We had a bit of an exciting week here at St. Michael’s! Our big event was the celebration of my 30th anniversary to the priesthood. It was a wonderful! I wish to thank all those who made the party possible and all those who attended. Special thanks for all the wonderful cards, prayers and kind words. Cathy Asbury expertly planned and executed a dinner and party that I will remember the rest of my days. Rich and Marie Stankiewicz and their team cooked up a scrumptious meal. Everything was as perfect as it gets in this life!
By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
We had a bit of an exciting week here at St. Michael’s! Our big event was the celebration of my 30th anniversary to the priesthood. It was a wonderful! I wish to thank all those who made the party possible and all those who attended. Special thanks for all the wonderful cards, prayers and kind words. Cathy Asbury expertly planned and executed a dinner and party that I will remember the rest of my days. Rich and Marie Stankiewicz and their team cooked up a scrumptious meal. Everything was as perfect as it gets in this life! Fr. Michael McCormick This weekend Catholics throughout the world are celebrating the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Catholics believe that the wine and bread offered at Mass become the actual Body and Blood of Christ. We base this belief on our reading of all 4 Gospels as well as Acts, I Corinthians and the Letter to the Hebrews.
Dear Readers,
This weekend we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost. It is often referred to as “the birthday of the Church” because it was the day when the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit. But what actually happened on that first Pentecost as recorded for all of history in the Book of Acts? The Gospel is preached; the Spirit descends; and people come to faith! This is remarkably simplistic, but that is the entire point. When the Spirit is a-moving and active there is no need for added special effects and flashy promotions. Pentecost is a human encounter with the power of God’s Love in the person of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
This time of year is filled with promise and hope. Our “babies” are graduating from High School and even college. The flowers are in full bloom. School is ending for the summer. We celebrate our mothers on Mother’s Day. We renew our subscriptions for our allergy meds. And for Catholics throughout the United States, May is also traditionally the month for First Holy Communions. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
Pope Francis, in a homily earlier this week said that a culture that does not value "the stable and life-giving covenant between a man and woman is certainly a loss for everyone. We must bring honor back to marriage and the family.” By Fr. Michael McCormick On this Fifth Sunday of Easter we read the passage where Jesus identifies himself as the true vine. There are seven "I Am" sayings in the gospel of John. I Am the true vine is the last of these sayings.
I Am the bread of life - 6:35 I Am the light of the world - 8:12 & 9:5 I Am the gate for the sheep - 10:7-9 I Am the good shepherd - 10:11-14 I Am the resurrection and the life - 11:25 I Am the way and the truth and the life - 14:6 I Am the true vine - 15:1-5 By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
Happy Easter! As I type this I am preparing for the 3rd Sunday of Easter. It is a marvelous season as well as a wonderful time of year. We are finally experiencing beautiful spring weather. Those bulbs are sprouting and blooming. And the powerful and joyful message of new life in our Risen Lord continues to germinate in our lives each time we read the Bible passages regarding the Resurrection. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers
Our celebration of Holy Week and Easter was glorious. I am always blessed by your prayerful participation in the mystery of our Lord’s death and resurrection. The prayers and the readings from the Bible are enough to send me through the roof with joy and faith renewed. This year I had a special little blessing. I will never forget the joy I felt as I baptized young Nolan Wetzel while he clapped and smiled the entire time! By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED! ALLELUIA! The long days of preparation are over. The fasting has come to an end. It is now time to celebrate the most extraordinary gift of the ages, the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was not for His own benefit that Jesus died. Nor was it for His benefit that He rose. We are the beneficiaries. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
Our celebration of Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We often refer to that event as the “Triumphal Entry” even though we know what follows may seem to the world to be a defeat because once He arrived it all appears to fall apart: the hosannas turn to jeers, He is arrested, beaten, spit upon, ridiculed and crucified. We have the benefit of knowing not only the event we call the Resurrection, but also the Risen One Himself. We know He is victorious. We know that we, likewise, are victorious! This victory is symbolized by the donkey that Christ rode into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
Back in the early '90's I was the Catholic Campus Minister at West Liberty State College and Bethany College in northern West Virginia. Our friend David Morris, God rest his soul, was once connected with Bethany College. Each week of football season I would get a call from a college student or two asking, "Father, do you know what that Jn 3:16 means? Is it a secret message or something from the Bible?" It was a great opportunity to share the Good News with college students. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
My mother used to have a saying that I am sure was not original to her. She always said, "The further I go, the behinder I get." That saying popped into my mind when I realized that we are celebrating the 3rd Sunday of Lent this week. We are halfway through our 40 day retreat with Jesus in the desert. We have but three more weeks to prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter. As a priest, I have 20 or so days to get ready for Holy Week and all the special Masses beginning on Palm Sunday and continuing through the Easter Triduum--Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
In this season of Lent, we, as covenant people, stop and take a good hard look at our identity, at the way our relationship with God is lived out in our lives. The promise given Abraham was, when you think about it, at least far-fetched and on some level downright ludicrous. But then, most of God’s promises are. God told Abraham that he was to be ”the father of a host of nations” (Gen. 17:5). Even though they were old, presumably Sarah was post-menopausal, they were to have a child. What was their reaction? By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
When I woke up this morning it was -6 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though the rectory was a nice spring-like 65 degrees, I felt the bitter cold in my bones. So I pulled the covers over my head, not wanting to face the cold or the demands of the day. Just as I was about to fall asleep, an idea so beautiful that I could in no way retreat into dreamland came to my mind. By Fr. Michael McCormick Dear Readers,
We celebrated Ash Wednesday on February 18th. This began the season of Lent which is a time of renewal for the whole Church. Our Holy Father Pope Francis reminds us that lent is a "time of Grace" (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything that He himself has not given us. "We love because He first has loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). |
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