From the Pastor: 4.26.09

FROM THE PASTOR: April 26, 2009 Having written a bit last week about my sense of our immediate future direction as a parish faith community, I thought it might be appropriate this week to lay out my “spiritual vision.”  This is what I hope you have been hearing, and will be hearing, in my preaching, teaching, and writing at Old St. Joseph’s. First off, when I preach (like most preachers), to some degree I am always speaking to myself.  By that, I mean that the themes and challenges which I address or wonder out loud about generally emerge from my own prayer and...

Homily: 4.26.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor – 3rd Sunday of Easter Old St. Joseph’s Church – Philadelphia 4-26-09 – 5:30 p.m. (Sat.) and 7:30 a.m. The resurrection has happened; the incarnation continues.  And the disciples in Luke’s gospel are “startled” and “terrified.”  How are they supposed to react, after all, when their teacher and friend, whom they know to have been tortured and killed, is standing once again “in their midst.”  Their first thought, no doubt, is that grief and fear have unhinged them – that they have actually lost their minds.  Either...

From the Pastor: 4.19.09

FROM THE PASTOR: April 19, 2009 In one of these columns a couple of months ago, I reviewed the first six months of my pastorate.  In the spirit of Easter and new life, I thought I might share here my tentative and still evolving vision for where I hope we might be headed over the next several years together.  First and foremost, I see myself encouraging all of us to work toward implementing our fine Parish Pastoral Plan.  I want, with diverse help from many constituents, to ensure that the plan is widely known, embraced, and faithfully followed in our parish...

Homily: 4.19.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 2nd Sunday of Easter – 4-19-09 – 6:30 p.m. “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.”  “Thomas said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’”  “Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving,...

Homily: 4.12.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia Easter Sunday – 11:30 p.m. – 4-12-09 What must that first Easter morning have been like for the friends and followers of Jesus?  They had, after all, witnessed – or at least, had heard about in some detail – the terrible suffering and death of this man whom they called Master, Teacher, friend.  Betrayed by one of his own followers who later took his own life.  Arrested and tried by both high priests, Annas and Caiaphas.  Condemned as a blasphemer.  Denied three times by his trusted friend...

From the Pastor: 4.12.09

FROM THE PASTOR: April 12, 2009 In the spirit of Easter and new life, I wanted to share with the parish about an exciting program which took place here at Old St. Joe’s in late February and early March.  A Jesuit friend and former colleague of mine from Loyola College in Baltimore had contacted me late last fall to inquire about a possible faith-based service experience which he was hoping to lead during the college’s spring break.  The decision to use the house at the corner of Willings Alley and 3rd Street – the use of which was left to us by the late Dr. Roshen...

Homily: 4.11.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia Easter Vigil – 7:30 p.m. – 4-11-09 There are few biblical verses that move me more deeply than the 5th verse of the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel: “the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  Think back a bit to earlier this evening…  Could you not feel the power of that verse from John as you walked past the dancing light of the Easter fire which penetrated the gathering gloom of night as you made your way into church?  And could you not feel the...

Homily: 4.05.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church – April 5, 2009 Palm/Passion Sunday – 11:30 a.m. “The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.”  Why is it called that?  Wondering, I decided to do some research into the word itself.  An online unabridged dictionary says that the word first came to refer to Christ’s sufferings, or to the Biblical accounts of them, in late Middle English in the 12th century.  English took it from Old French, which in turn derived it from Medieval Latin; I am guessing that was from the Latin Vulgate Bible of...

From the Pastor: 4.05.09

FROM THE PASTOR: Palm Sunday, April 5, 2009 FIRE, WATER AND FOOD: An exploration of the symbolic richness of the Easter sacraments. FIRE AND LIGHT From darkness to light!  The symbol of light created by the new fire is one of the first dynamic symbols that usher in the climax of the liturgical year, the celebration of the Paschal Vigil.  The fire is blessed, the Easter candle is lit, and the flame is passed from the Easter Candle: “Christ our Light!”  “All light comes from him.  We pass it to one another; we become a source of light for one another and then...