2023 archive of The Seed
To Become Full of Grace
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 8/10/23
When the Archangel Gabriel approached the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, he drew attention to something about Mary that even she likely did not know: that she was – and is – full of grace, and she alone of all creation. And this mystery of her “grace-fullness” was from ... Read More »
The Transfiguration is a Promise
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 8/10/23
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, which has become one of my favorite feasts of the year, but it is one that most Catholics don’t often experience at Mass unless it falls on a Sunday, as it does this year. Every mystery of Christ’s life means ... Read More »
Eucharistic Revival
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 7/31/23
Last year in the United States, the Catholic Church launched a National Eucharistic Revival. This revival is meant to reawaken in Catholics a sense of wonder, gratitude, love, and devotion towards our Lord present to us in the Eucharist. One of the phases of this revival – and the ... Read More »
Prayer: The Life of the Heart
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 7/25/23
The Catechism teaches us that prayer “is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment” (CCC 2697). Most of us are familiar with what is called “Vocal Prayer” – that prayer characterized by predetermined “formulas” that are recited either individually or in ... Read More »
Virtue of Charity
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 7/13/23
A while back I wrote a bulletin article on the theological virtue of hope. I would like to continue that with an article on the theological virtue of Charity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all ... Read More »
Fostering the Spirit of Encounter
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 6/30/23
I want to follow up last week’s article with another note on the Sacred Liturgy, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I shared some insights into the nature of the Mass, what it is, why we are there, and why it matters. Just over a year ago, Pope ... Read More »
How to Train Your Servers
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 6/23/23
Earlier this month we had altar server training, and we had a veritable slew of young people attend, many new, and some seeking a refresher course. It was great seeing so many young faces, excited at the opportunity to serve the Lord with gladness. Naturally, we threw a ... Read More »
I Will Give You Shepherds
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 6/19/23
The title of this note, taken from the third chapter of the Prophet Jeremiah, is a promise God made to His people at a time when their faith was in crisis. He promised to give shepherds so that His sheep might have someone to care for them, to ... Read More »
Our Feast of Faith
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 6/07/23
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), the Church calls our attention to this central mystery of our Faith: The Sacrament wherein the entire Paschal Mystery, whole and entire, is made truly present in our midst, with all of ... Read More »
The Sacred Heart and our Broken Hearts
Posted by St. Henry Cluster on 6/01/23
June is a special month in the life of Christians; it’s the month that we honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was pierced for our offenses and opened out of His immense love for us. In His Sacred Heart, Jesus “invites us to return to the Father's ... Read More »