Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the peace You bring.

Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., on Reasons We Long for the Peace of the Risen Christ

"The risen Jesus appears in the midst of his disciples; St. Luke tells us that 'they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.'

"Why were they afraid? On the one hand, it seems like they should have been afraid. For there is evidently not peace among them. They had betrayed the Lord. Remember that only the apostle John followed Jesus to the foot of the cross. How could they have been at peace with God after such tumult?

"Then, because they betrayed the Lord, there must have been tensions internally among themselves. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Father Patrick Briscoe, O.P., reflected on the peace Jesus brings and on some of the reasons why we need His peace.

To access Fr Patrick's complete post, please visit: 

Aleteia: Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP: 3 Reasons we long for the peace of the Risen Christ (18 APR 21)

Reflection Starter from St. Anselm

"Come now, insignificant man, fly for a moment from your affairs, escape for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside now your weighty cares and leave your wearisome toils. Abandon yourself for a little to God and rest for a little in Him." - Saint Anselm, whose memory the Church celebrates today (21 April)

On Looking for Easter in a Forest of Trees and Other Catholic-related Topics

A number of articles/posts have recently been published on a variety of Catholic-related subjects worth considering.

To access some of these, please visit:

U.S. Catholic: Looking for Easter in a forest of trees (April 2021)

In the Light of the Law: It's hard to think clearly about marriage if folks don't speak clearly about marriage (18 MAR 21)

Community in Mission: Why Does God Make Us Wait? (7 FEB 21)

National Catholic Register: Blogs: Jim Graves: Catholic Apologist Tim Staples Recalls His Conversion (18 MAR 21)

Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis prays St. Joseph will help young adults find their vocations (19 MAR 21)

The Catholic Thing: Daughters of Anger (18 FEB 21)

National Environmental Education Week

This week, the week of 19-23 April, is being observed as National Environmental Education Week, an observance designed to encourage use of the natural environment and real-world challenges to engage learners and deliver high-quality STEM education.

Background information:

National Environmental Education Foundation

Celtic Woman and PS22 Chorus: "You Raise Me Up"

As we continue to live this week, I offer Celtic Woman and the Public School 22 Chorus (Staten Island, NY) singing "You Raise Me Up":

 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of good examples in our lives.

Br. Paul Marich, O.P., on the Priest of the Titanic

"The sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic is regarded as one of the most tragic shipwrecks in history. Regarded as the engineering marvel of its time, the Titanic's makers boasted that 'God himself could not sink this ship.' Yet on the night of April 14, 1912, the ship was brought down by a solitary iceberg. Since then, the disaster has been remembered for the many stories that have made the shipwreck legendary: the band playing in order to calm the passengers, the distress calls that received no response from a nearby ship, and the insufficient number of lifeboats for all passengers, to name a few things.

"One lesser known story about the Titanic disaster is that of Father Thomas Byles, known as 'The Priest of the Titanic.' Father Byles was a Catholic priest from England who was traveling aboard the Titanic in order to attend his brother’s wedding in New York. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Brother Paul Marich, O.P., reflected on the story of Father Byles and some of its spiritual lessons.

To access Br. Paul's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: The Priest of the Titanic (14 APR 21)

Reflection Starter from Epictetus

"Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems." - Epictetus

National Crime Victims' Rights Week

This week, the week of 18-24 April, is being observed as National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Observed since 1981, NCVRW was initiated as an observance to promote awareness of victims' rights and services and to honor crime victims and survivors.

The theme for NCVRW 2021 is "Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities."

For more information about National Crime Victims' Rights Week, please visit:

U.S. Department of Justice: Office for Victims of Crime: National Crime Victims' Rights Week

NPHS Steel Drum Band: "Bohemian Rhapsody"

It's time for some steelpan (or steel drum) music, a type of music I enjoy. Here is a presentation of the New Philadelphia, OH, High School Steel Drum Band presenting "Bohemian Rhapsody":

 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of our parish communities.