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Wednesday Witness: Parents Are the Key
Posted by Jim Thorp
You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him/her in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him/her up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do ... Read More »
Readings and Homilies for the Weekend of September 29-30, 2018 (English and Español)
Posted by Jim Thorp
Last weekend we heard the readings for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Jesus advises His disciples that if their foot, hand or eye causes them to sin, it would be better to remove it that to be thrown, whole and able-bodied, in Gehenna. In his homily, Fr. ... Read More »
Wednesday Witness: Able-Bodied
Posted by Jim Thorp
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27
Blogger's Note: The post below is revised from an article first published the St. Michael Catholic Church bulletin roughly four years ago. It is remarkable how well the same message fits Saint Andrew as we head into ... Read More »
Readings and Homilies for the Weekend of September 22-23, 2018 (English and Español)
Posted by Jim Thorp
Last weekend we heard the readings for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Jesus begins teaching His disciples that He will suffer and die—and they begin arguing which of them is the greatest. Jesus tells them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all ... Read More »
Readings and Homilies for the Weekend of September 15-16, 2018 (English and Bilingual)
Posted by Jim Thorp
Last weekend we heard the readings for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Peter declares Jesus the Messiah, then rebukes Him for saying he must suffer and die. In his English homily, Fr. Newton encourages us to ask two questions: Who do we say Jesus is? and Do our words and ... Read More »
Wednesday Witness: Following Jesus as a Family
Posted by Jim Thorp
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
The 2018-2019 Faith Formation program launches tonight with the 11th-Grade Confirmation Retreat and the first classes for grades 1-8. It's going ... Read More »
Readings and Homilies for the Weekend of September 8-9, 2018 (English and Español)
Posted by Jim Thorp
Last weekend we heard the readings for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Jesus makes the deaf hear and the mute speak, as prophesied by Isaiah. Fr. Newton's homily draws our attention to our human tendency to show partiality toward the rich and powerful, whereas Jesus loves and helps the poor ... Read More »
Wednesday Witness: Confirmation Pep Talk
Posted by Jim Thorp
Note: Last Saturday evening we had an informational meeting for Confirmation students and parents. Not everyone was able to attend, so I am attempting to recreate the brief Confirmation pep talk I gave, in writing, for those who missed out. * * * * *
I want to start ... Read More »
Wednesday Witness: Scarcity or Abundance?
Posted by Jim Thorp
One of the other recurring themes during prayer at my silent retreat in Demontreville last month was scarcity versus abundance. This time of year—with summer winding down, school and activities ramping up, days getting noticeably shorter and cooler, and trees suddenly changing color—it’s easy to slip into a mentality ... Read More »
A New Approach to Elementary Faith Formation
Posted by Jim Thorp
A few years back while working for my home parish, I was walking the halls, checking in on the elementary faith formation classes. I passed one room, peeked in and saw the kids noisily chattering away while coloring religious pictures. A couple of boys were getting rowdy, and the ... Read More »