Archdiocese Of St. Louis

The Book of Ruth is named for the Moabite woman who commits herself to the Israelite people by an oath to her mother-in-law Naomi and becomes the great-grandmother of David. Thus she is an ancestor of both King David and Jesus. The beauty of the story’s construction, its use of dialogue, and the sheer drama of its content mark it as one of the classic short stories of world literature. Based on the recollection of an historical figure, the story is developed, gripping its audience with profound insight into divine and human relationships. The book portrays the love and loyalty of human beings in working their way through tragic circumstances to participation in the community of the faithful people of God. The key to the story of Ruth is that of responsible and loving decision-making: Ruth’s loyalty, her generosity and her willingness to take risks for the sake of righteousness set in motion a chain of beneficial events, which God blesses each step of the way. Ruth is so frequently designated “the Moabite”

Gideon should mean more to Catholics than the bibles we find in hotel room drawers. Musical credit: "O Holy Night" · Christine Westhoff · Timothy Allen Hark ℗ 2014 Christine Westhoff

Musical credit: "O Holy Night" · Christine Westhoff · Timothy Allen Hark ℗ 2014 Christine Westhoff

Today’s Jesse Tree figures and symbol are Moses & Aaron, and the Ten Commandments. So you might think you know where this reflection is heading. Catholicism is all about rules and stuff, right? And we need to just accept them and obey, right? Well, I’m going to go a different direction. Here’s a question: What has God done in your life? Seriously. Stop and think about it. We often find ourselves asking God to do things for us, but we don’t always stop to remember all the things he has already done. Sure the big things we usually notice, like when we get a new job, or welcome a new baby, or barely miss a disaster of some sort. That’s when we’re really thankful for what God has done for us. When Moses and Aaron go up on Mount Sinai, before God gives them the Ten Commandments, he reminds them about what he has already done to help them: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). Then, He proceeds to instruct the Israelites, and us, on how to

It’s already the second week of advent. Now is the time when Christmas preparations kick into high gear… and no, I’m not just talking about getting your shopping done. Today’s biblical figure and symbol, the Israelites and a sheep, offer what I think are one of the more profound points for reflection of any figure & symbol on the Jesse Tree. The Israelites and sheep, of course, immediately call to mind the Passover story. In Exodus we read that God instructed Moses to tell the “whole community of Israel” to procure a lamb, slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the door frames of their houses. “But for you the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thereby, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you” says the Lord in Exodus 12:13. We often recall this event around Good Friday & Easter, so why remember it now? Though Advent is a time of quiet, even somber, preparation, sometimes called a “poor man’s Lent,” we are accustomed to this

Today’s Advent reflection is on Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors. Just as Advent is our time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and His second coming at the end of time, Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors, in an unexpected way, prepared Joseph for a celebration and reunion with his family. We remember the story… Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, is given a Coat of Many Colors as a gift from his father. Joseph’s brothers, jealous of him, sell Joseph off to slavery. Joseph, with God’s guidance, thrives in captivity and eventually becomes Pharaoh’s chief advisor. Famine plagues the region and Joseph and his brothers and father are eventually reunited in love and forgiveness. As we prepare during this Advent season, we can use this scripture passage as a guide to living a “God-centered” life instead of a “self-centered life”: - Everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God. - Each of us has been given gifts and we are called to use them in different ways. - Jealousy is the opposite of

"As Moses looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, 'I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.'" (Exodus 3:1-3) Today we continue our Advent preparation recalling the biblical figure of Moses and the symbol of the burning bush. This scriptural passage celebrates Moses' encounter with the living God, a God who is consumed with a burning love for God's Holy People - the Hebrews in bitter bondage and the promise that God saves, God will deliver the Hebrews from their enslavement. In recalling this saving event, we recall in this Advent Season our preparation opening us up to the encounter with the living God. The God who comes daily into our lives, who is consumed with the love for you and me, a God who cares for our cares, a God who is with us in our sorrows, hardships and sufferings, giving us hope to deliver us from all that enslaves us from fully living Jesus in our lives, and having great confidence that

Today we think about Jacob's dream in the Old Testament, or more specifically the vision he had of the ladder or ring. Jacob saw, reaching from earth to Heaven, the angels reporting back to God all that was happening on earth, before Jacob himself saw God. God said, "In you and your descendants all the families of the earth will find blessing. I am with you and will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you." We see these same sentiments when Moses sees the burning bush, and later in the New Testament. God is always in our lives and He is there for us. As we continue on our Advent journey, perhaps this vision of a ladder can be presented as our chores everyday. We have all these things we feel we have to climb and do. But remember Jacob is not the one doing the climbing. He is the one receiving. God came to Jacob to promise his fidelity. God is ever living and desires to enrich our lives with His presence. We just have to recei

Isaac was nearly sacrificed by his father, Abraham, who was obeying the will of God. But, the timely intervention of an angel, and the appearance of a ram saved Isaac. Later in salvation history, another ram-like figure appears as a sacrifice. This is Mary, the Mother of God, who sacrificed herself through her "fiat" - her "yes" to God's will. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8th, but some cultures prepare for the feast by lighting votive candles on December 7th, the eve of the Feast. This custom dates back to when Pope Pius IX asked Catholics around the world to light votive candles on December 7th, 1854, the day before he was to declare the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. This tradition is known as "Dia de las Velitas" or "Day of the Little Candles." The Colombian community of St. Louis will gather on Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 to celebrate Dia de las Velitas with Mass and lighting of the votive candles. Mass begins at 5pm at the Cardinal Rigali Center (20 Archbishop

Have you ever felt like Abraham, wondering whether God will come through for you? We hear people say “The Lord will provide,” but when you’re really waiting for something, it can gnaw at you. That’s what the season of Advent is all about: waiting and waiting well. Sometimes our impatience shows – in traffic, at the computer, at the ones we love. We try to take matters into our own hands, as did Abraham and Sarah, instead of remembering Our Lord who will come through on His promises. What we await at Christmas is far greater than any of our longings. In fact, Jesus is the one we seek, whether we know it or not. And so as we enter into this season of waiting, let’s look to the Lord – and up in the sky – to remember that He is always faithful. Musical credit: "O Holy Night" · Christine Westhoff · Timothy Allen Hark ℗ 2014 Christine Westhoff

This past Sunday, Jesus mentioned Noah and how many people at that time were unprepared for the coming flood. He compares it with the coming of the Son of Man, and warns us to be prepared for it. Noah heeded the warning of God, and prepared himself and his family for the coming flood. “Preparation” and “coming” are two common aspects of the Season of Advent. We are to prepare ourselves for the three comings of Christ. The first and most obvious coming of Christ is the celebration of His birth on Christmas. Another coming that is easy to recognize is the coming of Christ at the end of time, which we heard about in this past Sunday’s Gospel. A more mysterious coming of Christ is into our hearts by grace and Holy Communion. The celebration of the first coming of Christ is to help us with the other two. Here are some suggestions, in addition to a Jesse Tree, to help you prepare for the three comings of Christ. Consider gathering with your family around an Advent wreath for prayer on Sundays, or even

The season of Advent is about hopeful expectation as we await Christ’s birth. This season gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect upon the mystery of Christ’s incarnation through the eyes of Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, and Elizabeth. This season should also call to mind Christ’s second coming at the end of the world, where we will experience the fullness of the mystery of the incarnation with all the saints. These two comings of Christ remind us that we must strive to live rightly here and now. Advent is a time to prayerfully prepare for living out and cooperating with the grace of God in our daily lives. The first symbol on the Jesse Tree, the Apple in the hands of Adam & Eve, marks the beginning of the story of salvation. Their sin is the reason mankind has had to live with sin, and why we need Our Savior. They rebelled and were disobedient, but God continues to love them as He loves each of us. And so, God began to repair the damage they had done by preparing the world for His Son. This is the

O come thou rod of Jesse’s stem … The Jesse Tree is a Catholic tradition for Advent. It’s especially suitable for children. But really, it’s a lesson for all of us. For thousands of years God was preparing his people for the coming of Christ. The Jesse Tree walks us back through some of the most significant events and people of that history – one ornament on the tree for each of them. Psalm 24 talks about Lifting up the Gates to let the King of Glory enter. That’s what God was doing though every person and event represented on the Jesse Tree – building up his people into a spiritual house, so that the gates of their hearts would be high enough to let Christ enter the world through them. When we walk through the history of those people and events by using the Jesse Tree we’re not only expanding our knowledge of the faith, we’re letting God lift up the Gates of our hearts – making more and more room for the mystery of Christ to enter into our lives. That’s what Advent is all about. In the coming days

On a brisk November evening more than 1,000 fans gathered at the CBC High School stadium to watch the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Lions take on the "Clergy & Company" team in a soccer match during National Vocation Awareness Week. The seminarians were victorious, 2-1 over their priestly foes, but that wasn't the real purpose of the game. Joe Kenny also joins the Catholic Gateway Podcast to provide an update on the successful sports teams representing some of the our local Catholic schools.

Homily on the eve of the 2016 Elections - Archdiocese of St. Louis by Archdiocese of St. Louis

On October 20, high school seniors in the Catholic high schools of the archdiocese – most of whom were soon-to-be first-time voters – were given a very special opportunity to attend an event called a “Teach-In” sponsored by the Peace & Justice Commission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis where they would learn more about forming their consciences from some experts in Catholic social teaching and moral theology, as well as learn some basic information about voting rules and regulations. Fr. Brian Harrison, chaplain of St. Mary of Victories, also joins the podcast to discuss his newly-acquired U.S. citizenship (which means he'll be voting in the U.S. for the first time) and how to form one's Catholic conscience.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson celebrated the annual White Mass on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The Mass is associated with St. Luke, the patron of physicians and surgeons, whose feast day is October 18. Catholic physicians, nurses, physician assistants, emergency medical personnel, and other healthcare professionals and their families where invited.

On this episode, we explore the Catholic perspective on Halloween, its connection with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, and the respect we should have as Catholics for death and burial of the deceased. We’ll also learn about the origins and meanings of celebrations surrounding Halloween – or Dia de los Muertos, “the day of the dead” as it is called in Latin America. Joe Kenny also joins the podcast to discuss the effect of recent welfare reform in the state of Missouri.

On Thursday, September 29, a dedication ceremony was held to officially open the new location of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in the former chancery building next to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. That's not the only good news for Catholic Charities though. They have recently begun a new initiative called "Pathways to Progress" which provides long-term case management services to those seeking a pathway out of poverty. On this episode we'll learn more about the program. Dave Luecking also joins us to talk about the 2016 election and the presidential debate recently held in St. Louis.

The 4th annual communications conference presented by the Office of Communications and Planning of the Archdiocese of St. Louis took place on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 under a new name: The #CatholicSTL Communications Colloquium. The luncheon keynote was delivered by Fr. Joe Krupp, a priest of the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan and author of the popular "In The Know With Fr. Joe" column that appears in Catholic publications around the country.