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Today's Readings
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Prayer for a Pandemic
May we who are merely inconvenienced, remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors, remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home, remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close, remember those who have no options. May we who have to cancel our trips, remember those that have no place to go. May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market, remember those who have no margin at all. May we who settle in for a quarantine at home, remember those who have no home. During this time, when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
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RCIA Reflection
WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT DISCIPLINE?
Freedom is one of our most cherished channels for happiness. Our preoccupation with freedom often leads us to believe that everything we have a taste for should be ours by right, and that everything we want should come to us easily. "Effort" and its companion "discipline" are falling out of use in our culture's vocabulary. However, life can be "a bowl of cherries," but, for the most part, only for those willing to pick them. To be physically fit, for instance, we have to work at it. To have a satisfying marriage or friendship will demand commitment, tact, flexibility, and endurance. Spiritual growth, also, requires discipline. Would you, or anyone you know, like to hear more about how to achieve spiritual growth through the "discipline" of the Catholic faith? We invite you to an RCIA Inquiry Session. For more info, call our RCIA contact at 732-764- 0264. -
Prayer for the New Year
Heavenly Father, we thank You '
for the year that has passed and
the many blessings You have
showered us in time.
We beg your pardon in our
many failings and trespasses
and we pray that the coming
year be a more fruitful one.
We earnestly pray for the gift of
the Holy Spirit and we call upon
our Lord Jesus Christ for His
intercessions. His guidance and
His light to shine our path.
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Catholic Daily Reflections - Source: mycatholic.life
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14 hours agoJune 18, 2025 - Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time - Catholic Daily Reflections from My Catholic Life! -
yesterdayJune 17, 2025 - Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time - Catholic Daily Reflections from My Catholic Life! -
2 days agoJune 16, 2025 - Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time - Catholic Daily Reflections from My Catholic Life! -
3 days agoSunday, June 15, 2025 - Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - Catholic Daily Reflections from My Catholic Life! -
4 days agoJune 14, 2025 - Saturday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time - Catholic Daily Reflections from My Catholic Life!
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The Baptism of our Lord
Today’s Feast marks the conclusion of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Ordinary Time. It is a feast of transition from Jesus’ hidden life to that of his public ministry. It also echoes the theme of the Epiphany in that the Baptism of the Lord is another manifestation announcing Jesus’ divinity to all of His followers and to the disciples of John the Baptist. First of all, it needs to be pointed out that Jesus did not need the baptism of John. John was baptizing as a call to and sign of interior repentance. Jesus had no need to repent. But, nonetheless, He comes to John. John resists at first but Jesus insists. Why did He receive baptism? First, by accepting the baptism of John, Jesus affirms all that John has said and done and affirms his sacred role of preparing the way for Jesus and for a new era of grace. Therefore, the Baptism of Jesus acts as a bridge between the Old Testament prophets (of which John was the last) and the New Testament era of grace and truth. Second, it has been said that when Jesus entered the waters of baptism, He was not baptized by the waters, rather, His Baptism was one in which all the created waters of this world were, in a sense, “baptized” by Him. By entering into the water, Jesus sanctified water and poured forth His grace making all water the future source of salvation. Third, the Baptism of Jesus was an epiphany. It was a moment of manifestation. This manifestation of the divinity of Jesus took place in a physical, audible and visible form so that all present would know, without question, that Jesus was the Son of the Father. Thus, His baptism is a way in which the Father introduced His Son and His Son’s mission to the world. As we prepare to begin Ordinary Time, turn your eyes to Jesus and prepare yourself to follow Him. He was sent into this world to draw us to the Father, allow Him to fulfill that mission in your own life. Source: catholic-daily-reflections.com
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For Father's DayGracious God,
Bless fathers and all father figures with such love and faithfulness that children flourish and grow in uprightness and joy.
Bless those who long to be fathers and those for whom this day is difficult. Happy Father’s Day! -
Msgr. Benwell's presentationThe following is a version of a presentation Msgr. Benwell gave in May, Mary’s Month, to his Secular Franciscan Fraternity.
Pope Francis and the Blessed Virgin Mary
(This is a version of a presentation I gave in May, Mary’s Month, to my
Secular Franciscan Fraternity. - Msgr. Benwell)
On this day when Pope Leo formally inaugurated his pontificate, I thought it would be
good to take a look back at the Marian devotion and teaching of Pope Francis, who has already begun to fade into history, not only because we have a new pope, but a pope from the United States! It will be all Pope Leo going forward, as it should be.
Pope Francis’ devotion to Mary was very deep and very personal. He chose to be buried
in Rome’s oldest Marian church, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. He never travelled outside of Rome or returned to Rome without stopping at Saint Mary Major to pray before the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani, Mary “Protectoress of the Roman People.”
In his autobiography, Hope, published earlier this year, Pope Francis gives credit to a
Salesian priest, Fr. Enrique Pozzoli, for his closeness to Mary. (Fr. Pozzoli was the Bergoglio
“family priest,” so it’s a bit surprising that the Pope wound up a Jesuit and not a Salesian!)
Francis writes in Hope,Many times, in [Fr. Enrique’s] church in the barrio of Almagro [BuenosAires], I stopped to pray in front of the icon of Mary the Help of Christians… I have experienced Mary’s maternal gaze … and how it can bring light todarkness and rekindle hope. It is a gaze that can infuse trust and conveytenderness—a word that many people today would prefer to remove from thedictionary … a world that looks toward the future without a motherly gaze isquite simply shortsighted …One day after more than twenty years had passed since my childhood, I met acouple of catechists, both university professors, at a conference in Belgium.They had a lovely family and spoke very well about Jesus Christ. So at acertain point I asked: And your devotion to Our Lady? “Oh” [they said]“we’ve got over that stage. We know Jesus so much that we don’t need OurLady.” And what came to my mind, and I felt in my heart, was: “But … poororphans!” My grandmother and Fr. Enrique taught me with their testimonythat Our Lady was in no way secondary. It is not spiritual etiquette but arequirement of Christian life. Because the human family is founded on thatvery gaze. It is founded on mothers (p. 50-51).
During his years as pope, and before, Francis wrote many things about Mary. From a homily when he was a bishop on Mary’s unceasing solicitude for Church and all its faithful:We behold Mary at the foot of the cross ... as she silently surrenders herChild, she receives her children. While the Church is born from the openside of her Son, she brings forth the children of the Church, who from thismoment on will be her children (Open Mind: Reflections on FollowingJesus, p. 153).
In one of his Wednesday Audience catecheses on the Church, Pope Francis spoke of
Mary as a three-fold model for us: a model of faith, of charity, and of union with Christ. A
model of faith, for in “the thousand daily tasks and worries” that is every mother’s, “Christ,
the incarnation of God’s infinite love [was at] its center.” A model of charity, for in her
eagerness to be with Elizabeth and Zechariah, she showed that charity consists not only in
helping others materially, but most important, in bringing them “the great gift of Jesus.” A
model of union with Christ, since she willingly “shared in the pain of the cross and accepted with [Jesus] the will of the Father” (23 October 2013).
This three-fold example raises important questions for us. Do we allow ourselves to be
illuminated by the faith of Mary or do we think of her as distant, as someone too different from us? What kind of love do we bring to others? Is it the love of Jesus that shares and accompanies or is it love that seeks a return, an interested love? Do we remember Jesus only when something goes wrong or is ours a constant relationship?
In another series of catecheses, on prayer, Pope Francis used Mary to illustrate one of
the seven essential prayer practices: entering prayer with an open mind and heart, for God often uses such prayer to transform us, both for what God knows will bring our lives greater meaning and for the overall good of the Church. “There is no better way to pray,” Francis said, “than to place oneself like Mary, in an attitude of openness, with a heart open to God. ‘Lord, what you want, when you want it, how you want it.’” Not the easiest prayer, but when we persist while remaining humble, God’s grace will “calm restlessness” and vanquish fear (18 November 2020).
Of course, all of the Popes who have reigned in our lifetimes have had a great love for
the Mother of God: Pope Pius XII, who infallibly proclaimed the Assumption; Pope St. John
XXIII, who prayed the entire Rosary (15 decades) every day; Pope St. Paul VI, who added to
Mary’s titles, “Mother of the Church;” Pope John Paul II, whose coat-of-arms motto, “Totus
Tuus” (Totally Yours), is taken from St. Louis de Monfort’s, True Devotion to Mary, calling
on all to give themselves totally to Jesus through Mary.
The devotion of these popes was not rooted in apparitions and legalistic devotions, but
in Mary’s two authentic role in the Church: she is our intercessor and our model. In the words of the late Redemptorist theologian Fr. Bernard Häring: “In all that she is and all that she does, she leads us to Christ.”(For information on the Secular Franciscan Order, please call the Parish Office.) -
Happy Father's Day
Gracious God,
We thank you for the gift of fatherhood. Bless all fathers with strength, wisdom, and love. May they reflect Your grace and guidance in raising and nurturing their children. Surround them with Your peace, and let Your joy fill their hearts each day.
On this Father’s Day we’re especially thankful for all the fathers and father figures in our lives. Hold them in your good care.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. -
Prayer for Mothers Day
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Prayer for Thanksgiving
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Generous and merciful God,
We thank you for your abundant gifts to us.
As we celebrate our Thanksgiving feast,
We ask you to send your Spirit,
To open our hearts to you and our neighbor,
That we may share the gifts you have given us
As you Son Jesus taught us to.
Thank you for the many blessings of our lives;
Our family and friends,
Our home and the food we eat,
Our health and well being.
We ask you blessing of all those who gather
Around our Thanksgiving table,
And all your people throughout the world,
Through Christ your Son.
Amen.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving
from your Parish family! -
The Prayer for Life to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Jesus, you came that we might have life— and have it in abundance. Together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, you form us in our mothers’ wombs and call us to love you for all eternity. As your most precious gift of human life is attacked, draw us ever closer to your Real Presence in the Eucharist. Dispel the darkness of the culture of death, for you are the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. By the power of your Eucharistic Presence, help us to defend the life of every human person at every stage. Transform our hearts to protect and cherish all whose lives are most vulnerable. For you are God, forever and ever. Amen.
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Lenten Journey Reflection
Lenten Journeys: A Reflection
In the Catholic tradition there is a ritual called Eucharistic Adoration. Catholic Christians believe that when you’re in the presence of the Eucharist you are really in the presence of Jesus. Eucharistic Adoration is when you spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
My church has offered Eucharistic Adoration every Friday during Lent and I determined I would spend a half hour every Friday with Jesus. Other members of my church signed up for various times so that Jesus is never left alone.
As you can imagine, it is not easy to fit in a half hour during a full work week with children attending school and winter weather. I intended to pray but when I sat down in the pew I looked up and told Jesus, “I am tired.” Although the church was entirely quiet, I heard Jesus - “I will give you rest.”
The lyrics of a hymn sung regularly at services flooded into my being- “Be not afraid, I go before you always, Come, follow me and I will give you rest.”In the silence, I heard and pulled the song into my soul.
While this is not the first time the Lord has spoken to me, I was surprised. And I was filled with peace. Eucharistic Adoration has been a blessing and an integral part of my Lenten Journey. I hope my Lenten Journey inspires you to find peace in Jesus and to be with him.
Upon leaving the church each Friday, I notice the reflection of our baptism window that is in our baptistry in the narthex of the church. The sun shines through the window onto the glass doors of the church and projects the image of the baptistry onto the sanctuary inside the church. In this image you see the baptism of Jesus by John, which appears to then fall onto the consecrated host in the monstrance on the altar.
For me, a reminder that Jesus, the sacraments and the events in this world reflect and incorporate into each other in ways we don’t always understand or appreciate. I am assured Jesus is always there and I am reminded to “Be not afraid.”- Lea DeGuilo
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Prayer for veterans Day
Dear Lord,
We honor our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called upon to serve and protect their country.
We pray that you will bless them for their unselfish service in our continual struggle to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country’s heritage, for all of us.
Bless them abundantly for the hardships they faced, for the sacrifices they made for their many different contributions to America’s victories over tyranny and oppression.
We respect them, we thank them, we honor them, we are proud of them. We pray that you will watch over these special people and bless them with peace and happiness. Amen.God Bless our Veterans!
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Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
God our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother's womb; grant, we pray, that we, whom you have made stewards of creation, may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. -