Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With the third Sunday of Lent, the Church begins to invite those who are preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation to a deeper reflection and participation in the life of Christ. Today and for the two Sundays that follow, the Scrutinies are celebrated for those catechumens and candidates anticipating reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Here at St. Pius, the Scrutinies will be celebrated during the 11 AM Sunday Mass. These unique rites have their origin in some of the ancient practices of the early Church. At a time when persecution…
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “Lord, it is good that we are here.” Overwhelmed by the glory of the transfigured Jesus, shocked by the presence of Moses and Elijah, St. Peter utters these words in the Gospel we read today in the hope of remaining on the mountain for a while longer. While the moment of the Transfiguration will pass and things will seem to go back to normal, the short-lived glory that Peter, James, and John were privileged to witness would become a sign and a prefiguration of what was to come. Jesus is transfigured so that the…
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In Mark’s typical fashion, the story of the forty days Jesus spends in the desert is recounted in a rapid-fire pace, clear on what happened, and short on details. The forty days are summarized by three things: Jesus was tempted by Satan, was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him. Each of those things seems to deserve some attention, but Mark powers past them, perhaps to allow someone else to tell that story or to leave those details to our imagination. Rather than focusing on our Lord’s experience in the desert,…
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen year old girl gathering firewood near the small village of Lourdes, France. It was the first of a series of apparitions, through which Mary shared with Bernadette God’s desire for healing for those who suffer, invited her to do penance, and encouraged public manifestations of piety. Since these visions, countless people have visited Lourdes to bathe in the miraculous spring of water our Lady showed to St. Bernadette. In addition to countless stories of personal healings that have taken place,…
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” This question posed to our Lord by a demon is a powerful one, as it reveals the fear that evil spirits have of the Incarnate God. They know that the mission of Jesus is to destroy sin and death, to conquer their power in favor of the grace, mercy, peace, and overwhelming love of God. The story handed down to us in the tradition of the Church is that Lucifer, an archangel, rebelled against God’s authority, freely choosing for eternity to oppose the God…
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