From the Pastor: 6.28.09

FROM THE PASTOR: June 28, 2009 If you haven’t been seeing as much of me on weekends lately, it is because of a series of carry-over obligations from my former assignment at Loyola College in Baltimore, including a number of alumni weddings.  On the weekend of June 12-14, however, I was rendering service to the Maryland and New York Provinces of the Society of Jesus by serving as Master of Ceremonies at their joint ordination ceremony.  I was talking about the experience with a parishioner who suggested that a column about the ordination might be appropriate as we begin...

Homily: 6.28.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – June 28, 6:30 p.m. Pastor, Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B I don’t know what translation it was; but I have never forgotten a time in church when I heard today’s miracle story of the daughter of Jairus from the Gospel of Mark.  In the version I heard, when the messengers came to inform Jairus that his daughter had died, Jesus’ line was translated as: “Fear is useless; what is needed is trust.”  Think on that for a minute.  Fear – like its opposite, hope – is an affective response to what...

Homily: 6.21.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – June 21, 11:30 a.m. Pastor, Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B The first time I swam in the ocean was during my junior year in college, which I was fortunate enough to spend in France.  I had been warned that the surf at Biarritz had a particularly powerful undertow, but having never swum in the ocean before, I had only the vaguest theoretical notion of what that might mean.  Cavorting with my fellow students, I gamely plunged in. Everything was fine until I started heading back to shore.  When I got to...

From the Pastor: 6.21.09

FROM THE PASTOR: June 21, 2009 We are currently in the process of preparing to move our parish archives to the library at St. Joseph’s University Library.  The move, which has been approved by our Historic Preservation Corporation, was envisioned by our late volunteer archivist, Bobbye Burke.  The transfer is being overseen by Maryjane Green, Bobbye’s able assistant and our current volunteer archivist, and by Carmen Croce of the St. Joseph’s University Press, also a member of our HPC. There are two primary reasons for this move.  The first is to insure the proper...

From the Pastor: 6.14.09

FROM THE PASTOR: June 14, 2009 I think about Jesus a lot.  I suppose that’s to be expected in one who has made perpetual vows to be a “companion” of Jesus in the religious order that dares to bear his name; but for me it started even before I became a Jesuit.  It began in earnest when I started graduate studies at Duke at the age of 21.  It was there that I first encountered young Catholics who (probably thanks to their many evangelical Protestant friends) spoke freely about and to Jesus.  It sounds silly, but only then did I begin consciously to realize that for...

From the Pastor: 6.07.09

FROM THE PASTOR: June 7, 2009 I am pleased this week to announce the results of the Parish Pastoral Council elections.  You have chosen Peggy Connolly and Michelle Steinbacher to fill the two vacant seats.  Both are new to the Council. In addition, as was recently announced in the Bulletin, I appointed Camille Fallon to fill the seat vacated by Nick Lorenzetti who chose to resign for personal reasons in March.  Camille will serve out the remaining two years of Nick’s term.  Camille and her six siblings were raised in Morrisville, where her parents continue to...

Homily: 6.07.09

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Trinity Sunday – 6-7-09 Old St. Joseph’s – 9:30 a.m. – Children’s Homily Today is called “Trinity Sunday.”  Does anyone know what the word “trinity” means?  Suppose you ask your mom, “What’s for dessert tonight?” and your mom says, “Tonight we have a ‘trinity’ of desserts…”  Is that a good thing? Let’s try this.  Does anyone know what “a dozen” is?  Have you ever seen an egg carton in your refrigerator that says “one dozen”?  Or maybe your dad has brought home “a dozen” bagels or “a...