My son was married last Saturday at St. Peter's Church in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He married a wonderful girl whose family is active in the Catholic Church where they live in Westchester County. The married couple wanted to get married in the country which is why the wedding took place in Great Barrington. Having wedding receptions in barns is a big craze. And so it was, a reception in a large country barn that has been converted to a restaurant and wedding venue. It was lovely, it was a beautiful day. There was love in the air.....
Fr. William Murphy of St. Peter's and St. Teresa's officiated at the Mass. He gave a fantastic homily. He is a very nice priest, who just happens to have the same name as other prominent priests (Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center). He told me he had his picture taken with Bishop Murphy as well as another priest named William Murphy. Fr. Murphy of Great Barrington is the pastor of two parishes and he is taking care of his elderly mother as well. A very good man!
All is well. One married son and one to go.
NJA
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Mary's Birthday and the Great St. Teresa's
I consider it a great blessing that I was born on the same day that the Church celebrates the birth of Mary. I never knew it as a child, just never came up and when I did realize it as a teenager I was most appreciative to have such a wonderful day to celebrate my birthday. As I get older, birthdays are not quite as exciting as they once were, but time goes on......
September 8th was a special day in the life of Mary and also I would find out as an adult, that it was a very special day in the life of a saint I greatly love and admire- St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower). She would profess her vows on September 8th and wed her "divine spouse." St. Therese took her vows so seriously that she sent out wedding invitations. Jesus was very real to Therese. She loved him deeply, the way we should all love God.
Another great Teresa was canonized on Sunday in St. Peter's Square. St. Teresa of Calcutta was a saint that lived in our lifetime, a modern saint who knew how to put "flesh and blood" on the gospel message. With the determination of a saint, she answered the "call within the call" as she called it, and went out into the slums of Calcutta and never looked back. She had such courage and single minded focus on her love for Christ and the poor. The "dark night of the soul" she experienced did not stop her, nothing could stop her as she followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
May we all hear and follow the Spirit as Mary did, as St. Therese of Lisieux did and as the newest saint of the Church, St. Teresa of Calcutta did.
Amen!
NJA
September 8th was a special day in the life of Mary and also I would find out as an adult, that it was a very special day in the life of a saint I greatly love and admire- St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower). She would profess her vows on September 8th and wed her "divine spouse." St. Therese took her vows so seriously that she sent out wedding invitations. Jesus was very real to Therese. She loved him deeply, the way we should all love God.
Another great Teresa was canonized on Sunday in St. Peter's Square. St. Teresa of Calcutta was a saint that lived in our lifetime, a modern saint who knew how to put "flesh and blood" on the gospel message. With the determination of a saint, she answered the "call within the call" as she called it, and went out into the slums of Calcutta and never looked back. She had such courage and single minded focus on her love for Christ and the poor. The "dark night of the soul" she experienced did not stop her, nothing could stop her as she followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
May we all hear and follow the Spirit as Mary did, as St. Therese of Lisieux did and as the newest saint of the Church, St. Teresa of Calcutta did.
Amen!
NJA
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