Feast Day of St. Andrew the Apostle – November 30

11-26-2023Weekly Reflection

St. Andrew, the brother of St. Peter, was a native of the town of Bethsaida in Galilee, and a fisherman by profession. Being first a disciple of St. John the Baptist, he later joined Jesus, and also brought to Him his brother Simon, with whom he became a member of the Apostolic College. After the dispersion of the Apostles, St. Andrew preached the Gospel in Scythia, as we learn from Origen; and, as Sophronius says, also in Sogdiana and Colchis.

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Thanksgiving Day Prayer

11-19-2023Weekly Reflection©USCCB

Lord, we thank you for the goodness of our people and for the spirit of justice that fills this nation. We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the land and the challenge of the cities.

We thank you for our work and our rest, for one another, and for our homes. We thank you, Lord: accept our thanksgiving on this day. We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

www.usccb.org/prayers/thanksgiving-day-prayer

Watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

11-12-2023Weekly Reflection© LPi Fr. John Muir

Lately I’ve been enjoying the deep meaning of Eastern icons. I love how they express a tapestry of meaning in a way that can surpass the written or spoken word. Today’s parable of the ten virgins from Jesus is a good example. Try googling “wise and foolish virgins icon” and you’ll see an image of how our Christ meets our heart’s deepest needs if we attend to him with the proper attitude.

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National Vocations Week

11-05-2023Weekly Reflection

National Vocation Awareness Week will be celebrated in our country November 5-11. Please ask Our Lord for more dedicated, holy priests, deacons, and consecrated men and women. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of vocation.

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All Saints Day / All Souls Day

10-29-2023Weekly Reflection

The All Saints Day feast dates back to the 7th century, and the occasion of its introduction was the conversion of the ancient Pantheon at Rome into a Christian church. This famous temple, which possibly existed in the time of the Republic, is generally considered to have been built by Marcus Agrippa in his third consulate in the year 27 B.C., but it is not improbable that he merely restored and added to it. Historians do not agree as to the origin of its name, but Pliny tells us that Agrippa dedicated it to Jupiter the Avenger. It was afterward repaired by Septimus Severus and his son Caracalla.

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Should Our Kids Celebrate Halloween?

10-22-2023Weekly Reflection

Good News! Trick or treating doesn't jeopardize our faith.

What was once thought to be a harmless holiday is now said by some to be a pagan rite dating back to Celtic (and pagan) Druids. What's more, it's claimed that modern pagans and witches continue to celebrate this ancient festival even today.

The truth is that the origins of Halloween are, in fact, very Christian, and rather American, too. Halloween actually falls on October 31 because of a Pope, and its observances are the result of medieval Catholic piety.

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The Twelve Promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary for those devoted to His Sacred Heart

10-15-2023Weekly Reflection

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Patroness of Devotees of the Sacred Heart
Feast Day: October 16

One day, Jesus spoke to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque as she knelt before the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus said He had chosen her to reveal His Sacred Heart as a symbol of His love. During three more revelations, He explained how to practice the devotion.

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The month of October is dedicated to the holy Rosary

10-08-2023Weekly Reflection

Fifteen Promises of Mary to those who recite the Rosary:

  1. Whoever recites the rosary shall receive singular graces.
  2. I promise special protection and graces to those who recite the rosary.
  3. The rosary will destroy vice, decrease sin, & defeat heresies.
  4. The rosary will cause virtue & good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.
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October is Respect Life Month

10-01-2023Weekly Reflection

Each October the Church in the U.S. celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is observed as Respect Life Sunday. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.

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That's Not Fair

09-24-2023Weekly Reflection© LPi Fr. John Muir

Once I gave my three-year-old niece a certain toy for Christmas. When she opened it, she was happy. Shortly thereafter her five- year old sister opened another present from me: the same toy, along with some play jewelry. The three-year-old cried out: “That’s not fair! Why’d she get the jewelry, too?!”

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Constitution Week

09-17-2023Weekly Reflection

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution would like to recognize “Constitution Week”, Sep 17-23. This year marks the 236th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.

Pray for our Country

Almighty God, we pray for your blessings upon our nation and ask that it remains committed to the principles of freedom, justice, and brotherhood for all who contribute to its greatness.

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Blessing for the Fallen of 9-11

09-10-2023Weekly Reflection

God of mercy, in your word of Scripture, you instruct us to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Give us today the courage to assist those around us who may need our assistance. Give us patience when we become impatient. Remind us to pray for all those who perished on United Airlines 93, American Airlines 11, United Airlines 175, American Airlines 77, and those in the Twin Towers and Pentagon. Give us a heart thankful for those who gave their lives as first responders, as did the men and women who ran into danger to be of aid. We ask all this in the name of the One who first responded to our need for a savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Don't Scorn the Weight of the Cross

09-03-2023Weekly Reflection© LPi Fr. John Muir

Isn’t it easy to relate to Peter? One moment Jesus announces Peter’s deep communion with God the Father. The very next, when he rejects the logic of Jesus’ suffering and death, Jesus calls Peter Satan. We Christians shouldn’t be too shocked when we experience both spiritual highs and lows, when we perceive breathtaking contradictions in our hearts.

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