Pastor's Corner, June 28, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

As we conclude the month of June – a month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – it is important for us to reflect on the love of Christ which we clearly see and experience in this devotion.

The modern devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus traces back to the private revelations of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17^th Century. Pope Pius XI, referring to these apparitions, said, “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.”

We are desperately in need of Christ’s love and mercy. His Heart speaks eloquently of both. Pope Francis once said, “Popular piety highly prizes symbols, and the Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy – but it is not an imaginary symbol, it is a real symbol, which represents the center, the source from which salvation for all humanity gushed forth.”

The aim of this devotion is to allow Our Lord to reign over our hearts by prompting us to recognize our sins and turn us back to Our Savior, especially through the Sacrament of His Sacred Heart – confession. Then we can find in Christ our love and joy.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Laudato Si'

Pope Francis' new encyclical on the stewardship of creation, Laudato Si' ("Praise be to you"), has garnished a lot of attention these past few days. I'm still trying to read its 180 pages. But if you are looking for a insightful analysis of the theological source of the Pope's view of creation and man's place in it, just read the following article by Fr. Robert Barron: 

http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/article/laudato-si-and-romano-guardini/4808/

PA Municipal Convention

I had the privilege of opening the Pennsylvania Municipal Convention with an invocation this morning at the PPL Center in downtown Allentown. This annual meeting of mayors, city council members, and municipality officials promotes the work of local governments around the State of Pennsylvania. I had an opportunity to get a selfie with Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, and NFL Hall of Famer and former Allentown resident, Andre Reed. 

The kindness of the Mayor's Office to have me give the invocation just reiterates the importance of collaboration between civil and religious leaders. As Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, "No one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life" (183). 

Pastor's Corner, June 21, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Happy and blessed Father’s Day to all our fathers!

At the beginning of the year Pope Francis spoke of the importance of fatherhood. He observed that today “one has reached the point of claiming that our society is a ‘society without fathers’… the absent father figure in the life of little ones and young people causes gaps and wounds that may even be very serious.”

In answer to this tendency, the Pope says, “The first need, then, is precisely this: that a father be present in the family. That he be close to his wife, to share everything, joy and sorrow, hope and hardship. And that he be close to his children as they grow … The Church, our mother, is committed to supporting with all her strength the good and generous presence of fathers in families.”

There is an attempt in our society to redefine marriage which would eliminate the essential quality of marriage as a relationship of complementary sexes and thus make marriage “genderless.” Marriage is unique for the reason of binding both mother and father to their own children in an exclusive and permanent bond of love. Marriage assures that children grow up with their mother and father. We need both and we thank our fathers for all they mean to us.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, June 14, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

As many of you already know, Bishop Barres has decided to ADD to the number of clergy serving the Cathedral Parish by assigning a new Assistant Pastor – Fr. Jared Zambelli. We are very excited to welcome this newly ordained priest to our spiritual family and we look forward to his service among us.

Fr. Zambelli is 26 years old and the son of Vincent and Crystal Zambelli of Walnutport. He is a graduate of Notre Dame High School, Easton. He prepared for the priesthood at St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and master’s degrees in Divinity and Theology. He was a member of St. Nicholas Parish in Walnutport. This past year, as a transitional deacon, Fr. Zambelli served at St. Thomas More parish. He was ordained a priest on Saturday, June 6 along with Fr. Brendan Laroche.

Fr. Zambelli begins his assignment on Tuesday, June 23. On the following weekend, June 27 and 28, we will welcome Fr. Zambelli to our parish after all the weekend Masses. Please join us at this reception.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, June 7, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Just yesterday “Deacon” Brendon Laroche became “Father” Brendon Laroche by way of the laying on of hands and the prayer of consecration at the Rite of Ordination celebrated by Bishop Barres here at the Cathedral.

Today Father Laroche will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and be the main celebrant for the first time. It is providential that he does so on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). 

Saint John Paul II once wrote, “There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist” (Gift and Mystery, pp.77-78). There is an essential and integral bond between priesthood and the Holy Eucharist. Priests are born from the Eucharist and they give birth to the Eucharist. 

The great Pope John Paul succinctly summarizes the Church faith on this intimate connection when he writes, “The ordained ministry, which may never be reduced to its merely functional aspect since it belongs on the level of ‘being’, enables the priest to act in persona Christi and culminates in the moment when he consecrates the bread and wine, repeating the actions and words of Jesus during the Last Supper” (Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday, 2004, 2). 

May Saint John Paul II intercede for Fr. Laroche and all priests. 

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker