Lent Reflections by Fr. Barron

Would you like a deeper, more powerful Lent this year? Then sign up for Father Robert Barron's FREE daily Lent reflections at LentReflections.com or by texting LENT to 22828. Each day, from Ash Wednesday (March 5) until Easter Sunday (April 20), the creator and host of the CATHOLICISM film series will send you a short reflection, straight to your inbox. There's simply no better way to super-charge your Lent. Be sure to sign-up at LentReflections.com!

Pope Francis' letter to families

Vatican City, 25 February 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis has written a letter to families asking them to pray for the next Synod of Bishops, which will be celebrated in the Vatican in October, and the theme of which will be “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”. The letter, dated 2 February, Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, is published in full below:

“Dear families,

With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization”. Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.

This important meeting will involve all the People of God – bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the particular Churches of the entire world – all of whom are actively participating in preparations for the meeting through practical suggestions and the crucial support of prayer. Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever. This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task. As you know, this Extraordinary Synodal Assembly will be followed a year later by the Ordinary Assembly, which will also have the family as its theme. In that context, there will also be the World Meeting of Families due to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.

I am writing this letter to you on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The evangelist Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took the Baby Jesus to the temple to offer him to the Lord, and that an elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, went to meet them and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally 'seen' salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigour and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.

Dear families, your prayer for the Synod of Bishops will be a precious treasure which enriches the Church. I thank you, and I ask you to pray also for me, so that I may serve the People of God in truth and in love. May the protection of the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph always accompany all of you and help you to walk united in love and in caring for one another. I willingly invoke on every family the blessing of the Lord.”

Pastor's Corner, February 23, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

The parish plays a critical role in the new evangelization. Pope Francis defines a parish as “the presence of the Church in a given territory” (“The Joy of the Gospel,” 28). He assures us that “a parish is not an outdated institution” (28) but, precisely because of the way it can be in touch with the homes and lives of people, it can be a great place for people to encounter Christ and His saving Gospel.

In order for our parish to be an instrument of the new evangelization, it must be a place where the activities of the parish help train its members to be evangelizers. Through the homily, catechetical outreach (Catholic school, PREP, RCIA, adult education, etc.), social gatherings, charitable works for the poor, and the beauty of the liturgy, parishioners are trained and formed into apostles. As the Holy Father says, “In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers” (28).

The Pope goes on to explain that many other movements, organizations and institutions outside the parish can enrich the Church in her mission to evangelize but “it will prove beneficial for them not to lose contact with the rich reality of the local parish and to participate readily in the overall pastoral activity of the particular Church” (29).

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, February 16, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

We all have a role to play in the new evangelization. All the baptized have both the call and the gifts necessary to proclaim the Good News and attract others to Christ and His Church. What the Gospel offers others is “the chance to live life on a higher plane” and “authentic personal fulfillment” (“The Joy of the Gospel,” 10). We are offering the answers to life’s deepest questions and an opportunity to come to know God who loves us beyond all telling. We give others an opportunity to find the path to eternal happiness in heaven.

But sometimes evangelization can be a question of style.

Pope Francis points out that sometimes evangelization is not simply a matter of content but also of style. He says, “An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!” (10)

What is the “style” of an evangelizer? For starters, it is a style embued with joy and peace. It is a style that exudes confidence and trust. A good evangelizer takes time to speak with people one-on-one and respects and values their opinions and the circumstances of their lives. If we want to share the Gospel with others we need to be utterly convinced and convicted by it and share it with style!

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Son of God movie

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

There is an excited new movie coming out on February 28 called "Son of God." From all I have heard and seen, it looks to be an epic and inspiring movie. I would encourage everyone to go and see such a compelling presentation of the Gospel. For more information about the movie, go to:  http://www.sharesonofgod.com

When it opens on February 28, you can see it at the following local theaters: 

Carmike Promenade 16, 2805 Center Valley Parkway, Center Valley, PA 18034

AND

Carmike 16, 1700 Catasauqua Rd., Allentown, PA, 18103

"The movie, Son of God, based on The Bible, the made-for-TV series, is an engaging and compelling presentation of the story of Jesus, the Son of God among us. It is a joy to watch this film bring alive the pages of the Gospel and help us see what those who lived at the time of Jesus experienced. Personally, I would recommend to individuals, but particularly to families this wonderful story of the Son of God in order to be inspired all over again with the story of God's love for us."
Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC

"Each one of us is a son or daughter of God. It is a wonderful, awesome reality. The movie Son of God is a very important movie because it gives us the opportunity to realize God's presence in our own lives, and that we are children of God. The film is extraordinary for my ministry."

Archbishop Jose Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles

"Unlike any film of the past decade, this Biblical epic brings Christ to life in dazzling ways. From the powerful acting, to the stunning visual effects, to the moving orchestral score of Hans Zimmer, you'll experience the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in new and illuminating ways."

Brandon Vogt, Fr. Robert Barron's Word on Fire Ministries

Confirmation Rally Cancelled

The Confirmation Rally scheduled for Saturday, February 15, 2014, at Central Catholic High School has been cancelled.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, CLOSURE & CANCELLATION

Due to inclement weather, the Cathedral Rectory Office is closed and all Parish activities are cancelled

Pastor's Corner, March 9, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Pope Francis points out that there are many challenges in today’s world, especially in addressing the needs of so many in the world who are poor. He provocatively asks the question, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?” (Joy of the Gospel, 53)

To become more generous we have to turn away from idols. The Holy Father says that one of the causes of a global indifference to the poor is that in our relationship with money “we have created new idols” (55). The combination of the idolatry of money and those who would defend an absolutely autonomous marketplace without a moral compass result in the deification of the market and the increase of grave inequalities between rich and poor.

On the the fundamental aspects of Lent is giving alms. In sharing what we have with those less fortunate, we are obeying the Lord’s command to feed the hungry and cloth the naked. In paying attention to the poor we have an opportuity to see and love Christ in the least of His brethren.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, February 9, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Pope Francis begins his recently published Apostolic Exhortation entitled “The Joy of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium) with these words: “The joy of the gospel filled the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus” (1).

All of our activity to bring people closer to Jesus is an activity to bring people joy. With Jesus all men and women can experience true joy. The Pope reminds us that “with a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew” (3). Do we not all need to start anew every once in awhile? This is particularly true for those who may have strayed from the Church and are looking for a way back to Christ and His Body – the Church.

In our conversations, through the power of our pray, with the shining example we give, others will inevitably ask, “Where does this joy come from?” We can answer, “From my faith in Jesus Christ!” As our Holy Father writes, Christians should appear “as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet…” and help the Church to grow “by attraction” (15).

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, February 2, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr. We will bless throats today in honor of his feast day.

We do not know much about the life of St. Blaise. He was bishop in Armenia and martyred during the reign of Licinius in the early fourth century. When St. Blaise was being taken to prison, a distraught mother, whose only child was choking on a fishbone, threw herself at his feet and implored his intercession to help heal her child. St. Blaise, touched at her grief, prayed for her son and the child was cured. This is the reason why we traditionally invoke the intercession of St. Blaise for protection against injuries and illnesses of the throat.

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: in the name of the Father, and of the Son,  and of the Holy Spirit.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker