Octave Day of the Epiphany
This school year, as time permits, we will be publishing daily sermons from the previous week:
Jan. 7, 2013: Fit Yourself into the Church by Fr. Lehtoranta
Jan. 8, 2013: St. Gudula by Fr. Lehtoranta
Jan. 9, 2013: St. Julian the Hospitaller by Fr. Lehtoranta
Jan. 10, 2013: St. Marcian by Fr. Lehtoranta
Jan. 11, 2013: The Journey of the Three Kings by Fr. McKenna
_________________________
It’s bad enough that Catholics get accused of worshiping graven images, but on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we might even be accused of “worshiping” a chair. What is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter? Why are there two feasts? Why is this feast ever more important in our day?
Listen to Bp. Dolan with Stephen Heiner on the topic of The Chair of St. Peter.
_________________________
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
By all accounts, our Epiphany was a glorious one, with the shining Solemn High Mass, regal music, and the Epiphany sacramentals blessed and distributed. Be sure to do your family home blessing, and consecrate your house with blessed chalk and incense, and holy water. That way you bring the holiness home with you, which is always the idea. Each one of our homes should be a little church, with Jesus enthroned as King of Love in its midst.
Epiphany was also our Benefactors Appreciation Sunday, and I thank Mark Lotarski for his clever and creative way of getting the rolls out to you. I also thank Mark, who not only is our school principal, but who with wife Joan does so much for our church, a true “bene-factor.” Finally, thank you. So many do so very much all year long. “God repay you,” as the Spanish say.
Meanwhile my first “post-op” trip with smoothly, as I traveled to sunny but chilly Mexico. Was I ever cold! There is nothing so penetrating as desert cold, even though the temperature stays in the forties. The short days were sunny, but not enough to warm up the interiors. I admire the pluck of the priest and faithful in Tijuana, who make do without heating, and patiently bear the extremes of cold and heat, as well as long waits to cross the U.S. border. Despite the chill, still there was the warmth of the Holy Ghost felt in the enthusiastic welcome, the 23-some Confirmations, and throughout the young congregation of some 150 souls at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Tijuana. To travel is always to learn of God’s goodness and providence, as well as encouraging things about our brethren in the Faith. We are not alone!
This was a good weekend for me to visit a new church. Not only is Epiphany one of the Church’s three greatest feasts (the Pentecost of Christmas, they say) but the moment seemed right for me. December 8th would have been too soon after surgery. As it was, I had my checkup and “all clear” last week, with the highly desired P.S.A. score of zero. Thank you again for your concern and prayers.
They say this is the worst flu season in awhile, but many of us just seem to have lingering colds. Thank God. The mild weather which has melted away Winter and its white Christmas may bring us some pleasant sunny days, which would help.
Word has reached us via India (and not Kentucky, as one would have thought) of the death of †Bishop Louis Vezelis, OFM on January 1st. He was one of the early pioneer priests who visited the Catholic group in Kentucky for a number of years, and finally founded his own church there. While his was a highly controversial and even divisive character, many souls are indebted to him for the Mass and Sacraments over the years. I recall gratefully his first ordination (which took place on “Brueggemann Row” in Kentucky), Fr. Francis Miller, OFM, a most excellent and apostolic priest, now in Lafayette, Louisiana. Say a prayer for Bishop Vezelis, now with God, to find peace for his soul at last.
I also feel a sense of peace to have learned whatever happened to Marty Lierl, who died December 18th at the age of 94. His family never returned our calls. I made a point to check the local death notices each day in the paper, and finally found him last week. He is scheduled for a “memorial service” at the nursing home where he died. We will have a funeral service for him here, at his church, this week on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. May he rest in peace.
An excellent New Year’s resolution is to remember our dead with a daily prayer. Surely this will guarantee that we ourselves will not be forgotten after we leave this life for eternity.
God bless you, and keep you faithful from your Baptism until your Requiem Mass!
–Bishop Dolan
_________________________
2013 ALL SAINTS CALENDAR
St. Gertrude the Great Church is known for its devotion to the saints.
It is a rare occasion when our sacristans have not set up at least a little shrine to the saint of the day. The long hallway on the west side of our church is filled with hundreds of images of the saints — 80 feet of saints, and over 350 pictures — categorized according to the month of their feastdays.
Every year we try to bring some of that devotional spirit to you with our All Saints Roman Catholic Calendar.
Click image for a sample page.
FEATURES
- Follows the pre-1955 rubrics and calendar. (Of course!)
- All feasts, fasts and observances
- Includes many optional feasts or devotional feasts not on the general calendar.
- Classic art featuring the saint of the month!
Order several for your home. Spend a year with the saints!
ONLY $9 + shipping