Tonight, the church begins the three-part Liturgy known as the Triduum. Our celebration begins with this Mass of the Lord’s Supper, in which Jesus bestows upon his church the gifts of Eucharist and Priesthood. The Eucharist is the perpetual celebration of the Paschal Mystery – of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through the Eucharist Jesus shares his Divine Life with us, offering the grace and possibility that we be transformed more fully into him- into another christ (St. Catherine of Siena) – that we are equipped for his work of proclaiming the Gospel […]
Holy Week and the great Paschal celebration draws near. In fact, the Chrism Mass is traditionally celebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday. “This Mass is a clear expression of the unity of the priesthood and the sacrifice of Christ, which continues to be present in the Church today.” (Ceremonial of Bishops, #274) During this Mass, we consecrate the holy chrism and bless the other oils that will be used in the coming year for sacramental celebrations. Tonight, we focus our attention on the Lord, Jesus, who was anointed by the Father and sent into […]
Deacon Ordination Homily May 18, 2018 Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral – Anchorage Acts 6: 1-7; Ephesians 4: 1-7, 11-13; John 15: 9-17 Love – Charity – Service I wish to welcome all of you to this Deacon Ordination Mass. It is great to have such a broad representation of this local Church, from our priests and deacons, to our women religious and so many of our lay faithful. In a very special way, we welcome all the family and friends of our soon-to-be deacons. And most especially, we welcome you: Gustavo & Cristine Scott […]
When I came to Alaska, I had no idea they experienced so many earthquakes. There are numerous tremors daily. Many Alaskans have apps on their phones just to track the size and number of these events. In the fourteen months I’ve lived here, I have felt at least three earthquakes. Along with the earthquakes, there are also a few active volcanos in the state. Last year, one of them blew several times, causing air travel disruptions and cancellations due to the ash plume. As you might expect, with these events also come tsunamis, and there […]
Our readings this weekend are about humility and gentleness in the manner in which we live our faith. Even though we do not hear from the Prophet Micah this weekend, his words echo in my heart: To act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God. It is important to look to Christ as our model. He, as God, humbled himself to come to earth, and take on our human condition. Without abandoning his Divinity, he took on our humanity. He came to reveal to humanity the reality of God, and he did […]
Yesterday, pastoral leaders from around the Archdiocese of Anchorage gathered to learn more about stewardship, not as a program, but as a spirituality, a way of life. The theme for the day was: “Be Not Afraid: Making a Gift of Self.” Our guest speaker for the day was Deacon David Krueger from the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska. In addition to being a permanent deacon, he serves as a client manager for Catholic Stewardship Consultants. We are grateful for his presence and witness. The spirituality of stewardship is rooted in a strong sense and knowledge that all […]
Pope Francis continues to inspire. As I walked across St. Peter’s Square today, I was stopped by some people. In a conversation with a gentleman who told me he is not Catholic, he said that it is his impression that Pope Francis is getting the attention of many more people than those who call themselves Catholic, and I would agree. During yesterday’s homily, the Holy Father continued to repeat a consistent message – we each must manifest Christ in our lives – in our actions – in our care for one another. Those who claim […]
Here is the homily form this year’s Chrism Mass in Anchorage. You can skip to the bottom if you wish to view the slideshow. Good evening, and welcome! Just like parents are happiest when all the kids are home, nothing makes a bishop happier than a full house for a special celebration! Our readings for this evening’s Chrism Mass give us several titles for Jesus: Faithful Witness, Firstborn of the dead, and Ruler of the kings of the earth. Our celebration tonight calls to mind other titles as well, such as Eternal Priest, and Living […]
When was the last time you updated your job description? Does it include a faith component? Because, faith is to be a part of every aspect of our life. In today’s Gospel (Luke 9: 57-62) Jesus calls each of us: “Come, follow me.” With this invitation is the commission of Jesus: “But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Are you listening to Jesus? Are you following Jesus? How do you proclaim the Kingdom of God in your life? It is helpful to be as clear as possible about how Jesus is calling you and […]
How easy it is for me to see the glory of God in creation, but with all humility, I admit, it is a bit more challenging to find God’s glory in the human person. And yet, during Mass at the cathedral yesterday, I was acutely aware of God’s glory in his people as I gazed out at the congregation during the chanting of the Responsorial Psalm: “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.” Pope Francis is regularly reminding us to serve Christ in one another, particularly in the poor and marginalized. He calls […]