Shortcode

End shortcode

Women’s Cornerstone

Daily Rosary | Divine Mercy Chaplet | Eucharistic Adoration | Stations of the Cross

Men’s Cornerstone

Parish Picnic

Bereavement Ministry

Parish Picnic

Parish Picnic

Red Sample

Parish Picnic

Ed. Ginter
Spring Concert | Christmas Concert | Presentation MTV |
Piano Men

Parish Picnic

“A Retreat for Little Souls” | ~ St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) ~

~ January 8, 2021 ~

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

Heavenly Father,
we entrust the United States of America to your care.
You are the solid rock on which this nation was founded.
You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness.
Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Jesus, I Trust in You!

Amen.

“A Retreat for Little Souls”

~ St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) ~

Except from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus”

Like Lanteri, de Monfort had a burning desire to become a saint. Also like Lanteri, he saw himself as a weak soul who needed to find an extraordinary powerful way to sanctity. He believed he found such a way in a new form of Marian spirituality he famously describes in his classic work, True Devotion to Mary. De Monfort predicted a couple of interesting things about his book. First, he said that after his death, angry demons would come to hide the unpublished manuscript so no one could ever read it – and, in fact, the manuscript was lost for over a century after his death. He went on to say that it would eventually be discovered and published and that its Marian spirituality would help form some of the greatest saints in the history of the Church.

De Montfort’s prediction wasn’t just about a few people… We are supposed to be those saints, that we are the ones meant to full the ranks of that army, and that we truly can be those saints. When I put it like this, it probably sounds ridiculous, especially when our weakness and littleness come to mind.

What’s our weakness and littleness? …Does the idea that you can become a great saint seem more like a joke than a real possibility… [Do you think of yourself} as being too selfish, sinful, prideful, lazy, busy, greedy, rich, poor, mean, jaded, cold, indifferent, fun loving, lustful, gossipy, angry, uninterested, bored, confused, distracted, envious, smart, stupid, sophisticated, stylish, unfaithful, uncaring, wounded, brokenhearted, rebellious, rational, addicted, worldly, wimpy, normal, scared, aggressive, superficial, modern, old fashioned, good looking, ugly, plain, twisted, loud, quiet, famous, unknown, violent, vindictive, passive, depressed, crazy, imbalanced, inconsistent, insincere, young, or old to be a saint? If so, if you think you’re too something to be a saint (let alone one of the great saints de Monfort mentioned), then, like me, you’re probably a “little soul”. If this sounds depressing, don’t worry. It’s not. In fact it’s good news.

Personal Response: Daily Journal

What’ aspect of the Divine Mercy message is the most attractive to you and why? In your opinion, which aspect seems to be the most challenging to modern Catholics?

Private comments, reflections, and thoughts are welcomed. Click here.

“A Retreat with a Bold Claim” | ~ Venerable Fr. Pio Bruno Lanteri (1759-1726) ~

~ January 7, 2021 ~

“A Retreat with a Bold Claim”

~ Venerable Fr. Pio Bruno Lanteri (1759-1726) ~

Except from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus”

Fr. Pio Bruno Lanteri was a man on fire with the desire to become a saint. At first, he tried to attain his goal by joining the most rigorous religious congregation in the Church, the Carthusians. After just eight days, however, the silence, prayer vigils, and fasting became too much for him, and he had to leave. Though deeply disappointed, Lanteri didn’t give up his goal. Because of his weakness, however, he figured he’d have to find a particularly powerful way to the height of holiness. Sometime later, he went on an Ignatian retreat for the first time. To his great joy, he found exactly what he’d been looking for: an extraordinarily powerful way by which even someone like him could become a saint.

Lanteri was so overjoyed at discovering the Spiritual Exercises retreat that he dedicated his life to sharing it with others. With ardent seal and enthusiasm, he invited people to make his version of it, telling them it provides everything a person needs to become “a saint, a great saint, and quickly.”… He had such confidence in the power of his Ignatian retreats because he gave them with a particular emphasis, what one might call his “secret weapons.” What were Lanteri’s secret weapons? The very same things that later saints would emphasize in their “quick” and extraordinarily effective ways to holiness, namely, Divine Mercy and Mary… Divine Mercy and Marian devotion today are truly powerful means for all to grow in holiness.

Personal Response: Daily Journal

What experiences have you had with the message of Divine Mercy, if any?

Private comments, reflections, and thoughts are welcomed. Click here.

Funeral Mass | A Celebration of Life in Christ | Kathleen Van Nostrand | December 30, 2020

A Celebration of Life in Christ

Kathleen Van Nostrand

December 30, 2020 | 11:15 A.M.

Church of the Presentation

Statement of Cardinal Tobin on Violence in the U.S. Capitol

Jan. 7, 2020

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s violence in the United States Capitol:

As I watched the appalling chaos in the U.S. Capitol yesterday, I witnessed an icon of democracy occupied and hostage to mob rule. The procession of violent images was deeply troubling. Particularly disheartening is that this event unfolded amid a deadly pandemic, a terrible plague that our troubled nation should face in solidarity.

The events of yesterday are a graphic exposure of the deep and advancing polarization in American society that has festered for years. This divisiveness disregards faith, justice and the rule of law. As shocking as it may be to glimpse how disordered our nation has become, the terrible truth is that we are not immune from further moral and social decay.

If we wish to claim it, Catholics have a legacy that is crucial to the healing of the nation. Our faith includes a commitment to mutual respect, dialogue, and the principles on which our democracy is based. We must come together as one nation under God, who loves and bestows dignity on all. The person with whom you may vehemently disagree is also a beloved child of God. For two millennia, our community has tried to live the teachings of Jesus. We are at our best when we put others first, with the common good as our guiding star.

Let us join with all people of good will in a choice for peace during this arduous time. We pray for our Savior’s protection and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, Prince of Peace, teach us the way forward. Our Lady of the Americas, pray for us.