Every August 15 we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary body and soul into heaven.  Often people, even believers, do not know what to make of the Assumption. They may think of it only in terms of a person being transferred from one place to another.  It is so much more than that.

During this time of our Eucharistic Revival we could learn a great deal from the profound and yet childlike faith of St. John Vianney.  His courage in preaching the truth of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and the dynamic power of His Sacrifice made present on the altar at Mass became the “pastoral plan” that packed his church and caused thousands and thousands of people each years from beyond his parish to come back to the Heart of Jesus.

If we listen to grandparents and the elderly in our society, we will find that this theme rings so very true. They become for us, as St. Anne herself is often described, “the bridge between the Old Law and the New Testament.”

            Since the time of my First Holy Communion, my heavenly Mother has wrapped me in her loving mantle and has carried me through the trials and tribulations of life to her Son, the Divine Physician so that I might receive His healing help and mercy.  This mantle is her Brown Scapular that we remember in a special way each July 16, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  I have worn her Scapular since the day of my First Holy Communion.

God always sends us help in just the right way and by the right person in order to manifest His love and care for us.   It seems to me that we think that we pick the saint who intercedes for us.  That can often be true.  But I am convinced that many times, according to God’s plan, a saint may pick us.  I recently had that experience.

​​​​​​​The tremendous grace of the Corpus Christi procession was that we were doing exactly what the Master asks of us. The Lord, whom we receive at Mass, we carry into the world so that others, especially the poor and those on the peripheries of society, may encounter Him and hear the Good News of His love and mercy.

What then are we called to do in this post Roe vs. Wade world? We are called to protect the lives of unborn children and to come to the aid of mothers, especially those in trying and painful situations. Salvation came into the world because the Virgin Mother accepted the life of her Divine Child. We must shoulder the responsibility of promoting a culture of life and love.

We often hear the plea, “Have a heart!” when someone is in need of compassion or in a tight spot looking for some support. For Catholics this plea can have an even more profound significance, especially in June. We remember that June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

We take Jesus Himself in the Blessed Sacrament into our streets to express our deep and abiding faith in Him truly, sacramentally present in our midst, so that a world that desperately needs love and healing may experience His merciful Presence.

There is a miracle that happens in Catholic Churches every day. It occurs on the altar during the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi on June 19, 2022 marks the beginning of the Eucharistic Revival here in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and across our nation. This great feast reminds us of the awesome truth about the Holy Eucharist that the Church taught from the beginning – It is the Lord!

Pope St. John Paul II said while on a pilgrimage to Fatima, “In God’s Providence, there are no coincidences.” Thirty-three years ago, as a seminarian studying for the priesthood in Rome, I went on a trip to Poland for Holy Week. I had never been to Poland before and didn’t know what to expect.

I can tell you that we all need a lifeline. You know what I mean. Especially on those days when we feel as though we were adrift on a stormy sea, and we are desperately seeking someone who can bring us to safe harbor. We all need that lifeline.

The story of Our Lady’s apparitions at Fatima from May to October of 1917 are well known. She came to a world embroiled in the First World War and provided a message of hope to people who were suffering greatly. To those three little children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, she offered the perfect remedy to the ills afflicting humanity.

The month of May has arrived again. Perhaps spring and rebirth may not be central in our lives. It may be that the winter of fear, worry and confusion still weighs heavily upon us. I encourage each one of us to consider the words that Our Lady spoke to Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta at Fatima, “My Immaculate Heart will be a refuge for you and the way to God.”

The Bishops of the United States know that and are presenting a Eucharistic Revival that will bring more and more Catholics back to Mass and a deeper, transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. So buckle up and get ready!

Who doesn’t need His Divine Mercy that heals, restores and gives hope? We all need it, and He pours it out upon us and on the whole world.

“He is not here, for He is risen, as He said!” (Mt 28:6). This beautiful proclamation from St. Matthew’s Gospel reminds me of a story I heard many years ago from a priest friend. He shared with me a homily that an elderly pastor had preached one Easter Sunday morning.

“By His wounds you have been healed.” These words must echo in our minds and hearts during these last days of Lent. They remind us of the reality of the healing that Jesus accomplishes for us each day.  As we enter into the sacred days of Holy Week, when we experience the Mystery of Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection, we should hold the wounds of Our Lord in prayer and contemplation.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must work to eradicate violence against all human persons, no matter what age they are, no matter what is their ethnicity, no matter whether already born or still in their mother’s wombs.  Just as we rush to aid those poor people in war-torn countries, we must also rush to aid mothers in crisis pregnancies and in difficult life situations.