This Sunday, we encounter once again the amazing story of how Jesus, using just a few loaves and fishes, fed thousands. Among the many truths buried in this episode, we can conclude that: Christ feeds the hungry, that he gives us more than we could ever need, that he transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. The miracle also beautifully foreshadows the Eucharist, and the gift of finest wheat. This gospel does all that. What it does not do is tell... Read more
Beautiful story, from The New Richmond News in Wisconsin: In the Gospel of John 15:13, Jesus instructs, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Recently assigned to his home parish of Immaculate Conception, New Richmond, as well as to St. Patrick, Erin Prairie, Fr. Anderson had been pastor of the Tomahawk parish for 10 years. “Father inherited me,” joked Deacon Dave Bablick, who has served St. Mary for 17 years. The... Read more
From a TV station in Rochester, New York: A local family said a priest suddenly stopped their loved one’s funeral during the ceremony. Michael Klimchuk said Father Louis Sirianni at Saint Mark’s Church in Greece ended the funeral mass for his sister, Mary, Monday because a family member went outside the order of the mass and wanted to do another reading. He said Father Sirianni then said, “Now is not the time,” and ended the funeral mass itself. “This is... Read more
This Sunday, we encounter once again the amazing story of how Jesus, using just a few loaves and fishes, fed thousands. Among the many truths buried in this episode, we can conclude that: Christ feeds the hungry, that he gives us more than we could ever need, that he transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. The miracle also beautifully foreshadows the Eucharist, and the gift of finest wheat. This gospel does all that. What it does not do is tell... Read more
Short, simple and sincere—and with Matthew 25 included, too. When was the last time you saw the star of a late night talk show do something like this? Read more
This email arrived in my inbox this morning: I recently read on The Church Militant website that the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. is planning to extend employment benefits to spouses of same sex couples employed in the diocese. I would love to see your thoughts on this on the blog. First question is: Why is the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. employing same-sex couples? Do their policies not contain a morality clause confining eligibility for employment to those persons who are... Read more
…comes from the always-interesting Brandon Vogt. And it’s a good one: New research shows that 7% of Catholics contribute 80% of all donations and volunteer hours. It’s easy to cater everything to this group. We know they’ll sign-up, they’ll show up, they’ll subscribe, they’ll buy books, they’ll give. But every Catholic needs to ask this question: what am I doing to reach the other 93%? View image | gettyimages.com In the press conference announcing Fr. Robert Barron as a new auxiliary... Read more
Some readers may recall the controversy surrounding the announcement last year that a parish serving New York’s deaf community was going to close. Now, an update, via Catholic New York: After three decades at St. Elizabeth’s parish, deaf Catholics are about to embark on a new chapter for worship and social gatherings at St. Thomas More parish. Both parishes are located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, approximately six blocks apart. And the faithful at St. Thomas More are more than ready... Read more
That’s the eye-catching headline in the UK’s The Tablet, which calls for a reconsideration of marriage and Holy Orders. Snip: Those who are unmarried at the time of ordination, including widowers, must vow themselves to celibacy thereafter. In the words of the presiding bishop: “By this consecration you will adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart.” The subtext of this might be read as a suggestion that the married men about to be similarly ordained do have divided... Read more
That’s the eye-catching headline in the UK’s The Tablet, which calls for a reconsideration of marriage and Holy Orders. Snip: Those who are unmarried at the time of ordination, including widowers, must vow themselves to celibacy thereafter. In the words of the presiding bishop: “By this consecration you will adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart.” The subtext of this might be read as a suggestion that the married men about to be similarly ordained do have divided... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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