Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend the Church celebrates the third and final Scrutiny for those who are preparing to come into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. In each of these special rites, the Church has prayed for the catechumens and candidates to have hearts open to the forgiving mercy of God, eyes open to see the works of God, and hearts open to receive the life-giving grace that Jesus wins for those who follow Him. The Scrutinies are meant for us as well. In this season of penance, our prayer, fasting, and…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,  Once again, this weekend we take our Scriptural readings from Year A, rather than Year C. As I mentioned last week, these readings correspond very well to the scrutinies, special rites and prayers that accompany those who are preparing to be initiated into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil. These readings and their accompanying rites have a special significance for we who are already part of the Catholic Church, as well. Last week, we saw our Lord’s kindness and mercy extended to the Samaritan woman, and how, in the course of their conversation,…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Church gives us a three year cycle of readings for Sundays throughout the year, and though we are in Year C of that cycle, we are afforded the option of using the readings from Year A for the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent. This is because those Scripture passages are especially apt for the celebration of the Scrutinies (observed here at St. Pius during the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass). These are unique rites that the Church provides for those who are preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil. From…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The forty days of Lent, with their liturgical sobriety and penitential character, may make the Gospel story of the Transfiguration of Jesus seem an odd choice for the Church. After all, these days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are a season of repentance, a season when the Gloria is not sung, when our celebrations bear the marks of penitence and simplicity. Yet in this Gospel, the glory of the Lord is on full display, and Peter is ready to stay on the mountain basking in the radiant light. Though it may seem off-theme, it…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this first Sunday in Lent, the Church presents us with the Gospel story of the forty days Jesus spent in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil. This time of fasting and prayer immediately preceded His public ministry and teaching, and served as Jesus' immediate preparation to carry out His saving mission. We know, of course, that the miracles and teaching of Jesus reach their climax on the Cross on Good Friday. This penitential liturgical season mirrors our Lord's forty days in the desert, and just as those days prepared Him…read more