Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Perhaps you have come across inciteful quotes or stories that help you to make sense out of trials, setbacks, or struggles you are going through. Recently I came across a little story that was shared by Dr. Regis Martin, a professor of dogmatic and systematic theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, since 1988. The story was originally authored by G.K. Chesterton and it challenges the temptations we all have to complain about the state of things in our troubled world.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the New Testament, the Church reminds us of the first drops of blood that flowed for our redemption on the day when Jesus was circumcised. It is night on Mount Olivet, and the moon is shining. We see the holy face crimsoned with blood during the agony in the garden. Unhappy, despairing Judas casts the blood-money down in the temple. "I have betrayed innocent blood!" In the scourging of Our Lord, we see Jesus humiliated as blood flows from the beatings out onto the ground.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood. In 96 AD, Pope St. Clement I wrote: “Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious it is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world” (First Letter to Church at Corinth).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Catholic Church is now the largest religious denomination in the United States, and it may be hard to imagine that we were once considered missionary territory. However, in the 1840s, Catholic missionaries from Europe responded to the call to help spread the Faith in America. Two French nuns came as missionaries, teaching and serving the people of the Midwestern United States, then the western frontier of our nation. St. Théodore Guérin spread the Faith by founding many schools in Indiana, while St. Rose Philippine Duchesne founded several religious congregations of nuns and ministered to the Native American tribes throughout the Missouri Territory.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

When considering the history of the nations of the world, the United States is a very young country. This July Fourth marks only 249 years from the signing of our Declaration of Independence, where the 13 American colonies initially established by Great Britain declared their independence to the world. But even though we are considered a young nation, there are already many Americans who have been recognized by the Catholic Church as canonized saints and blesseds, and it is important to remember that the Catholic Faith came to America long before our Declaration of Independence was signed. In many ways, our beautifully decorated apse in St. Bernadette Church tells the story of our nation through the lives of our American Catholic saints who contributed to making this great nation what it is today.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Church is blessed to celebrate this special Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also known as Corpus Christi. So what are we celebrating? Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus is the Bread of Life. The Gospel reminds us that Christ feeds multitudes with bread. In the Mass, Our Lord feeds us with His own Body and Blood! Christ Himself gave us the Eucharist on the night of the Last Supper.

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 lifegiving relationship with God and one another. Since each of us is 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.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I give thanks to Our Lord for calling me to follow Him as a priest, my heart is filled with gratitude to God for my loving and supportive parents, my amazing brother and sisters, their devoted spouses and energetic children, my devout grandparents, cousins, friends, teachers, students, parishioners, brother priests, deacons, religious; and others, all who have blessed me and supported me throughout my life.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, which is something that is beyond comprehension. First, Our Lord triumphs over death and sin through His resurrection and now we celebrate His glorious ascension to the Father! With all that in mind, one can forget the important words that Our Lord left us before His return to Heaven. Jesus entrusted His disciples with a mission to spread the Gospel. In this great commission, Our Lord invites all to believe in Him and join Him in the of work of going “into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk. 16:15-16).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have tremendous respect and pastoral concern for those who have stepped forward to defend our country. Some carry the wounds of war for the rest of their lives, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They deserve our prayers, respect, and service.

Observing Memorial Day is a way of recognizing the ultimate sacrifice men and women have offered in protecting and defending our freedom. What we remember and honor on Memorial Day is heroic sacrifice, much like we honor martyrs in the Church. We acknowledge those who nobly gave of themselves, unto death, for a purpose that was greater than themselves.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are in the month of May, a month when Catholics traditionally pray for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of all the talk about what popes have had in common and what separates them, it seems that devotion to Our Lady is an essential aspect of the spirituality of many popes throughout history.

Popes have promoted Marian devotion through various means, including writing encyclicals, Apostolic Letters, proclaiming dogmas, and visiting Marian shrines throughout the world. Mary is a comfort and a guide to Her Son Jesus Christ. Let’s look at the most recent popes and their Marian devotion.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body… The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation… What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this; to be a mother?” - József Cardinal Mindszenty

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the Catholic Church, the month of May is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. The May crowning is an act of popular devotion in honor of our Blessed Mother that is repeated every year as an expression of our love for Our Lady, and it is usually done during the month of May. Perhaps you or someone you know has some confusion about Mary and the role she has in our life.