Liturgy

(Video discussion) What is holy water and how do I explain the reason that it is placed at the entrances of churches to my non-Catholic friends? Holy water is a sacramental; a reminder of the life of the church expressed and celebrated through the sacraments. By blessing ourselves with holy water as we enter the church,...
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5th Sunday of the Year – Cycle C 2010+ Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 Polls of Catholic churches across the United States give a rather alarming statistic. “The average Catholic parish in North America has fewer than ten percent of its registered members involved in various parish activities.”  What this means is...
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Lent 2010 Spiritual Opportunities February 17 – Ash Wednesday Masses – 7:00 am, 8:00 am, 1:30 pm, 6:30 pm February 21 – World Prayer for Christian Unity – 4:00 pm – Nativity Daily Mass Chapel February 27 – Brunch and Learn “Change Your Life Overnight” – 10:00 am – Nativity Cafeteria February 26-27 – LinC joining with St....
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Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19;  I Corinthians 12:31-13:13;  Luke 4:21-30 “A woman named Nora had worked for many years in a large downtown business office.  No one had ever managed to get close enough to her to know her very well.  Nora had a way of quickly turning off anyone who tried to befriend her.  She was...
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Nehemiah 8:2-10; I Corinthians: 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Did you know that on October 10, 1997 at 3:50 p.m., our former President Bill Clinton released a proclamation designating October 12th as “National Children’s Day?”  Did you know that at 4:30 p.m., less than one hour later President Clinton issued another proclamation?  His veto of the...
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Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 Weddings today require a great deal of preparation.  There is the guest list, the ceremony, the clothing, the décor, the menu for the banquet and all of the other social amenities that go with weddings. Any of the least details not going exactly as planned can result in...
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This Wednesday, Jan. 20, 6:45-7:30 pm in the Nativity School library, Fr. Gary will speak to PARENTS on some of the fundamentals of personal safety for children. His focus will be on how to protect children and teens from exploitation, abduction, internet crime, drugs and school violence in an environment that emphasizes the dignity...
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Are some sacraments more important than others? At times, yes. Perhaps instead of thinking of importance in terms of ranking one as first or greatest, it might be easier to think of them in terms of significance. As we grow in age and in faith, sacraments take on a different meaning and significance for us....
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Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Titus 2:11-14;  3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16,21-22 There is a movie from 1994 that I have seen at least a half dozen times.   I have never been able to figure out what it was about this movie that has so captured my imagination that I am compelled to watch it anytime I stumble upon it...
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Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 One hundred years ago, the first step on American soil for immigrants from Europe was not a patch of warm, welcoming earth but rather a wooden ramp at Ellis Island in New York harbor.  The ramp led to the doors of the main building where processing took place. In the...
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