The Seed
Vicar's Corner: Salvation in Jesus Christ Includes both Faith and Works
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/11/24
You may have heard people from other Christian denominations saying that we are saved, not by works, but by faith. Those who believe that our salvation is dependent solely on claiming belief in Christ’s saving graces and not on our actions miss out on the completeness of God’s ... Read More »
The Way to the Father
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/09/24
As I write this article, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This event in the life of our Lord marks the beginning of His public mission, and it signifies for us the beginning of our journey back to the Father. WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED?
Christ did not need to be baptized for Himself; being the Son of God, He had no sin in need of forgiving. Yet, the Lord was not content just to teach by words what He would have us know, but He teaches primarily through example. Jesus was baptized to show us that we, too, must descend into the waters if we are to become beloved sons and daughters of the Father. Jesus descended into the waters, bearing on His shoulders the weight of our sins, to drown them in River Jordan and raise up humanity cleansed and made new. The power of baptism was inaugurated by the Lord on this day, but it’s full realization in my own life would only take place on the day I followed Him down to the Jordan river, on the day that I was baptized. “At my baptism I was immersed with Christ, and with Him I died and was buried. Then I emerged, and for the first time Heaven opened to me as the Holy Spirit made His entrance into my soul; and my Father in heaven glanced down upon me, now “His Son, His child” (Pius Parsch, The Church’s Year of Grace, vol.1, 299). The day of our baptism is for each of us a real birth, a coming into life eternal that has no end, and in this way it is the fundamental starting point of our lives. Recently, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to learn the date of their baptism and to celebrate it as a real “birthday”, such is the importance of that day in each of our lives. WHY BAPTIZING YOUR BABY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN ... Read More »
Our Savior Has Appeared to Us
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 1/05/24
Our Christmas celebration reaches its fulfillment, and today we celebrate the highpoint of these Sacred Feasts. On Christmas, our Lord appeared on the earth, but this appearance was limited in scope: Mary had known His presence since the Incarnation, and Joseph and a select few others learned of ... Read More »
Behold, Your Mother
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/28/23
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and tomorrow we will celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. These feasts give us a good opportunity to reflect on the witness and example of the entire Holy Family, but also in a more specific way to ... Read More »
Vicar's Corner: The Joy of Friendship with Christ
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/21/23
The Christmas season brings us much joy. This joy comes especially through the celebration of the true reason for Christmas: the coming of Christ as Messiah, to free us from our sins.
Leading up to Christmas we heard a lot in the Gospels about John the Baptist, whose ... Read More »
Ero Cras: Tomorrow I Will Come
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/21/23
Here we are, on the threshold of the sacred commemoration of Our Lord’s Nativity. And I pray these Advent days have been fruitful for all of us as we prepare to receive the Lord anew into our lives. There is a beautiful unfolding of the Sacred Liturgy that ... Read More »
Vicar's Corner: Why Does God Allow Evil?
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/14/23
Many bad things happen in our world and in our own lives. We see major world events that cause suffering and loss of life. We experience suffering and sorrow in our own lives. Many different things are bad or even evil. We see the physical suffering and death ... Read More »
Rejoice in the Lord Always
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/12/23
This command, taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, is the entrance antiphon for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, from which this Sunday gets its traditional nickname: Gaudete Sunday, which means “(You all) Rejoice Sunday”. St. Paul sets a high bar; he wants us to know that our ... Read More »
Christ is Coming! Are You Ready?
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/12/23
With Christmas falling on Monday, the whole Advent season is as short as it can possibly be – already, Christmas is just two weeks away. In some way this gives more urgency to Jesus’ command to “be watchful and alert” so that He may not come suddenly and ... Read More »
Vicar's Corner: Knowing God’s Will Through the Authority of the Church
Posted by St. Henry Parish on 12/07/23
Knowing God’s will is often difficult when it comes to the complicated situations of our lives. One thing that makes it easier to know His will is to know what God would not ask us to do. The first thing to remember is that God will not ask ... Read More »