With joy-filled heart, we celebrate the glorious event that Christ is risen. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).  Celebrating the victory over death, gained for us by Our Lord Jesus Christ, we contemplate the joy of our ultimate Read more
One of the parishioners asked me why we should go to Church every Sunday. This prompted me to think that perhaps, many others have the same thought. If anyone has such a thought, let me answer their question: First of all, the obligation of observing the Day of The Lord Read more
God knows me and knows what I need. If so, “Why should I pray?” Prayer basically enables a person to relate himself/ herself with God. We pray to God because of our relationship with Him, sharing what is weighing on us in life, our feelings and thoughts of our daily Read more
In John’s Gospel, the cleansing of the temple occurs early in the story, whereas in the synoptic gospels, all place this much later in their accounts. Perhaps John wanted to show the radical change Jesus desired in all aspects of life; our cleansing. Jesus, filled with justifiable anger makes a Read more
Lent is a period to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Easter. As a process of preparation, we recall our own Baptism and do penance. Self-denial is what Jesus requires from us, in order to be his disciples. Self-denial is about making sacrifice, focusing on the Cross, and reminding ourselves Read more
Active Participation The phrase “active participation” was conceived by the saintly Pope Pius X. He explained: If you wish to participate in the Mass actively, you must follow with your eye, heart, and mouth all that happens on the altar… You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings Read more
Closing Rite The distribution of the Holy Communion during Mass is like an act of a lover meeting with the beloved. When we receive the Eucharist, we are welcoming Christ into our hearts and so it is an important moment. The priest and Deacon are the ordinary Ministers of the Read more
The purpose of the responsorial psalm and Alleluia Someone asked me, why we sing the Psalm and Alleluia in between the Readings. We Catholics are accustomed to hearing the Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel Acclamation sung or recited between the Readings. These were instituted by the Second Vatican Council, in Read more
We hear in the Gospel from Mark how Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Note that she immediately served Him after this miracle; she wanted to show thanks for what Jesus had done for her. The passage states that after sunset the whole town gathered at the door seeking Jesus. This was Read more
Meaning of the word “Amen” in the Mass The word “Amen” is not a strange word for any Catholic, because it is used as a concluding response to all the prayers we recite. It is also used during the Holy Mass as people’s response to the prayers offered by the Read more