Fr. Gerald E. Murray

  Summer is a good time to reflect upon Our Lord’s words to his busy disciples: “‘Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” (Mark 6:31) This reminds me of how the Marine Staff Sergeant... Read More →

    The celebration of Independence Day, the Fourth of July, reminds all Americans of the many blessings we have received as a nation. Freedom from Great Britain was won by the heroic persistence of the Continental Army led by General George Washington, and through the... Read More →

  The expression “he has the patience of a saint” is fitting praise for someone who puts up with difficulty, displaying noteworthy calm and grace when most of us succumb to exasperation and anger. In the way they live their lives, saintly people teach us that it is possible... Read More →

  At the Lamb’s high feast we sing, praise to our victorious King, Who has washed us in the tide flowing from His piercèd side. Easter triumph, Easter joy! This alone can sin destroy; From sin’s power, Lord, set us free, newborn souls in You to be.  The beautiful... Read More →

    The sacred season of Lent, when we join in spirit with Jesus in his forty days of fasting in the desert, is upon us. We are called to contemplate the misery our sins, but more importantly, our hope in the One who died for all mankind. The reality of our sinfulness... Read More →

    The death of Pope Benedict XVI on December 31, 2022, brought an end to the earthly pilgrimage of this great servant of the servants of God. Joseph Ratzinger’s sacred journey to eternal life began at the baptismal font of his parish church in Marktl, Bavaria, on... Read More →

  Four Sundays on the Church’s liturgical calendar are dedicated to prayerful expectation of God’s coming among us as a newborn child. We are full of joy as we prepare to celebrate his birth, an event that forever changed our world for the better. Those who are blessed to... Read More →

  When we pray on a daily basis, we fulfill God’s intention that we be united to him in thought and affection. Prayer is the fruit of our love for the One who made us and redeemed us. Prayer is a kind of conversation with God: We speak to him using either set prayers or... Read More →

  I read with sorrow the obituary [Norah Vincent, Who Chronicled Passing as a Man, Is Dead at 53 – The New York Times (nytimes.com)] of Norah Vincent, who, at age 53, committed medically-assisted suicide in Switzerland on July 6. I did not know of her previously. It is... Read More →

    The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson overturning Roe v. Wade is a blessing from God for which we are eternally grateful. The spurious 49-year-old right to abortion concocted by Harry Blackmun has been repudiated by conscientious justices who acknowledge... Read More →