Today in Rome on our young adult pilgrimage, Fr. Robert is celebrating Mass at the Mamertine Prison, the oldest prison in Rome. It sits directly adjacent to the Roman Forum on the northeastern slope of the Capitoline Hill, and Tradition holds that at separate times, St. Peter and St. Paul were once imprisoned here in the prison's subterranean dungeon during their trial before their martyrdom.

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for organizing a memorable celebration of the 35th anniversary of my priestly ordination two weeks ago.

As I look back over these 35 years of service, many memories come to my mind: moments of joy and moments of challenge, moments of success and moments of uncertainty and even moments of failure ... Yet through it all one reality has remained constant and at the core of my priesthood: God's abiding presence in my life and the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life. I'm deeply grateful for all these.

Hanging above the altar at OLMC is a large crucifix, with a 6-foot-tall corpus of Christ painted in the Ionic style. As I'm sure you know, OLMC is not alone in having a crucifix, as every Catholic Church is required to have a crucifix on or near the altar for the Mass. But why is that?

Dear Friends,

In the sixth chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; Whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." And again He said ... "Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."(John 6:51,53-56)

At the Mass, there are many things said or read throughout the Mass, but around 70% of everything that is said is not being said to us in the pews. So to whom are these words being addressed?

Dear Friends,

This is a continuation of the story, which I began in last week's article.

The Cross is not merely a religious symbol that we wear around our necks, place in our homes, or display in our churches. The Cross is the throne from which Christ conquered sin and death. It is the place where divine love was poured out completely for our salvation.

The sixth chapter of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC) is dedicated to sacred music. The document states that: "The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy“(SC,, 112).

Dear Friends,

I have just returned from a very fulfilling three-month sabbatical, for which I am deeply grateful to God and to you, my dear parishioners, for your prayers, love, and support that sustained me throughout those months. I am very happy to be back home and once again among you, ready to serve.

I have so much to share with you about my sabbatical experience, and hope to do so in the weeks and months ahead. But let me begin with one incident that has profoundly stayed with me and deepened my appreciation of the power of the Cross of Christ.

Throughout lands of the former Roman Empire, one will encounter triumphal arches: a very large stone archway supported by two massive stone piers, sometimes with two accompanying smaller archways on each side of the center large one, with a passageway running through it below the arch, but not made for the purpose of supporting any structure above it crossing the passageway.

Dear friends,

In our daily lives, misunderstandings and conflicts can easily arise within families, friendships, workplaces, and even our faith communities. We may be tempted to talk about someone's faults with others before having the courage to speak to the person directly. We can all take a wrong turning in our lives.