Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish

Today’s feast proclaims him “Christ, King of the Universe” – king not of a single nation, not even of the whole earth, but king of the universe, king of the countless worlds, even of those that we haven’t yet discovered! It assumes he has an infinite power, unmatched by any human standard! And yet – today’s Gospel presents the scene of his proclamation as the King of Jews, which is far from this image of power and might! He is in fact powerless! He cannot even defend himself! He is nailed to...

Dear Family in Christ,  Though it seems a little early, I would like to get a head start on some of the ways that we as Christians liturgical seasons of Advent. Permit me to make myself a little bit less popular in this respect: Holy Mother Church concludes the Liturgical Year with the Feast of Christ the King (next Sunday), and begins the ‘new year’ with the First Sunday of Advent, (November 30th this year). Advent continues until our celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas, which...

Today the Church sets aside the normal liturgy of the 32nd Sunday to celebrate the dedication of a church: the Cathedral of Rome dedicated to the Beloved Disciple, Saint John. This cathedral was built by the emperor Constantine in 324AD, just after he declared Christianity a lawful religion within the Empire. The end of State persecution meant that, for the first time, Christians could worship in public churches, rather than in catacombs and private houses in secret. The Lateran Basilica is...