Tuesday, February 2nd, is the day the Church celebrates Candlemas Day. It is one of the oldest feast days of the Church, and has been celebrated since the 4th Century.

This feast celebrates three important events. It commemorates the day that Our Blessed Mother Mary came to the Temple as the Law required of all women, in order to go through a purification ceremony 40 days after giving birth. Because of this, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Purification of Mary and is the reason why it is always celebrated on February 2nd. It is also the day that Mary and Joseph had to present their newborn Son, Jesus, to God in the Temple and offer a sacrifice on His behalf for His birth. All parents were required to do this for their firstborn sons. For this reason, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sadly, the unwillingness to offer real sacrifices and the lack of true love has led many people to believe that life is disposable. This tragic way of thinking has impacted our world in many negative ways i.e., marriages, families, workplaces, government, the economy, communities and even the Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You have probably seen the bumper sticker: God is Pro Life. As children of God, we celebrate the Right to Life. We are all called to be Pro Life. All life has an inherent dignity because we were created by God and for God. Our Lord reminds us of the sacredness of every human life… born and unborn. Catholics have always held and will always preach the value of human life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Earlier this month, Pope Francis announced the Year of St. Joseph, honoring the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. This made me happy as my middle name is Joseph and I pray to him often.

Pope Francis said the pandemic heightened his desire to reflect on St. Joseph, as so many people have made hidden sacrifices for others, just as St. Joseph quietly protected and cared for Mary and Jesus. He also said he wanted to highlight St. Joseph’s role as a father who served his family with charity and humility, adding, “Our world today needs fathers.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Magi? Wise men? Ancient astronomers? Kings? Who are these sojourners following the lightof the star to the Christ Child who is the Light of the world? We do know that they came toOur Lord to “do Him homage”. Following a star, they left the comfort of their familiarsurroundings to worship God. As the Gospel reminds us: When Jesus was born in Bethlehemof Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do himhomage.”

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

I find today’s gospel passage to be incredibly moving. This print depicts the Flight into Egypt. In the picture, Mary is resting between the paws of the Egyptian sphinx as She cradles Her newborn Son. Meanwhile, Joseph lays in front of a smoldering fire absolutely exhausted. They are a suffering family and Mary and Joseph have done everything they can do to protect the Christ child.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent. Because so many of us will be traveling over Christmas, I want to take this opportunity, on behalf of our parish staff, to wish all of you a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Over the next few days, we will be wrapping up our Christmas preparations—decorating, buying and wrapping presents, sending cards, and baking. Of course, we must remember the most important preparations of all… spiritual ones.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

Maranatha! It simply means, “Come Lord Jesus!” This simple prayer of the early Christians was offered because they expected the Lord’s return at any moment. As they waited for His coming, they lived like it and they were joyful about it. Today is a reminder that the celebrations of Christ’s coming draws near.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

In his book about Jesus’ birth, Pope Benedict wrote: “I consider it important to focus on the final sentence of Luke’s Annunciation narrative: ‘And the angel departed from her.’ The great hour of Mary’s encounter with God’s messenger – in which her whole life is changed – comes to an end, and she remains there alone, with a task that truly surpasses all human capacity.”

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

Jesus once commented that those who believe in Him without seeing would be blessed (Jn 20:29). Yet in His mercy, He still provides a way for us to gaze upon Him two thousand years after He walked the earth (2 Cor 3:18). Therefore, "fix your eyes on" the eucharistic Jesus (Heb 3:1). Consider visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In this place of believing, let Him fill you with "eucharistic amazement" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope John Paul II, 6).

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

On the television show Jeopardy, the final question was “How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns”. All three contestants missed it! So if you are ever a contestant on Jeopardy… here are some facts about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? 21 steps: It alludes to the twenty-one-gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

What is Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration?
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is a Eucharistic devotion whereby members of a Parish (or some other community) unite in making continuous adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament (in most cases, exposed) throughout the twenty-four hours of the day, seven days a week.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

Our St. Bernadette family has been blessed to have adoration of Our Lord offered for many years. We have several committed parishioners who adore Our Eucharistic King regularly. This is such a wonderful blessing for them and for our parish.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus! The Solemnity of All Saints can inspire us to become who God has created us to be, namely, saints. As I get to know the holy men and women who are now Saints in heaven, I am inspired by their heroic lives. How did these ordinary people end up living such extraordinary lives? One thing we can point to is their love for Our Lord… a love often fostered by spending time in His Real Presence in Eucharist Adoration.

Don’t take my word for it. Here is what some of the Saints have said about Eucharistic Adoration.