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God Calls Us To Service

January 13, 2021 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on God Calls Us To Service

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Second Sunday Of Ordinary Time (YR B) Readings: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 191 Cor. 6:13c-15a, 17-20John 1:35-42 In the first reading today, we hear the story of the call of the Prophet Samuel. God calls Samuel three times as the boy was sleeping in the Temple. Thinking it was the priest, Eli, who had called him, Samuel ran to Eli to serve his master. After the second time, Eli realized it was the Lord speaking to the boy and instructed him, if Samuel heard the voice again, to respond: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”Samuel responded generously to God’s call and the Lord was able to work with him and through him as a prophet to…Continue Reading

The Epiphany. January 6. Period.

January 11, 2021 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Epiphany. January 6. Period.

By FR. JAMES ALTMAN Dear family, when we look at the USCCB — that organization that somehow is supposed to lead U.S. Catholics deeper into the universal Truth — the always and everywhere Truths of the faith — and not — most definitively is not supposed to be an organization dependent upon the personal opinions of those who currently rule in it. Remember Joseph Bernardin from Chicago in the 1970s and Theodore McCarrick in the early 2000s as archbishop of Washington, D.C. When we look at the USCCB we should find the Truth — the unchanged and unchangeable Truth — and not some watered down, namby-pamby Catholic Lite. We should not seek and find Catholic Lite represented in the predilections…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

January 8, 2021 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. In your Christmas Quiz, the answer to question 26 said that the Magi visited Jesus, Mary, and Joseph “in a house.” But don’t we always see the three kings in the stable at Bethlehem? — T.W., via e-mail.A. Yes, we usually do see the Magi in the stable, but the Gospel of Matthew says that after their audience with King Herod, “the star that they had seen in its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary His mother. They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World … Gift Of Eternity Remains Unopened By Many

January 7, 2021 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World … Gift Of Eternity Remains Unopened By Many

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK A neighbor died on Christmas Eve.The very night on which we celebrate the birth of Life itself into this world a human existence found itself in most dire need of it. Such occurs countless times around the globe every day. This time it happened next door.Some of us were decorating the church in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord when I first heard, and then saw, a sheriff’s deputy vehicle turn the corner and come into town on two wheels. An EMT vehicle followed, also with siren blaring. I followed the sights and sounds to a house two doors down and saw people coming and going. After walking to the location, I encountered a…Continue Reading

In Good Times And Bad . . . Rejoice In The Lord!

January 6, 2021 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on In Good Times And Bad . . . Rejoice In The Lord!

By FR. JAMES ALTMAN Dear family, as we celebrated the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, several weeks ago, we should remember that it gets its name from the first word of the Introit of the Traditional Mass: “Gaudete in Domino semper” — rejoice in the Lord always!The fullness of the acclamation is revealed in its two parts.The first part is the first half of that acclamation: Rejoice in the Lord. Watch now what it did not say. It did not say rejoice in this, that, or the other thing. In other words, when we are instructed to rejoice in anything, we are to rejoice in the Lord.The second part is the second half of that acclamation, and it is…Continue Reading

Live Your Life In Humility

January 4, 2021 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Live Your Life In Humility

BY FR. ROBERT ALTIER The Baptism Of The Lord (YR B) Readings: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7Acts 10:34-38Mark 1:7-11 In the Gospel reading today, St. Mark tells us “Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized in the Jordan by John.” There is no commentary from the Evangelist, nothing is said about the conversation between the Baptist and our Blessed Lord, there is simply the statement that our Lord was baptized.St. John the Baptist, as we read, had already proclaimed to the people that One mightier than he was coming and that St. John was not worthy even to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals. This is important for us to know because it shows us that John the Baptist was…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

December 25, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: As we celebrate the birth of Our Lord more than two thousand years ago, the following quiz should refresh your memories about the coming of Jesus on that first Christmas. A Christmas Quiz What Gospels tell us about the events surrounding the first Christmas? A. Matthew, B. Mark, C. Luke, D. John.Who was the Roman Emperor who ordered a census of the whole world shortly before the birth of Jesus? A. Julius Caesar, B. Caesar Augustus, C. Nero, D. Constantine In what town did Mary live when an angel appeared to her? A. Bethlehem, B. Cana, C. Nazareth, D. Jerusalem What was the angel’s name? A. Michael, B. Gabriel, C. Raphael, D. Ariel What Marian dogma did the…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World . . . Christmas: One Word Of Love For Life Eternal

December 24, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World . . . Christmas: One Word Of Love For Life Eternal

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK 2020 saw many wars played out across the world stage, most of them fought only with the weapon of words.Violence of the physical kind seems largely to spare affluent societies, which entertain themselves more by the virtual combat of insults over politics, pandemics, and power plays.Antifa and BLM reduced portions of our cities to smoldering war zones, but life in our country was not under threat of extinction only there.One version of violence, often missing in the medium of the mind because out of sight for so many, is the ongoing slaughter of the innocents which preys on the progeny of the poor and uneducated. The many pro-lifers who valiantly protest, pray, and promote ultrasounds…Continue Reading

The Greatest Sentence Of All Time

December 23, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Greatest Sentence Of All Time

By FR. JAMES ALTMAN Dear family, if someone were to ask you a question — “What is the single most important sentence ever uttered by any human since Adam and Eve?” — What would be your answer?I thought about it for a while and reached a conclusion as to what that sentence might be. Then, in all seriousness, I tried to think of any that might be a “close second” or even what would make the Top Ten. Surely a prerequisite to being a top-tenner must be that the sentence is timeless, and that it is applicable to all times and all places. Here are some candidates for Top Ten-ers that came to mind when pondering this.The first thought was…Continue Reading

The Hearts Of The Fathers

December 21, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Hearts Of The Fathers

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Solemnity Of The Holy Family (YR B) Readings: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14;Col. 3:12-21Luke 2:22-40 In the first reading today, Sirach tells us that God has set a father in honor over his children and that a mother’s authority over her sons is confirmed by God. I have been reading a book that addresses the proper ordering of relationships as presented for the Jewish family in the Old Testament. The point that is made very clear is the importance of the father in the religious upbringing of the children.Scripture is certainly clear about the role and authority of the mother, but God set things up so the father, as head of the family, was to be the leader…Continue Reading