Homily: 5.30.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J., Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 5/30/10 – 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. The story is told that one day, St. Augustine was walking along the water’s edge at the seashore, struggling to come up with an explanation of the Holy Trinity which his congregants could understand.  In his abstraction, he nearly walked into a small boy who was seated on the beach.  The little fellow was patiently scooping up sea water with a shell and pouring it into a hole he had dug in the sand.  Smiling, the gentle-hearted...

From the Pastor: 5.30.10

FROM THE PASTOR: May 30, 2010 You may recall that a while back, I was inspired by an article in “Commonweal” to write about the vital role which women play in our Church, both globally and locally.  Well, recently, another article from the same magazine caught my eye.  It ran in the 4/23/10 issue, under the title “Sins of Admission: Why Wouldn’t Gay Parents Pick a Catholic School?”  The article was prompted, of course, by the kerfuffle which took place in Boulder, CO in early March of this year, when the pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic School decided that a...

From the Pastor: 5.23.10

FROM THE PASTOR: May 23, 2010 Fr. Jim Martin, S.J., a Philadelphia-area native who spoke about saints here at OSJ last year, has published a new book: The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.  I have to say that I am not wild about the title – it will only serve to confirm the convictions of our detractors who accuse us Jesuits of being arrogant and condescending!  I haven’t got to the book yet myself – too many e-mails, phone calls, and other books on my desk – but several people have told me that it is (typical of Fr. Jim) well-written, entertaining, and...

Homily: 5.23.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia Pentecost – 5-23-10 – 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. The Holy Spirit, whose coming we celebrate on this great feast of Pentecost, is perhaps the least thought about and talked about person of the Blessed Trinity.  There are good reasons for this.  For one thing, theology of the Spirit was the last area of Trinitarian thought to be developed.  Even in the New Testament, if we compare references to the Holy Spirit with references to the Father and the Son, we might conclude that Christians believe in about...

From the Pastor: 5.16.10

From the Pastor & the EIFCOM Chair: May 16, 2010 I recently gave a workshop to several groups on the “paschal mystery.”  Liturgy “types” (like myself and Norm Gouin) tend to throw that term around freely in this post-Vatican II period; but I am not entirely convinced that it has yet become a “household word,” even for Catholics.  Briefly, it refers to the core events of our salvation – the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ – taken as a unified whole.  We are, of course, in the paschal season now, and will be through the celebration...

Homily: 5.13.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia Ascension Thursday – 5-13-10 – 7:30 p.m. The Ascension is the neglected stepchild of the Paschal Mystery.  We focus plenty on the suffering and death of Jesus, not only on Good Friday, but throughout the liturgical year.  We spend seven weeks after Easter focusing on the meaning and impact of the Resurrection.  And we think often of the ongoing impact of the Spirit’s coming which we will soon celebrate at Pentecost.  But the Ascension is a bit like Philadelphia – a spot which most people...

Homily: 5.9.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 6th Sunday of Easter C – 5-9-10 – 5:30 p.m. Vigil & 11:30 a.m. Her name was Peace Pilgrim, at least from her 45th year onward.  I could tell you her real name, but I feel pretty sure that she would say it was unimportant.  She changed the name herself on January 1, 1953, when she began what she considered her true vocation – living simply, fasting, walking, and witnessing for peace.  By 1964, when she stopped counting miles, she had walked 25,000 miles for peace in Canada and the United...

From the Pastor: 5.9.10

FROM THE PASTOR: May 9, 2010 I spent the past couple of weeks clearing out Fr. Joe McGovern’s room.  This is one of the duties of a Jesuit “local superior” – a “hat” I wear in addition to my “pastor” headgear.  It was an interesting experience – bittersweet, as you might imagine.  When my parents passed away in late 2006 and early 2007, I was 7 hours away by car; so while I did what I could by phone and on my occasional home visits, the primary “caregivers” were my sister and brother. Fr. Joe, on the other hand, is the first of my Jesuit...

From the Pastor: 5.2.10

FROM THE PASTOR: May 2, 2010 I baptized a baby boy this morning.  My day began when the beeper went off at 6:45 a.m.  and I was informed that little Francis Jacob (not his real name) was on his way into the world – too soon, alas, for him to be able to survive outside the womb, even in an incubator.  His parents were exhausted after a long night of labor; and of course, they were grief stricken.  Clinging to their faith, they seem to have found some comfort in seeing Francis baptized during his all-too-brief but still precious life.  (By the way, I defy the doubters...

Homily: 5.2.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia, PA 5th Sunday of Easter C – 5-2-10 – 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. A good friend of mine, a former priest, recently bought his first ever new car.  I haven’t seen the vehicle itself yet, but I can certainly hear my friend’s enthusiasm and excitement over the phone.  He loves what we all love about a new car: it is all clean and pristine, even under the hood; the odometer is still showing single digits; the finish shows no mars, scratches, or dings; and the inside has that unique “new car” smell. I...