Dear Friends,

In one of my past reflections, I concluded that Prayer is a conversation between two persons, and for us, it is a Father-child relationship. We pray not because we want to convince God to do what we want. Prayer is an act of faith and must be done consistently. There are times when we pray for one week and expect miracles. We go to confession once and expect never to be tempted again. But God usually works like a farmer, not like a magician.

Last week we looked at the 24 different Catholic Churches united under the Pope, but what is a "pope?" Also last week, I said Phoenix was a rare example of one city having two cathedrals, but why is that? This can all be explained by exploring the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago, in anticipation of our Parish Day celebrations, the Deacons, Dave and Chito, in their weekend preaching, reflected on the role of Mary in our Christian life, and with them we prayed, placing ourselves and our Parish under the maternal care of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On the following Thursday, July 16, which was the actual feast day of OLMC, I remember beginning my reflections with the words, "The best experience I have ever had in life was in the hands of a woman !... And that woman was my mother"

Most people, when they think of or refer to the "Catholic Church," are speaking of the Latin or Roman Church, but often forget that while the Latin Church is by far the largest one, there are actually 24 separate churches of the Catholic Church, The other 23 are referred to as the Eastern Catholic Churches, with the Latin Church being the sole Western Catholic Church.

Dear Friends,

The gift of listening is irreplaceable in our journey of faith. The priest Eli finally understood that the Lord was calling the youth (Samuel), and he said to him, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." - 1 Samuel 3:8-9. God continues to call people, and only those who are attentive can hear Him. Hearing is different from listening. We must learn to be silent before God. In silence God speaks to our hearts.

For many Catholics, one of the most recognizable liturgical orations is the Collect for Corpus Christi, also used at the conclusion of Benediction: "O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption, Who live and reign ... " This prayer asks the Lord Jesus to allow us, members of the Church, to revere the Eucharist so that we may "always experience in ourselves the fruits of [his] redemption."

Dear Friends,

Our OLMC Parish prayer before Sunday Masses and Holy days of obligation begins with the words, "My parish is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly if I am. It will be holy if I am .... "

Yes, this is true, and it is realizable if each and every one of us who are already members of the faith Community of Our Lady of Mount Carmel makes an effort to be more welcoming and more open to accepting other people, prays with them and for them, and seeks God's grace so that we may all go to heaven.

This weekend, our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its establishment as an independent nation with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Though the writers of the Declaration were not Catholic, many of the ideas espoused in it of what a nation should be find their home in Catholic thought.

Dear Friends,

As we celebrate 250 years of Independence and existence of the United States of America, allow me to wish each and everyone a blessed, peaceful, happy and fulfilling Independence Day Anniversary. May this auspicious celebration promote equality, uplift human dignity, and empower the lives of all people to align with God's Kingdom which is established not by coercion but by the gentle authority of humility, righteousness, and peace.

Pope Leo has asked the church to undertake a rereading of the documents of the Second Vatican Council to see them in a new light, and at his Wednesday General Audiences throughout 2026, his sermons are gradually making their way through the documents, teaching and interpreting the documents and how they can be applied today.

Dear Friends,

I recently wrote about "The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: Love without Measure." This weekend I would like to delve deeper into God's longing for us. God has created us out of Love: our existence, our natural gifts and talents flow from Him, and through Baptism and Eucharist, we receive many individual graces. What a Love!

When one studies Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers, one theme emerges with startling clarity: the relationship between God and His people is a divine romance. From Eden to the Cross, from the prophets to the heavenly vision of the New Jerusalem, we see a God who loves His people as a Bridegroom loves His Bride. This nuptial imagery reaches its fulfillment in the Church, the Bride of Christ, and finds its expression in the greatest mystery of the Mass.

Dear Friends,

There is a classic proverb by an unknown author that says: "An old broom sweeps better." This proverb speaks volumes when applied to how we prepare and celebrate the Sacraments in modern times. Before proceeding any further, I would like to remind ourselves of what the Sacraments are and how many there are.

The other week I had the opportunity to once again visit the small hilltop town of Orvieto, Italy, shortly before the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, which we celebrated last Sunday. This feast was instituted for the Universal Church in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, who was at that time living in Orvieto.

Dear Friends,

A week ago some of our Parish and school staff members surprised me with a humbling Birthday celebration and cake. As I later sat and reflected on this event, I recalled a song we once sang as novices: "What a wonder to be in the Vineyard of the Lord God. He is calling us to become witnesses. Forever, and to teach his word to all nations, here on earth, yes, until the end of time!"

In the Encyclical Mediator Dei, the Venerable Pius XII writes that "the Church is without question a living organism, and as an organism, in respect of the sacred liturgy also, she grows, matures, develops, adapts and accommodates herself to temporal needs and circumstances, provided only that the integrity of her doctrine be safeguarded" (no. 59).

Dear Friends,

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. And this year on June 11th, Most of our Bishops, members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Heart, as many of us may know or have used and/or read, represents Love. My first tee shirt had the inscription, I ❤ You" on it. I understood it as "I heart you!" until my maternal Aunt Rita corrected my limited childhood knowledge. She told me that the red heart symbolizes Love, and so my T-shirt was an expression of I LOVE YOU.