This Sunday we hear of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and the Church asks us to spend time thinking and praying about vocation — how we are called by God. As Christians, we are all invited by the Lord to a particular way of living out our discipleship. For some it is marriage, for others it is the single life. Some are called to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated life. However we are called, we are obligated to respond generously. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we have been asked to focus on the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated (religious) life. I was

In the story of the road to Emmaus, it was not until Jesus blessed, broke, and shared bread that the two recognized their traveling companion. Although they had walked with Him and listened to Him connect the prophecy of Scripture to His own life and ministry, they didn’t really know it was Jesus. Many of the post-Resurrection stories are filled with moments of people not recognizing the Risen Lord right away. It often takes a word or an action from Jesus Himself for people who know it’s really Jesus. So it goes for us sometimes. We may miss an experience

In this Sunday’s second reading, Peter reminds us of the great gift of mercy given to us by God through the Risen Christ: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. The meaning of “mercy” is rich

If in that Syrian garden, ages slain, You sleep, and know not you are dead in vain, Nor even in dreams behold how dark and bright Ascends in smoke and fire by day and night The hate you died to quench and could but fan, Sleep well and see no morning, son of man. But if, the grave rent and the stone rolled by, At the right hand of majesty on high You sit, and sitting so remember yet Your tears, your agony and bloody sweat, Your cross and passion and the life you gave, Bow hither out of heaven

During Holy Week, the suffering, dying, and rising of Christ unfolds in word, symbol, and ritual. The liturgies of these sacred days invite us into the mystery of sacrificial love, boundless mercy, and pure gift. Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion recalls the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, the first event that sets the stage for His trial, conviction, and crucifixion. Riding on an ass, He is not the king the world thought the Messiah would be. If anything, Jesus is the King of Humility, the servant of servants who washes the feet of his disciples. The reading of the

One of the many beautiful features of Saint Aloysius church is the larger-than-life crucifix that hangs in our sanctuary. So many have remarked about how much that wonderfully imposing cross means to them: how it helps them pray, how it gives them peace, how it r0eminds them of God’s love made manifest in the suffering and dying of His Son. In my own reflection on the Cross of Christ, I have always been struck by a verse from the Liturgy of the Hours: “See how the Cross of Christ becomes the tree of life.” It makes sense: the suffering and

We are planting seeds for the future of our parish. Bishop Caggiano, in his vision for evangelization, calls us to plant seeds, create beauty, and build community in our parishes. The goal of it all is to build up the Church and nurture the gift of faith. The plans we have for reimagining the plant and property of Saint Aloysius align with this vision, and it’s all becoming a reality in very visible ways. A first step for us is the demolition; we must do that before we can plant. Fencing is now up around the east side of the

I am amazed at the plethora of options for drinking water available these days, and I will confess that I have been trying out different brands in an attempt to find the one that will truly satisfy my taste and achieve a healthy hydration. I’ve ventured into the world of flavored, fruit-infused, ultra-filtered, straight-from-the-mountain-spring, sparkling, lightly-sweetened, distilled, purified, alkaline, and more. I’ve tried to balance my desire for flavor with the plain necessity of plain old H20 in order to live. To contextualize this in the current season of Lent, I can fast from food, but I must have water

Some of you may know Sister Donna Brodman, O.P., who has been working in our parish for the past five years, will be leaving us to move to Peekskill, New York. While she was here at Saint Aloysius, Sister ministered to our parishioners who are not able to get to church. Her greatest joy was bringing our Eucharistic Lord, and praying with our brothers and sisters who couldn’t pray and receive Communion with the community that gathers each Sunday. Sister’s visits brought peace, joy, and healing; and I received so many phone calls and notes of gratitude for Sister Donna’s

If you are going to live your life with Christ, one of the great challenges is to forget yourself. We live in a very introverted society, which is always focusing on me, me, me. I think the great challenge, if you are going to be alive, is sometimes the great liberation of forgetting yourself – that’s when you discover in other people their need for your love, and their need for your trust. – Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP This quote from Father Timothy Radcliffe, the former Master General of the Dominicans (Order of Preachers), is pretty challenging; but what if

Our Lenten journey together as a parish begins Wednesday when we wear ashes to remind us of our mortality, acknowledge our sinfulness, and humble ourselves to allow the suffering, dying and rising of Jesus to become our focus for 40 days. The tendency is to set prayer, fasting, and almsgiving goals that we can’t sustain throughout Lent. I think it’s more important to set goals that are attainable and that leave us wanting to do more. Allow me to make some suggestions about Lenten practices: 1. Keep it simple: go to daily Mass when you can 2. Keep it sacred:

How often has a child been challenged by a parent with the words “You have some growing up to do!” The words usually follow a bad decision on the part of the child who didn’t “follow the rules,” and are meant to encourage continued work toward the goal of maturity. We “grown-up” Catholics still have work to do as we strive to follow the Law of the Lord. As suggested in today’s Scripture readings, the Commandments are a gift to us and provide the guard rails we need to live the life of a true disciple. In the first reading,

We have been hearing for a few weeks about God being light for those who walk in darkness. This week, Jesus tells us that WE can become light for others. By participating in God’s will (that is, by enacting justice and compassion) we also participate in the beauty of God. We don’t generate the light ourselves; rather, we reflect God’s light outward, making it brighter so that all might see it. As we carry out works of mercy, we may not think about light at all; such acts are messy, thankless, inconvenient, and far from glamorous. However, to those to

I love what Pope Francis wrote in preparation for World Youth Day 2016 which took place in Krakow, Poland. The Holy Father addresses young people, but his words speak to all of us. Drawing from the Beatitudes, the text for this Sunday’s Gospel, the Pope makes the connection between “blessedness” and “happiness.” Here’s what he wrote: What does it mean to be “blessed” (makarioi in Greek)? To be blessed means to be happy. Tell me: Do you really want to be happy? In an age when we are constantly being enticed by vain and empty illusions of happiness, we risk

How amazing it was to see so many people at Christmas Masses this year! The church looked beautiful, the music inspired, and spirits were high as we welcomed the newborn King. As you can imagine, it takes a great number of hard-working and creative souls to make Christmas happen at Saint Aloysius. So, let me express my deepest gratitude to those who helped make this a truly special Christmas season for our parish family. Thanks to…Judy, John, and Gregg Strba and the crew from Gregg’s Landscaping for the design and installation of the church decorations. Each year they come up

I have a special affinity for Pope Benedict XVI. He was elected a month before I was ordained to the priesthood, and I was delighted to receive a papal blessing bearing his photograph on the occasion of my ordination. I was in Rome on Church business on Benedict’s last day as the Holy Father. Along with some of our seminarians, I attended his last public audience in Vatican Square and later stood on the Via Conciliazione and watched as a helicopter transported him from the papal apartments to his new quarters where he began his life of retreat and prayer

The patron Saint of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Saint Augustine, said of the Incarnation: “Nothing was so necessary for raising our hope as to show us how deeply God loved us. And what could afford us a stronger proof of this than that the Son of God should become a partner with us of human nature?”  As we navigate a world that often challenges our sensibilities, our longing for a peaceful world — and even the truth, Christ comes at Christmas to bring light to our darkness, and hope born of love from God. That the Savior comes to us

This Sunday the focus of the Gospel is Joseph and his faithfulness. Not so many years ago, Pope Benedict XVI asked that Saint Joseph be added to the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass that did not already mention the foster father of Jesus. Popes get to do things like that for the good of the faithful, and I was glad that the Holy Father included Joseph, “a righteous man,” in that most important prayer at the altar. When we hear Joseph’s name, we should think of one (like Mary) who said “yes” to God.  We are all a part of

The central message of this weekend’s Scripture is that God’s mercy for sinners is limitless. Reading about God’s abundant compassion and forgiveness over and over again is transforming, but experiencing God’s mercy firsthand is life-changing and life-giving. One of the most straightforward expressions of experiencing the mercy of God is in the lyrics of “Mercy” by Elevation Worship, a contemporary Christian praise and worship group. Here are a few lines from that song: I’m living proof Of what the mercy of God can do. If you knew me then, you’d believe me now; You turned my whole life upside down.

I am hopeful that many of us will be able to get away during the summer and experience the renewal that comes from spending time in a favorite locale and creating memories with friends and family. Jesus often went up the mountain to pray and step away from the daily fray, and when he returned he was energized and ready for the next challenge in his life and ministry. I pray that you will make the time to read, pray, sit at the beach, visit family and friends, see a new place, and reconnect with God along the way. To