Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Is it okay to have some pride? Our Lord reminds us today that we are supposed to be humble? Humility is a virtue and it is the best virtue to fight against pride. But is all pride bad? For example, is it wrong to be proud of your children’s accomplishments? Is it wrong to share the gifts God has given to you?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We hear so much today about science. For some people, science is like a god to them. Of course, science has done so much to help humanity. There are many serious diseases that have been conquered. Humanity owes a great deal of gratitude to the incredible scientists who have made our lives better. But there has been (and will probably be for our lifetime) those who believe that God is not essential. Many evil forces have tried to “rid” God from our lives.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We at St. Bernadette are so blessed to have St. John XXIII Catholic grade school as part of our history. For over 20 years, dedicated teachers and staff has educated thousands of young people in our beautiful Catholic faith. As we begin our 2022/2023 school year, we are blessed to welcome the most students we have ever had in our school’s history with nearly 630 students. This makes us one of the largest Catholic grade schools in the Diocese of Phoenix.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted from pastoral governance of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and appointed Auxiliary Bishop John P. Dolan of San Diego as the fifth bishop in the 52-year history of the diocese.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Arizona Rosary Celebration is an annual state-wide event, held on the third weekend in October, with gatherings in five cities. In Phoenix, we are expecting between 4,000 and 6000 thousand Catholics will participate. The event is free, open to the public, and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in collaboration with the Diocese of Phoenix, Legion of Mary, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and other organizations.

February 24 - March 1 – Eighth to twelfth apparitions: penance and the discovery of the spring.

In these days of February and of March, the Church is in the season of Lent. The bishop of the diocese had recommended spending Lent with special emphasis on prayer, preaching and penance. At the grotto Bernadette hears and repeats the words of the lady: "Penance, penance, penance. Pray to God for the conversion of sinners." At her request, Bernadette walks on her knees in the grotto. Once, she eats the grass growing there. All of that, "for sinners", like Christ who humbled himself even to death on the cross.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

There were no less than 18 Apparitions where Our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette at the grotto in Lourdes, France. They began on February 11, 1858.

February 11 - First apparition: the first contact.

Bernadette came with two other girls to collect firewood. She felt a gust of wind, although the trees did not move. All of a sudden, there was a light in the grotto. The light had the shape of a young girl.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Marie Bernarde Soubirous (Bernadette) was born on January 7 of 1844 in Lourdes - a modest town with a population of 4,135 and a passageway for travelers on their way to the surrounding towns.

Her family lived a very simple life working at the Boly Mill, East of the town, for decades. Her parents endured several financial hardships due to competition from new steam-powered technology and to illness and death in the family.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus Christ!

First, thank you for all of your sacrifices, prayers, and financial support which have helped make possible this culture of life moment and the end of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This amazing moment in our lifetime is a victory for the Gospel of Life! Giving thanks to God is certainly an appropriate response but there is more for us to do.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On 18th April 1925, forty-six years after her death, the body of Bernadette Soubirous was exhumed so that relics could be retrieved.

This mission was entrusted to Doctors Comte and Talon. Doctor Comte took the first samples from the body which “was of a soft and almost normal consistency”, he wrote in 1928 in the Bulletin of the Medical Association at Our Lady of Lourdes.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It might be helpful to cite a recognized Church authority on the matter, (i.e., The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) or perhaps The Code of Canon Law) to provide “legitimacy” to the answer to: “Why are relics significant?”

CCC No.1674: “The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics…” Also, regarding veneration, the CCC’s Glossary states, “Veneration must be clearly distinguished from adoration and worship, which are due to God alone.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are blessed to welcome to our diocese and our parish for the first time, the relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous from Lourdes, France (other than her relics that are currently in our altar). St. Bernadette’s relics will tour the United States and be made available for veneration at more than 30 churches and shrines from the East to West coast.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Most post pubescent males can father a child. Fathering a child is vastly different from being a good father. So, what does it take to be a good father? On this Father’s Day, I would like to address the vital role my father holds in my life and the important role of the father in the life of his family.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As human beings, we need one another. We are united as God’s children. We are family. As such, it is good to understand that being a beloved child of God the Most High, we are called to seek a holy and life-giving relationship with God and one another. Since each of us have been created in the image and likeness of God, we are able to be a sacred reflection of the Most Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity celebrates the most powerful mystery of who God is as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Secondly, today reminds us of the relationship God shares with us, His beloved children.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, the most important feast of the Church after Easter and Christmas. The word Pentecost means fifty in Greek because it occurs fifty days after Easter. It is also called the birthday of the Church, for on this day, the Holy Spirit descended on the Church to confirm and establish it as the New Covenant which is now open to all people of the world.