''Christ is risen! Alleluia!" We'll be saying (and singing) that refrain and others like it until Pentecost, which, this year, isn't until the end of May. And well we should! The resurrection of Jesus is the irreplaceable centerpiece of our faith. So much so that St. Paul devoted a substantial portion of his First Letter to the Corinthians addressing those who thought otherwise.
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One of the most striking differences between the early Christians and us is that they lacked any conception of "the emotions." Rather, what they talked about were "the passions." What's the difference? A passion for them was the correlate of an action. It was something that happened to you when the world, through your perception of it, had an impact upon you.
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''The Rite of Peace follows, by which the Church asks for peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament."
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In 1992, St. Pope John Paul II promulgated "Pastores dabo vobis" ("I will give you shepherds"). The exhortation followed upon the 1990 Synod of Priests and drew upon the documents of the Second Vatican Council. It outlined a renewal of seminary formation and summoned all priests to a deepening of the spiritual life and an embrace of that call to be shepherds of the Lord and for the Church.
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As a child, one of my favorite times of the day was when Mr. Buonomo, our mailman, would pull up to our house. Although there was rarely anything for me, the possibility was still there, and it made me skip to meet him at the mailbox. Somehow, mail call -- even at work -- has never lost that thrill for me (although my office mates are probably grateful that I no longer skip to it!). The letters delivered now bring stories of the missions and the pictures that show how difficult the work of spreading the Gospel is in remote areas of the world.
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Jesus will not leave us alone. He won't make us children of God in baptism only to leave us "orphans," He assures us in today's Gospel (see Romans 8:14-17). He asks the Father to give us His Spirit, to dwell with us and keep us united in the life He shares with the Father.
Read moreActs 8:5-8, 14-17 Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 1 Pt 3:15-18 Jn 14:15-21 As we near the end of the Easter season, we find ourselves hearing this week about someone who isn't even there. That would be, of course, the Holy Spirit.
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It was a little past 5 in the morning when I was jarred awake by a wet tongue licking my nose. We were dog-sitting our daughter's pit bull, and this was my morning wake-up call. Being quiet for my husband's sake, I grabbed my slippers and jacket and headed with Gus to our fenced-in backyard.
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Q: Recently I went to confession on Saturday afternoon before my parish's vigil Mass. The priest told me to say a rosary for my penance. But since I was the last one in line, Mass was starting right away and I didn't have time to say my penance. Then I'm embarrassed to admit I wound up forgetting about it, and I didn't actually say the rosary like I was supposed to until a few days later. Now it occurs to me that since I didn't say my penance right away, my confession was invalid and I shouldn't have received Communion at Mass. Is this a new sin I need to confess?
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''At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say." With these words and a gesture from the principal celebrant, a simple raising and extending his arms and hands to the praying position -- "orans" in Latin -- we all join him standing without his giving any verbal direction.
Read moreFifty years ago this month, on May 22, 1976, 36 men, along with their wives and families, joined Cardinal Humberto Medeiros and other clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for a momentous day. These men had studied for two years to embrace a newly restored ministry following the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) and the guidance of Pope Paul VI. They were the first class of permanent deacons ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston.
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The traditional Latin greeting, "ad multos annos," is a congratulatory wish for many more years. It is often used to celebrate the anniversary of a priest or bishop. On May 8, 2026, Pope Leo XIV will complete the first year of his Pontificate, and I hope for many more years of his ministry to the Universal Church. From the moment he appeared on the balcony at St. Peter's, Pope Leo has addressed us with a serene and joyful demeanor. He has maintained his composure in the face of tumultuous world events and used his voice to counsel peace, compassion, and the power of kindness. As a Pope who spent much of his ministry in the missions, his preaching is direct, accessible, and biblical.
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Many people of a certain age know the answer to the opposite question in our title because in 1965, a great blackout was experienced across parts of Canada and much of the Northeast corridor. About 30 million people were without power for up to thirteen hours. Although a few localities relied on their own power plants, most people were plunged into darkness. In 1968, a romcom movie starring Doris Day was made about the Great Blackout.
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By His death, Resurrection, and Ascension, Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us in His Father's house. His Father's house is no longer a temple made by human hands. It is the spiritual house of the Church, built on the living stone of Christ's body.
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Family life is hard. In case no one has affirmed that for you lately, let me be the one. Whether you're in the stage of diapers and bottles, wiping faces and losing sleep or whether you're worrying about the children who have grown, the now-adults making their stumbling way through a suffering world, families will always be holy, hard and humbling schools of love.
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Acts 6:1-7 Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 1 Pt 2:4-9 Jn 14:1-12 What is that place? Where is it? "I am going to prepare a place for you," Jesus said to his disciples (Jn 14:2). What did he mean? It's Holy Thursday, the night before his crucifixion and death. The Church in this Sunday's gospel reading takes us back to that time. It's a time when maybe the disciples were beginning to worry what they would do in Jesus' absence. Sometimes today even we worry like that. What will we do when Jesus is gone?
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"War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity. International law, honest dialogue, solidarity between states, the noble exercise of diplomacy: These are methods worthy of individuals and nations in resolving their differences. ... War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations."
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Q: I have a question about appeals to Rome of the declaration of nullity process. The metropolitan tribunal of my local archdiocese has completed their review of the case and stated that it has been proved that there is sufficient ground to find the marriage invalid ("decision in the affirmative"). However, my former spouse has appealed the decision to the Roman Rota. I imagine that the Roman Rota is very busy and might not get around to reviewing this appeal. Is there a time limit on this? If we never hear from them, does that mean that my marriage is invalid? Also, theologically, what is the purpose of an appeal? It is my understanding that the Church does not actually make the marriage valid/invalid, it either is or isn't valid. So if the tribunal has found that it is invalid, how can an appeal change how God sees this?
Read moreJesus' first words to the disciples after his resurrection were "Peace be with you" (John 20:19). This was the fruit of Easter, resolving the two greatest threats to our peace -- the internal discord of sin and the existential threat of death itself. Jesus came into the world for this very purpose as the Prince of Peace, of whom the angels spoke to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will" (Luke 2:14). Isaiah prophesied that when his reign arrived the wolf would dwell with the lamb and men would beat their swords into plowshares (see Isaiah chapters 11 and 2).
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We've often heard, and I've even written about how "all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten." It's not untrue, but it might underestimate the adolescent experience and how it shapes who we become.
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When it comes to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of IVF embryos frozen in the U.S. and elsewhere, it is often claimed that the Catholic Church has never definitively addressed the liceity, or moral allowability, of "embryo transfer" (also known as embryo rescue or embryo adoption).
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Easter's empty tomb is a call to conversion. By this tomb, we should know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah, as Peter preaches in today's First Reading. He is the "Lord," the divine Son that David foresaw at God's right hand (see Psalms 110:1, 3; 132:10-11; Acts 2:34). And He is the Messiah that God had promised to shepherd the scattered flock of the house of Israel (see Ezekiel 34:11-14, 23; 37:24).
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The Crowleys were a family of seven in the suburbs; hand-me-downs and second-hand toys were the norm. My mother used to say there was "too much month left at the end of the money," but there was always room at our dinner table for one or two more. My mother taught me to share what I had, even when I didn't think I had enough.
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Much has been said recently about the rising number of people discovering or returning to the practice of the Catholic faith. I certainly have been experiencing that reality on the ground in parishes, schools, and on university campuses. In the years since the pandemic, we have seen a rising number of people seeking baptism, increased Sunday Mass attendance, and significant increases in seminary admissions. As I visit communities, there is also a kind of electricity in the air as people sense that God is at work in these developments. The most dramatic changes have been among the young, and I have spoken previously of these experiences in this column.
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As noted last week, the many "moving parts" of this section of the Mass led to many variations in its celebration. This is a good place to recall some general principles that apply to liturgy in general, and so obviously to Mass. Some of these you might recall from references in previous columns.
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''Don't you hate asking for money?" This is a question people often ask me when they learn that every July 1, the Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) is required to raise another $15 million to meet its commitment to the one in eight students who rely on their CSF Scholarship to access the life-changing opportunity of a Catholic education.
Read moreActs 2:14a, 36-41 Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6 1 Pt 2:20b-25 Jn 10:1-10 We know this comparison so well. How many times have we heard Jesus described as "The Good Shepherd?" here it is again in the scriptures for this fourth Sunday of Easter (commonly called "Good Shepherd Sunday").
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Q: Is it ever acceptable to say something other than "amen" when receiving Communion? Would "thank you," "he's alive" or even "hallelujah!" ever work? (Indiana) A: The short answer is no, the one and only appropriate response when receiving holy Communion is to say "amen" after the priest or Eucharistic minister says, "the body of Christ."
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On a recent vacation, I read Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables." Hugo was truly a poet and philosopher. "Les Misérables" became one of his most popular works through its musical presentation on Broadway and later as a film. It tells various stories about life with distinct and complicated moral issues that need resolution.
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Because my Lent took a nosedive about two-thirds of the way through, I am still immersed in a project I undertook in order to get my spiritual groove back: Writing out the Gospel of Mark, in longhand.
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This next part of the Mass consists of several separate parts. They are all related to each other, as indeed are all the parts of the Mass. In the coming weeks, we'll look at the parts of the Communion Rite in the Order of Mass as presented to us for our prayer in the current edition of the Roman Missal.
Read moreFifty years ago, America was gearing up to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The anniversary was a cause for celebration, and also an opportunity for organizations throughout the country to reflect on their relationship to American history, culture, and values. For the occasion, the Archdiocese of Boston collaborated with local and national committees to celebrate and reflect on the Church's role in America's history.
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In the Scriptures, peace is about right relationship. Last Sunday, Divine Mercy Sunday, we heard the account of Jesus's appearance in the Upper Room. The Lord stood in their midst and greeted them, "peace be with you." This greeting is very significant because the One Who offers the greeting is that peace.
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When missionaries visit our office, sometimes they "go shopping" in our storage closet. Parishes donate their surplus vestments and sacred vessels to us, and we, in turn, make them available to clergy in the missions.
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We should put ourselves in the shoes of the disciples in today's Gospel. Downcast and confused, they're making their way down the road, unable to understand all the things that have occurred.
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On March 26, the International Olympic Committee made an announcement that is simultaneously surprising and banal. The IOC declared that only women are eligible to participate in women's events in the Olympics. Of course, saying that women's events are limited to women is as newsworthy as a declaration that water is wet.
Read moreEaster is the feast of all feasts, and its 50-day season stands atop the liturgical year as its climax. While we might recognize this reality, the Easter season can seem like a letdown. While the goal of Lent appears to be clear-cut -- fight against sin, do penance, increase prayer and give alms -- what about Easter? What are we supposed to do for 50 days?
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Q: One thing about which I've always been curious, especially this time of the year, is why in the various Gospel accounts of Jesus before Pilate, Jesus never directly answered, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Instead of simply saying "Yes," full stop, Jesus gave what many consider to be sidestep answers like "If you say so" or "Is that what you heard?" Could you comment? Is there a greater understanding of this exchange that I'm missing? (Indiana)
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Anyone who reads me regularly knows I am not the sort of Catholic who grabs the smelling salts for every seeming insult or ignorant remark made about the Church. Ever since Madonna danced before a burning cross I've judged most of the controversial "scandals" against Catholicism to be weak broths that turn to mere water in the face of a supernatural church that has watched the last 2,000 years of governments, political movements and infant nations parade by its Petrine seat before disappearing from sight.
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Acts 2:14, 22-33 Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 1 Pt 1:17-21 Lk 24:13-35 Easter changes everything of course. The resurrection of Jesus sets everything on its head. One must get used to Easter, adjust to it, to the very idea of it, much less the consequences of it.
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