All Christians through baptism are preachers of the Word. Saint Paul says, “all of us who possess the first fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.”  What he is saying is that everything we do, everything we think and say belongs to Christ and through us He communicates to the world.

When we sow the seed of the Word, we rarely see the effects of that sowing. We can look back on our own lives and remember people who affected us and yet they will never know how much they changed us; old teachers, our parents, priests, former classmates, coworkers. We too have an effect on people’s lives without knowing it.

Continue reading “Matthew 13:1-23 We belong to Christ & through us, He communicates to the world. Matthew 10:24-33” →

Mother of Divine Providence Parish will be having the yearly Manna Food Collection for the Norristown Food Cupboard the weekend of July 19 and 20.  Items for this collection include all non-perishable food items: cereal, peanut butter,  jelly, tuna, soups, stews, pasta, canned veggies, fruit, etc.  Tea and coffee can be a real treat.  Please remember that non food items cannot be purchased with food stamps, so toilet tissue, paper towels, dish detergent, laundry soap, etc. are also good donations for this yearly collection. Please be sure to pick up a bag for your donations at the doors of the church this weekend (July 12, 13) and return it filled next weekend.  Thank you for your generous spirit.

Today gives us an opportunity to reflect on the mysteries both of the Petrine Ministry and our collaboration with him to spread the Gospel to every creature. In the Gospel, two things confront Jesus: his short time frame and the faith of his disciples.

He asks his disciples then the question, “Who do men say that I am?”  Caesarea Philippi was a cosmopolitan town so was heavily influenced by paganism. Against this background Jesus challenges his disciples to clarify their faith and understand the consequences of that belief. Continue reading ““Who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:13-19″ →

One of our stops for Mass while in the Holy Land was Mount Tabor — the site of the Transfiguration.  It is a very high mountain.  It would take hours to walk up to the top, so the group took the ride in the vans that are provided.  The road that winds around the mountain to reach the top is very narrow — it just about holds 2 vans if they need to pass each other.  When that happens, you do not want to be on the open side of the road.  I am sure part of the excitement of the experience is the “wild” ride up and down the mountain.  A good Act of Contrition is in order because your whole life flashes before you as you make this trip.  BUT, when you reach the top, the beauty is amazing. Continue reading “CLIMBING MOUNT TABOR” →

Our Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the first Thursday of every month at 10 A.M.  We have a wonderful group of ladies who offer their handiwork for gifts to comfort those who are in physical or spiritual distress.  A former parishioner, Bob DeSpirito, who retired to Italy with his wife, Roseann, makes shawls during the winter months.  He sent a picture of the shawls that he made and I said that we would have to make him an honorary member of the Prayer Shawl Ministry.  He then suggested that he would send us a shawl once in a while for parishioners here.  So this is amazing news.  Our Prayer Shawl Ministry goes International — shawls sent from Sessa, Italy.  Imagine that.  Thank you, Bob.