Listen from the heart Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (1887-1968) is better known by his nickname, Padre Pio. He is said to have borne the stigmata, the wounds of our Lord, for more than 50 years. To be sure, he was a man of prayer and suffering, a Capuchin Franciscan priest who lived in a small […]
Read moreAuthor: Rick Pilger
Father Pilger, I.C. was born in Canton, Illinois and was ordained at St. John’s Seminary, Wonersh, England in December 1978. He joined the Blessed Sacrament Parish in August 1995, coming here from Sacred Heart Parish in Bradenton Florida. After 22 years as Parochial Vicar, he was appointed Pastor by Bishop Gregory Parkes in June 20, 2017.Tuesday 9/22/20 Tuesday 25th Week of Ordinary Time.
Inside or outside of Jesus Luke 8:19-21 In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to act on his Word. Just how do we hear his Word? Jesus and his Mother Mary share such a deep intimacy. It seems that he ran the risk of insulting his mother when he said, “My mother, my family, are those who hear the […]
Read more9/21/20 FEAST OF MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
Rise up Nobody likes paying taxes or has warm, fuzzy feelings about the IRS, but it seems tax collectors in Jesus’ time had it especially rough—being lumped in with all manner of sinners. That is because tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans, the enemy occupiers of Jewish lands, so they were viewed […]
Read moreSeptember 20, 2020 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Grow your faith Who gave you your first God lessons? On this Catechetical Sunday, we thank family members, preachers, teachers, RCIA teams, and others who brought the Good News to us. We’re also grateful for holy ones, like Venerable Mother Theresa Dudzik, who taught by their example. A remarkable seamstress, Dudzik arrived in Chicago at […]
Read more9/19/2020 Saturday 24th Week of Ordinary Time
The sufferings of the martyrs may seem far removed from how we live our daily lives. Luke 8:4-15. The sufferings of the martyrs may seem far removed from how we live our daily lives. Thanks to the many witnesses in our history, we have a rich faith in our Catholic Church. We celebrate saints of […]
Read more9/18/2020 Friday the 24th Week of Ordinary Time
We are not the most pitiable of people. Friday the 24th Week of Ordinary Time Luke 8:1-3. St. Paul came down hard on Corinthians, who didn’t believe in the resurrection. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.” When Jesus said he came that we […]
Read moreThursday 9/17/2020 MEMORIAL OF ROBERT BELLARMINE, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Live in peace to rest in peace Today is the Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, a Jesuit theologian and doctor of the church. His scholarly work inserted him into a number of the controversies of his day (late 1500s to early 1600s). One of his many works still in publication is The Art of Dying Well, whose […]
Read more9-16-2020 MEMORIAL OF CORNELIUS, POPE, AND CYPRIAN, BISHOP, MARTYRS
Let compassion prevail The third century was a terrible time of persecution for Christians, some of whom had either to deny their faith or face death. Some rather understandably denied the faith in order to survive, but when persecutions lifted, asked to return. Their desire for reconciliation caused an uproar. Pope Cornelius faced strong challenges […]
Read more9/15/2020 MEMORIAL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Pray for us, Mother of God Yesterday was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Today, in connection, we remember Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows. Many saints and poets have tried to convey the weight of Mary’s pain. But it’s Romanos the Melodist who, in the 500s, wrote the “Hymn of Mary […]
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