Author: Fr Peter Crowe

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

I am sure you have seen the news this week. To hear some of these cases reminds us: the devil is prowling around seeking the ruin of souls (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). A few things to keep in mind: God is merciful, but God is also just. There is a hell, and souls who do not repent and desire to live only for this world will be forever apart from God. At the second judgment, they will feel this suffering in their very bones. God’s mercy is not permissiveness, and how we live in this world does very much matter, and we will be judged on how faithful to our vocations we have been.

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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, body and soul, he was basing this on a long held belief in the Church. Recently I was able to go to an art museum that had a depiction by Fra Angelico of the dormitory or the Assumption of Mary. He painted this painting in 1432. Clearly this was already a widely held belief in the Church.

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Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary…

Given the state of thing in the United States in the Church, this letter by Benedict XVI to the church in Ireland seemed appropriate. On this vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us beg her to crush the devil.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

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True Bread from Heaven

According to the National Institutes of Health, Americans spend $37 billion on dietary supplements a year. According to the Boston Medical Center, Americans spend $33 billion on weight loss products. I think it’s safe to say we are pretty concerned with what it is we are putting into our bodies. That’s not a bad thing—God gave us our bodies and we need to do our best to try to take care of them.

Today in the readings we hear about bread from heaven that gives true life, that sustains us on our journey. (more…)

Thoughts of the Church Fathers on John 6

The Gospel for this Sunday (18th Week of Ordinary Time, B) is John 6:24-35.

I was reading Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Cantena Aurea (The Golden Chain) which contains commentary of the Church Fathers on passages from the Gospel.

At verses 26 and 27, I saw two comments which seemed very relevant to today and once again an examination of conscience to those in Holy Orders:

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