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Strive not for the passing things, but for those which endure

Saturday, May 12th, 2012

Fr. Joseph Eddy. Go to Fr. Joseph's bio.Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 13, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
Gospel: John 15:9-17 That you should bear fruit and your fruit should abide….

(Full text of sermon) As a child I would spend my time always looking forward to the next “big event,” the next holiday, or the next trip. In January, I began looking forward to baseball season. In March, I looked forward to summer. During the late summer, I thought about football season or Halloween. And, yes, after Halloween my focus turned to Christmas. Yet, as the years passed I began to notice that my day-dreams were always better than the reality.

St. Peter Nolasco. Click to read more.

He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captives

St. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

Visit the Mercedarians’ Facebook page.

This is an experience of many of us. When we are teenagers we want to be adults. When we are young adults we want to be married. Then, we look forward to moving up in society or getting that dream job or position. After years of hard work we long for the day when we can retire. Yet, the fact is that we are never truly satisfied with things in this life. This “restlessness” points to an eternal desire within us all for a fulfillment that cannot be experienced in this life of limitations. We are truly “restless” creatures, but God allows us to be “restless.” He places within us the desires that can only be fulfilled in the Divine life. These desires spur us on or they leave us in an endless futile search for fulfillment in created things. Continue Reading…

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In the pilgrimage of life — keep your eyes on the eternal goal

Saturday, January 21st, 2012

Photo of Fr. Joseph Eddy. Go to Fr. Joseph's bio.Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 “Repent, and believe the Good News.”

Full sermon text: We may have heard it said that we are on “a pilgrimage in this life.” Today this phrase may not have as much of an impact because culturally we are not as familiar with the concept of a pilgrimage. The Catholic dictionary defines pilgrimage as a journey to a sacred place undertaken as an act of religious devotion. Pilgrimages have a long rich history in Christian culture. Going back to the beginning of Christianity, the faithful would make these spiritual journeys to such places as the Holy Land and Rome.

Click for Fr. Eddy's Facebook page

Why is there growth in this Order?

God is blessing us with new men, strong in the faith, eager to serve Him under our charism. Why? Go to our website and read, “Ancient Order of Friars Sees Vitality in U.S.”

Is God calling you to become a Mercedarian friar? Visit Fr. Joseph’s Facebook page.

It was done for a variety of reasons: to venerate the relics of a saint, ask a special favor of God, beg for the cure of an illness, express thanks to God, and/or as an act of penance for sin. For two thousand years of Christian history, pilgrimages have been a part of life. Today, we do still see it done though on a smaller scale. In my hometown of Scranton, PA, a group of faithful will travel for miles on foot through the early hours of the morning to arrive at the Basilica of St. Ann in time for the patronal feast day of the grandmother of Jesus. On a much smaller scale, my own family would also often take Sunday drives when I was a child to nearby churches or to visit the graves of our relatives. Continue Reading…

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The hope of the Gospel goes far beyond Snow White (full text)

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio3rd Sunday in Advent, Dec. 11, 2011
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: John 1:6-8; 19-28 “Make straight the way of the Lord”

Free Audio MP3

(Full sermon text) It was many years ago that I took a trip to Rome. It was kind of a working trip. I had been asked to make a large bronze statue that is called a “relief.” Now a relief is a sort of a huge sculpted wall plaque with faces and figures coming out and receding. Some of the figures come out as if they were stepping out of the wall—others are very lightly sculpted against the surface.

Go to the Georgetown Visitation.The twin apostolates of prayer and the education of young women are pursued by the Visitation Sisters of Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Are you called to religious life? Consider a life with the Sisters of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, Washington, DC.

Now, there are many artistic problems when you make a relief. It is two-dimensional and three-dimensional at the same time. So what I hoped to accomplish on this trip was to visit as many the churches as I could and study as closely as possible all the many “reliefs” that I knew were in those churches.

Continue Reading…

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The end of the world: Beyond fright to rejoicing

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Photo of Fr. Joseph Eddy. Go to Fr. Joseph's bio.33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 13, 2011
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
Gospel: Matt. 25:14-30 The servants and the talents

Full homily text: When we hear the second reading from St. Paul to the Community of Thessalonica, we can be filled with fright. For St. Paul is talking about the “day of the Lord” or the Second Coming of Christ. Our fear is only intensified in our present day with all the talk about the end of the world. Just last spring a Protestant minister, Harold Camping, was predicting that the end of the world would come on May 21st. He predicted that there would be an earthquake “so powerful that it would throw open all the graves.” Of course we all know that his prediction was wrong. The day came and went without even a tremor.

Blessed Virgin Mary of MercyFr. Joseph Eddy is the vocation director of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, founded to redeem Christians whose faith is in danger. The Order’s student house in the U.S. is in Philadelphia.

Is God calling you to become a Mercedarian friar? Visit Fr. Joseph’s Facebook page, or the website of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

Yet, even a more ancient prophecy has caught the attention of many, the end of the Mayan Calendar. Some predict that this calendar would end on December 21, 2012. They say that it will bring the end of the world by catastrophic astronomical events such as: “killer solar flare” and “planets flying by.” Although many experts dispute this, Hollywood and others have raised the suspense as the year 2012 comes. Continue Reading…

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Go through the narrow gate — the only one to heaven

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Read Fr. Baldeon's bioWed., Oct. 26, 2011
Fr. Elvio Baldeon
Gospel: Luke 13:22-30 “Strive to enter by the narrow door”

Homily summary: All things work together for the good, for those who love God. We have to see that, even in difficult moments, something good will come from it. When you see someone strong in the faith, they know that in the darkest moment something good is coming.

Evil is a mystery in our lives. But God can make good things from evil. God does not create evil. He turns evil to good. In the Gospel, Jesus says to enter the narrow gate to get to heaven. To do good things is not easy. Take the time to pray, reflect, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. God knows who we are. Continue Reading…

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