven. But the Church chose to name it “Eucharist” because it is our means of offering thanks to God for all that He has done for us. 

Christianity is a religion of anticipation, of hope. We as Christians are waiting for something more that is to come. What is it that we are waiting for? Contrary to popular belief, what we are waiting for is not just to die and go to heaven. What we are awaiting is our Lord’s return!

Every year as we approach the feast of Christ the King, our readings for Mass begin to shift focus from the general life and ministry of Jesus to specifically the “end times.” We will hear prophecies from Old and New Testament about the “Day of the Lord” as well as readings from Revelation and other apocalyptic books. However, we must acknowledge the level of confusion that come from other religions and denominations about these things. One specifically that a lot of Catholics have fallen into believing is called “Rapture Theory.”  

This weekend, the Church celebrates what is called “Hallowtide,” or the feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. The name “Hallowtide” comes from the older English version of the name All Hallows Day. “Hallow” means holy or saintly, which incidentally means that Halloween (All Hallows Eve), despite the secular world’s attempt to assert otherwise, is actually originally a Christian holiday.