The Church’s tradition sees the word “man” as an appropriate word to indicate the fullness of human nature, i.e. the nature in every man and woman. The Church does oppose all theorizing – mainly coming from the ancient pagan writings much more than from Christian tradition – which claims that a woman is an imperfect …
Category Archives: Sacramental Life of the Church
The Vermont State Knights of Columbus Support the National Eucharistic Revival
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Communion of the Body of Christ: Do you ever spend an hour in the Church in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? This tradition of a “Holy Hour” is very common when a parish offers Eucharistic Adoration (or “Exposition” of the Eucharist in a Monstrance for displaying …
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Vatican II and the Proclamation of Scripture
Glory be to Jesus Christ. I wish to speak of a cross carried by the parish priest. We might say there is a tension between the spoken word and the gestures of the liturgy. No doubt this claim will sound very strange. I assure you it is a reality. This is a tension, and it …
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Peter and Paul: a Litany for Private Devotion
Sunday, July 4th 2021, my weekend homily was inspired heavily by reflection on the Acts of the Apostles. In Short, the grace that Saint Paul kept speaking of, from his encounter with Christ, should be the grace we experience when we encounter, taste, and receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Separately from this consideration, I …
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The Icon of the Holy Family
March 19th 2021: happy solemnity of Saint Joseph. Since December 8th 2020 we have been celebrating a year of Saint Joseph. That date marked the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of patronage for the whole church ascribed to the spouse of the blessed Virgin Mary. Today begins a year marked by Pope Francis for the …
Worship, and Religion in the Public Sphere
“My worship has found its most perfect expression, and fullness of power, when I come to hold the divine Body and Blood of God in my hands, and consume Him into my corporeal existence.”
Catholic-by-initiation, vs. Catholic-in-morals
Who can call themselves a Catholic? A Catholic becomes a Catholic by Sacramental initiation. Were you baptized Catholic? Were you confirmed Catholic? Have you received the Holy Eucharist as your first communion in a licitly offered Catholic rite of the Holy Eucharist? If yes, you are a Catholic. The Church insists that your Catholic initiation …
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4th of July, 2020
The following reflection, although not delivered verbatim, formed the basis of my homily on the 4th of July Weekend. Fr. Timothy Naples J+MJ It’s a 4th of July Weekend. As we celebrate our annual Independence Day as a nation, let us look to our Lord, and the saints of the Church as the best guides …
Black Catholics and White Catholics and the Sexual Revolution
The following are “snapshots” of Black and White Catholicism, thinking about the Sexual Revolution in the United States First snapshot. Recent events led me to look for statistics about “fatherlessness” in black families. This data is not specific to Catholics, but it was the first set of statistics I started with in relation to the …
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Good Friday: about Cana and Calvary
This is a Good Friday “sermon.” Because of the pandemic, I cannot deliver it in person, or any of its condensed elements. So I will post the full thing here for reflection. I will begin by speaking about the wedding at Cana. Why on earth am I starting with the wedding at Cana? In short, …
Ubi Petrus VT 