May is a month traditionally dedicated to honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. In our churches and homes, we celebrate May as a “Marian month,” with May processions, May Crownings, and other popular devotions in honor of the Mother of God. This Marian month falls during the liturgical season of Easter. We thus particularly emphasize Our Blessed Mother’s participation in the Paschal Mystery and her presence with the Church in preparation for Pentecost, as she prayed with the disciples in the upper room while they awaited the descent of the Holy Spirit. [...]

Let us consider together what the biblical texts tell us about St. Joseph. Though there are not many words, they have profound meaning for all of us as we seek to live a life of holiness, no matter what our state in life or vocation. They are of particular importance for men, but certainly apply to all men and women. In the infancy narrative offered to us by the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, we find a unique focus on Joseph, the Husband of Mary. After tracing the lineage of the Savior from the perspective of Joseph, we are introduced to Joseph's response to God's invitation. [...]

As we celebrate the glory of Easter, we continue to look at the titles given to St. Joseph in the Litany of St. Joseph. Today, we want to reflect upon “Joseph, Terror of Demons.” One may wonder why I chose this title for St. Joseph for our reflection. We live in a world that is filled with disorder, disunity, division, outright evil, sin … and grave sin! One may think that it is just part of our fallen human nature. While that is true, it is much more than concupiscence. It is, in my opinion, the result of the work of the Evil One in our world. The more chaos and division, the more evil and sin, the more he is at work. I would surmise that most people do not think very often of the work of the Evil One in the world, nor the effect of the Evil One in our own lives. [...]

One can only imagine what St. Joseph was thinking when he heard the words, “Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child” (Mt 1:20). Yet, his faith and trust, in this moment of uncertainty, allowed him to respond as the angel had requested. By accepting the will of God for his life, St. Joseph was entrusted with to watch over the Holy Family with daily devotion. St. Joseph persevered in this mission with great fidelity and love. Therefore, the Church offers St. Joseph to us as an exceptional model of service to Christ and to His mysterious plan of salvation. The Church also provides St. Joseph as the special patron and protector of all families.  [...]

Happy Easter to you my dear friends in Christ! This past year has been challenging as we have experienced life far from normal. We live in hopeful expectation that we are getting close to being on the other side of this pandemic. Certainly, the past year will be something we remember for a very long time. I suspect that we have learned a lot. We have learned a lot about ourselves in the midst of crisis, all the challenges we have had to face; we have seen the impact this pandemic has had locally, nationally, and of course globally. We have experienced isolation and separation; many have been alone and afraid. Quarantine and masks have been the reality of life for so long. But we have a vaccine to help us get to the other side. We thank the Lord for this gift. And now we have arrived at the great celebration of the Octave of Easter – Christ Jesus has been raised from the dead. The tomb is empty. He has risen! [...]

As we continue to reflect on the titles given to him in the Litany of St. Joseph, today we want to reflect upon Joseph as Patron of the Dying. I believe that many people have a fear of dying. They may not express it [though some do] but for many it is a lingering fear. There have been times when I have shared with people that I am praying for Jesus to return now and alleviate the misery in which our culture is living. And they look at me like I am crazy, or they make a comment about not wanting the Lord to return to such yet.

Today, let us reflect upon St. Joseph: Mirror of Patience. We have all heard these words many times, “Patience is a virtue.” Patience is listed by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. People talk about the “patience of Job,” and it is something which many people often confess the “lack of” in the Sacrament of Penance. St. Joseph is seen as the Mirror of Patience. What do we mean by that? Let us look at patience in general. We have all practiced patience on a human level, perhaps in an isolated incident or situation. I practice patience in a traffic jam, at the checkout line, or when things are taking much longer to complete than necessary. [...]

As we continue our Lenten Journey, we examine one of the titles given to St. Joseph in the Litany of St. Joseph: “Joseph Most Chaste.” In the Gospels, we find that Joseph never speaks a word. He is always there, though, as a silent presence. We read about him – that he was a righteous man, unwilling to expose Mary to shame, and that he was going to divorce her quietly. He was “righteous” precisely because he was docile and obedient to God. He was “faithful” because of his trust in what the Lord asked of him. We see his prompt obedience in his response to the intervention of God’s angel in his dreams. In the Divine Praises used at the end of Benediction, St. Joseph is referred to as ‘Her most chaste spouse.” What does this really mean? Her most chaste spouse? We need to look at this virtue of chastity. [...]

Greetings and blessings to all of you! In the Litany of St. Joseph, one of the titles given him is “Joseph Most Obedient.” Perhaps some people would not look at obedience as a virtue but rather as something negative, maybe even a vice. The secular world prizes individual freedom above all else. Therefore, in a society that preaches independence, obedience is often seen as that which imposes or places limits on freedom, that in some way it requires handing over our rights to someone else, to another. Our children might see obedience in the sense that if they do not submit to authority, their parents, then they will be punished. In that instance, obedience is seen as a deterrent rather than a virtue. So, what is a virtue? [...]

Lenten greetings to you all! One of my favorite Gospel accounts is the story of the “Woman at the Well,” which only appears in St. John’s Gospel. It is a beautiful story of redemption. Redemption–isn’t that what the season of Lent is all about? Can you imagine doing something so ordinary as fetching water at a well and having it change your life forever? Let us dive deeper into this encounter with Jesus. It is not simply an enjoyable story; Jesus is speaking to us through it. [...]

Blessings to you this Lenten season! Last Sunday, we heard the account of the Temptation of Jesus. This Sunday we will hear the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus. This amazing moment in the life of our Lord (which Peter, James, and John were privileged to experience) was not just another day in Galilee.  The scene of the Transfiguration of Jesus takes place on a mountain because mountain tops in Scripture are places where something important happens and where God is encountered. Here are some examples: In the Old Testament, Abraham is willing to sacrifice his son on a mountain; Noah’s ark comes to rest on Mt. Ararat; the law is given to Moses on Mt. Sinai; Jerusalem is built on the top of Mt. Zion. [...]

On Ash Wednesday, as ashes were imposed on our foreheads, we heard the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” This is the hallmark of the season of Lent, not just for the catechumens in the Church, but for all of us. In the Scripture readings for this First Sunday of Lent, we find ourselves with Jesus in the desert facing the temptations of the Evil One. For much of my life, I thought of Lent as a season of only looking inward, a time of taking personal inventory, a period of self-examination, taking an honest assessment of myself, looking at my failures and sinfulness. There is nothing wrong with looking at Lent in this way. These types of self-assessments are important for any of us to grow in holiness. But there is more, so much more! [...]

The Season of Grace is upon us! Are you ready? Fat Tuesday (certainly a very different experience this year because of the continuing threat of COVID-19) will lead us into the celebration of Ash Wednesday.  It has been my experience that each year when Ash Wednesday rolls around, our congregation grows in size. The number of people coming to receive ashes is quite extraordinary; although, the traditional swarm of Catholics may be much less this year due to the current public health crisis. Why is it important for you to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday? What draws you to this spiritual exercise? [...]

This week we celebrated Catholic Schools Week in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Every family wants their son or daughter to excel in school; to be the best version of themselves; to “Shine Brighter” as a disciple of Jesus! That is exactly what St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School offers our families. Students “Shine Brighter” because they are in a safe community; they are known and loved, and they are formed to be faith-filled leaders strengthened by the love of Christ. [...]

Are you a follower of Christ or just an admirer of Christ? This distinction between followers of Christ and mere admirers of Our Savior is explained in a recently published book by Rod Dreher entitled, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents. He tells the story of an artist who is painting images of Bible stories on the wall of the village church. The artist laments his own inability to paint a true representation of Christ. He says that his images comfort believers, but do not lead them to repentance and conversion. The painter says regretfully, “We create admirers. We do not create followers.” [...]

Greetings of Christ’s peace and love! I pray that these words find a place in your hearts to dispel the frustrations, sufferings, grief, and loneliness of those who have lost loved ones due to the coronavirus pandemic. Christmas has been a great reminder of God’s infinite love for us in the incarnation of Jesus. Born as our Savior, He came to bring light, joy, and peace to the world! [...]