Let Us Welcome the Holy Spirit We know that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, but beyond that, how much more do we know about the Holy Spirit? Jesus did not reveal the Holy Spirit fully to His disciples until He Himself has been glorified through His Death and Resurrection (CCC 728). Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Truth will be sent by the Father in Jesus’ name. The Holy…
The Triumphant Ascension of Christ From the period of time between the Resurrection and the Ascension, Jesus appeared to His disciples and ate with them, so that they may witness that He is truly alive and risen from the dead. At the same time, Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, that everything written about Him in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled. (cf. Luke 24:44-45) At the Resurrection, Christ’s body was…
In light of the update from the CDC which allows those who are fully vaccinated to stop wearing face masks and social distancing even indoors, Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer issued a memo that the Archdiocese of Atlanta will continue to recommend the wearing of face masks at Masses, but will give pastors discretion to allow vaccinated people to remove them. In our church, we will follow the recommendation of the Archdiocese of Atlanta to continue wearing face masks for everyone’s safety…
Happy Mothers Day！ Love and Obedience What is love? Love is one of those things which mean different things to different people. In John 15:9-17, Jesus talks about love. We can call it Jesus’ discourse on love, and there are certain things which Jesus said that we can learn from. Jesus said to His disciples, “Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and…
Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv., has announced that on Saturday, May 22, 2021, prior to the celebration of the Vigil of Pentecost, the general dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass will expire in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. While the general dispensation is removed, there are specific persons for whom the dispensation will still be applicable. One does not have an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday or a holy day of obligation in the following circumstances: You…
Jesus Christ the True Vine One of the main themes during the Easter season is how the risen Christ interpreted to His disciples the things referred to Him in all the scriptures (Luke 24:27, 45); i.e., how everything written about Him in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44). Not only were the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Christ referred to in the Old Testament; but also the “I AM” statements made…
Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd In the Book of the prophet Ezekiel chapter 34, God tells Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; i.e., the leaders of the people: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek…
The Amazing Sacrifice of Christ When the risen Christ appeared to His disciples in Jerusalem, He said to them: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And He said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the…
The Divine Mercy of Christ We read in the Gospels that Jesus’ disciples were locked in a room for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). And why wouldn’t they be afraid? The Jews had put their Master to death, and in all likelihood, the Jews would do the same to them. However, in His Divine Mercy, the risen Christ appeared to the disciples who had deserted Him during his Passion and Death, and His first words to them were: “Peace…
An Easter Message of Hope The past year has been a difficult year for most people. Last year at Easter time, most churches were closed to the public and priests were offering private Masses. Life was seriously disrupted by a global pandemic, there was deep antagonism in society with a polarized election, natural disasters occurring in many places around the world, and a sharp increase in violence and hate crimes against innocent victims. And yet, despite all that has happened…