Weekly Reflections

This weekend we hear the final part of our five-week detour into the sixth chapter of John’s gospel.I have personally enjoyed our detour, largely because of where it places us. Last weekend we heard verses 53 through 56 say, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do […]

Our first reading this weekend, from the 19th chapter of First Kings, speaks to me on many levels. I can feel it in my chest when I read Elijah’s, “This is enough. . . take me.” I imagine the heavy sigh he expels from the depths of his soul once these words leave his mouth. […]

This Sunday we read about the feeding of the 5,000 from John’s Gospel, where the Apostle Philip begins by questioning how one feeds 5,000 and then goes on to question the boy’s offering of five loves and two fish. With all of Philip’s doubts, what happens? The fish and the loaves offered by the boy […]

Sheep without a shepherd, I cannot think of a sadder way to describe a people. Yet, I think that is how many people feel in contemporary society—that nobody cares about them. Perhaps you have said “nobody cares about me,” but our Lord cares. He was sent for lost sheep. And if you feel lost, He […]

Are you an over or under packer? For most of my life, I have been an over-packer. The person who packs both a sweatshirt and a jacket, just in case. Enough socks for every day of the trip knowing the forecast is sandals weather. Slowly, I am working on letting go of this need for […]

From today’s Gospel reading:Jesus said to the woman, “Daughter your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”. Reflection:My dear parishioners, this is my last article I write as your pastor, inspired by this week Fr. Jude Siciliano’s “First Impressions”. Jesus stopping to address the woman’s needs shows he considered […]

From today’s gospel reading:“…Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Let us cross to the other side’… A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat…He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Be still! ‘The wind ceased and there was great calm”. Reflection:When Jesus asked his disciples to “cross […]

From today’s gospel reading:“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit… […]

From today’s Gospel reading:While they were eating, he took bread…and said, “Take it; this is my body”. Then took a cup…He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many…” Reflection:Corpus Christi celebrates Jesus’ gift of himself to us as our spiritual food and drink. This mystery of […]

From today’s Letter to the Romans:The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, … heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Reflection:Today we do not celebrate a doctrine, but the heart of our faith: in Christ we have a special relationship with God, we are children of God and […]

From today’s Responsorial Psalm (104):“Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” Reflection:Today we are invited to join with the disciples who gathered in Jerusalem, after Jesus’ return to the Father, and received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The world around them seemed to be the same, as it had been […]

From today’s Gospel:“These signs will accompany those who believe in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages”. Reflection:In Jesus’ time there were illnesses and negative human conditions that were beyond their ability to explain or heal – they were credited to evil spirits and demons. In our times we all […]

Today’s gospel reading records some of Jesus’ last words to His closest followers before the crucifixion. His primary message is the same one we heard in the second reading: “love one another.” We have already seen that love is more than a feeling. It is self-giving and active. When Jesus calls us to love one […]

APPOINTMENTS OF PASTOR AND PAROCHIAL VICAR FOR OLPH Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, Bishop of the diocese of St. Petersburg has announced twenty-five clergy changes, effective July 1, 2024. Among those changes, Bishop Parkes has appointed the Reverend Kyle D. Smith, current pastor of St. Mary Parish in Tampa, to be the new Pastor of Our […]

From today’s Gospel reading:Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Reflection:There are a lot of voices out there that can only distract and scatter us. Perhaps we’ve paid too much attention to them at times in our lives. Through hard experience we have learned that […]

April 2024 Reflection from the Superior General of the Society of Mary “Mary Magdalene receives her own particular mission when she hears the Lord address her with her unique name and he commissions her to go and tell the Apostles that he is Risen, and he wants to meet with them. Mary is “the Apostle […]

From today’s Gospel:Have you come to believe because you have seen? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. Reflection:When Thomas finally comes face to face with Christ he makes a huge act of faith, “My Lord and my God”. He went from doubt to faith. Because of Thomas’ skepticism at the beginning, […]

“WHY DO YOU LOOK AMONG THE DEAD THE ONE WHO IS ALIVE?” Christ did not face death to remain dead. It was because He wanted to liberate the world that He died. The winner is the person who accepts death to save others. Because the resurrection of Christ we know that life has a meaning; […]

From today’s processional gospel reading (Mark 11: 1-10):Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches. Those preceding Jesus as those following kept crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Reflection:Despite the fact that Jesus’ appearances were humble, this did not turn people off […]

From today’s Gospel reading:Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus”. Reflection:These Greeks came first to Philip, Philip told Andrew, and both went to tell Jesus. That is the way all of us […]

From today’s Ephesians reading:“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance that we should live in them”. Reflection:We can become God’s “handiwork” if we let God do God’s work in us. All is a gift of grace. Lent continues to remind us of that. […]

My dear parishioners, Leaving the parish of Our Heavenly Father, in Brownsville, Texas, where I had been the pastor for twelve years, my Marist superior assigned me to Tampa, to relieve Fr. Roland Lajoi. With me there were other three senior Marists priests in residence: Ray Coolong, Ken Ridgeway, and Paul F. Morrissey. On February […]