Jesus’ Resurrection and the Laws of Thermodynamics

Last updated on: March 29, 2024 at 4:06 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics which deals with the energy and work of a system. Thermodynamics deals only with the large-scale response of a system which we can observe and measure in experiments. In aerodynamics, the thermodynamics of a gas obviously plays an important role in the analysis of propulsion systems (NASA, “Second Law – Entropy”). As we see in the law of entropy, absolutely everything in this world tends towards disorder. This happens in the universe at both macroscopic and microscopic... Read more

Pope Francis On What Is Missing In The Church

Last updated on: March 28, 2024 at 10:55 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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What is missing in the Church? Pope Francis suggested something we might not expect this Holy Thursday. Each year on Holy Thursday, the bishop of the diocese gets together with his priests for the Chrism Mass. For practical and pastoral reasons, this mass is often moved to earlier in the week, as happened on Monday this week at the cathedral in Los Angeles. It is a telling moment to know the heart of the pastor. Pope Francis had a special... Read more

Despair Loses Its Power Beneath The Cross of Jesus

Last updated on: March 23, 2024 at 10:00 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Suffering is part of life. Learning to unite this suffering to Christ helps us become cooperators in his redemptive work and helps to stave off despair. Despair is the absolute extreme of self-love. It is reached when a person deliberately turns his back on all help from anyone else in order to taste the rotten luxury of knowing himself to be lost (Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation). If you are ever feeling down or discouraged as a Christian, look... Read more

Finding Meaning in Suffering

Last updated on: March 25, 2024 at 12:26 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Often, it can be excruciatingly difficult to find meaning in our suffering. This was no different for Victor Frankl, who was a Jew consigned to one of Hitler’s death camps during World War II. Frankl was also a psychologist and his experience of countless horrors during those years led him to believe that man does not have to view suffering as meaningless. If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering... Read more

Palm Sunday Pull

Last updated on: March 21, 2024 at 11:20 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Palm Sunday pulls us into a new stage of Lent: Holy Week. Our liturgy this week highlights the disparity between our world and a true Christian society. We are pulled between the allure of a Spring Break mentality and the long-standing traditions of contemplating the suffering and death of our Lord. When we see Jesus going up into Jerusalem, we can think of our spiritual lives as well as a certain “going up the mountain.” Going Up the Mountain Mount... Read more

Mystery Of The Mass

Last updated on: March 19, 2024 at 1:29 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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The Mass is a mystery. The word “mystery” comes from two Greek words meaning “to shut the mouth.” When we experience mystery, we must stand silent because we cannot explain it fully. Some people like to heighten the sense of mystery in the liturgy, as evidenced by an increase of interest in the Mass celebrated in Latin. The melodious beauty of the language helps to shroud the whole celebration in mystery. Others reject the mystery and do everything possible to... Read more

Sharing in the Suffering of Jesus During Holy Week

Last updated on: March 18, 2024 at 9:34 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Holy Week is about contemplating and sharing the suffering of Jesus. We do not do this as an exercise in masochism, but as an expression of our love for the one who loved us first. In a world so hyper-focused on comfort and pleasure, it feels counter-cultural to turn our gaze to suffering. Yet, if we want to appreciate fully what our Lord did to save us, we must undertake this, no matter how demanding it may prove. Sad During... Read more

Mass Starts Before The Gospel – Arriving Late For Mass

Last updated on: March 13, 2024 at 12:50 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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“We’ll be there for the homily. What’s the big deal?” Brandon and his friend Dave were heading to Sunday Mass but had gotten off to a late start. Brandon was upset that they were going to arrive late, and his friend Dave wanted to reassure him that it was no big deal. After all, the most important thing about the Mass is the Eucharistic Celebration, so they would still be able to witness that and receive communion. Why is it... Read more

The Search For What We Truly Want

Last updated on: March 12, 2024 at 3:21 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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I was able to see the recently released Cabrini movie and enjoyed it very much. It tells the story of a strong, determined Catholic woman and how she fulfilled her mission in life. Was St. Frances Xavier Cabrini just trying to help immigrants? Was she driven by a desire to give greater visibility to women serving in the Church? Sometimes, it takes time to discover what we truly want. Mother Cabrini clearly knew what she wanted. I thought the movie... Read more

Mother Cabrini and the Place of Women in the Church

Last updated on: March 11, 2024 at 9:20 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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The recent film Cabrini shines a light on the life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and invites us to reflect on the role of women in the Church. Last week, when I reflected on the life of Mother Cabrini, I focused on three points: the role of women in society, immigration, and devotion to the Eucharist. The movie Cabrini deals with the first two and in this article I want to focus on how the movie portrays her contribution to... Read more

Which book of the Bible is known as the 'Book of Wisdom'?