News - July 2024 RSS Feed

Last week, as you may recall, I preached about the “Teaching Office” of the Pope as a way of feeding Christ’s sheep. Just this month we have seen an example of the teaching office of our Pope, couched in traditional and historical language, designating this weekend as the 4th World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. To show as example of the Holy Father’s Teaching Office, and because I want to honor the grandparents and elderly at our church, I am pleased to use this week’s bulletin article space to publish this decree.

Circumstances dictate that I cannot presently get away from North Texas; St. Mary the Virgin has had an unbroken tradition of daily Mass for a long time, and I am loathe to break it. As the only priest here, and with no one to take ALL the daily Masses (not to mention the weekend Masses,) an actual vacation is not possible. What I propose to do instead is to take this week and next week as SLOW DOWN WEEKS.

The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the Seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church and is steeped in the rich history, traditions, and rituals of the Faith. It is intended to cleanse away original sin and symbolizes a rebirth in Christ, recalling His baptism by John the Baptist. The ceremony initiates a child (or adult) into the Catholic Religion and confers membership into the Holy Roman Church.

The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. It is a recognition of Jesus’ sacrifice and how He spilled his blood for the salvation of humanity. Furthermore, this blood is made present through the gift of the Eucharist, along with the body of Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine. Like the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Precious Blood has long been venerated for its role in our redemption.