“On the feast of the Epiphany, as we recall Jesus’ manifestation to humanity in the face of a Child, may we sense the Magi at our side, as wise companions on the way. Their example helps us to lift our gaze towards the star and to follow the great desires of our heart. They teach us not to be content with a life of mediocrity, of ‘playing it safe’, but to let ourselves be attracted always by what is good,... Read more
Will wonders never cease? Details: Shortly before leaving the Capitol for the holiday recess, Senate Democrats gathered behind closed doors to lay out an agenda for 2014. When the majority leader, Harry Reid, exhorted colleagues to “deal with the issue of income inequality,” the talk took a spiritual turn. “You know,” declared Senator Bernard Sanders, the Vermont independent, who caucuses with Democrats, “we have a strong ally on our side in this issue — and that is the pope.” That... Read more
Rendering of church designed by Robert Habiger of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, with revisions by Mark Russell, Radian Design Group. It’s happening in Bakersfield—and if this is a sign of the times, the times are full of hope. From The Bakersfield Californian: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Bakersfield’s newest Roman Catholic parish and the first centered in the city’s northwest, will begin construction of its first-phase worship center and parish facilities beginning with a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday. For those... Read more
Somehow I missed this nugget yesterday, from AFP: Pope Francis has called for a rethink in the way the Catholic Church deals with the children of gay couples and divorced parents, warning against “administering a vaccine against faith.” “On an educational level, gay unions raise challenges for us today which for us are sometimes difficult to understand,” Francis said in a speech to the Catholic Union of Superiors General in November, extracts of which were published on Italian media websites... Read more
I spent part of the day with these guys: Our 11:30 Mass included the presentation of gifts by the magi, and a lovely procession of altar servers, carrying candles and torches. Our administrator, Fr. Frank Passenant, also began the liturgy with an old tradition: blessing chalk, and then scrawling the date above the entry to the church, invoking blessings upon all who enter. (Sign of the times: he told me it was next-to-impossible to find chalk for this!) I preached... Read more
Details: Pope Francis announced Sunday that he would travel to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan on May 24-26, his first visit to the Holy Land and one that comes amid a new U.S. push for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Francis told people gathered in the rain for his weekly Sunday blessing that he was announcing, “in the climate of joy that is typical of the Christmas season,” the three-day visit to Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. It is... Read more
Details: Students from Eastside Catholic High School and other Catholic secondary schools delivered a message outside the Archdiocese of Seattle on Saturday afternoon: We are not going away, and we are taking our protest to a new level. “We care too much about Mr. Zmuda to let this go,” said Ian Edwards, a senior at Eastside Catholic, after speaking at the second demonstration in as many weeks outside the old chancery of the archdiocese. With social media at their disposal,... Read more
The text of a letter issued yesterday to the clergy and faithful by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput: Dear friends in Christ, On December 26, Pennsylvania’s Superior Court unanimously reversed the 2012 conviction of Msgr. William Lynn on a charge of endangering the welfare of children. At my direction, the Archdiocese has provided 10 percent of Msgr. Lynn’s bail – $25,000 – to assist his release from prison. Msgr. Lynn is free but constrained by a number of court restrictions pending an appeal of the... Read more
That sound you hear is heads exploding in rectories. From Vatican Insider: In a new move aimed at reforming the clergy and eliminating careerism in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has abolished the conferral of the Pontifical Honor of ‘Monsignor’ on secular priests under the age of 65. Henceforth, the only Pontifical Honor that will be conferred on ‘secular priests’ will be that of ‘Chaplain to His Holiness’ and this will be conferred only on ‘worthy priests’ who are over 65 years... Read more
[Click here for readings.] For those who may be keeping track, this marks the 12th day of Christmas – so there is still time to go out and get those 12 drummers drumming. This is Epiphany Sunday, and the star of the gospel is – literally – the star. It is the original GPS device, guiding the magi from the east toward Christ. One of my favorite Christmas symbols here in New York is that massive “snowflake” star that hangs... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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