From the Pastor: 8.29.10

FROM THE PASTOR: August 29, 2010 I have just arrived back a few days ago from nearly two weeks away.  During that time, I made a wonderful retreat with other Jesuits at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, NY (Long Island).  I also spent about five days with an old friend in Pittsburgh.  Earlier this summer, I was away for ten days for “Jesuit Superiors’ School” in Santa Clara, CA, and I also had about five relaxing days at Wildwood, NJ, with friends.  The good news is that the parish was still here – and apparently thriving – after each of my absences. ...

Homily: 8.29.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 22nd Sunday OT-C (8-29-10) – 9:30 a.m. This is from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Chapter 16: I found Uriah Heep reading a great fat book, with such demonstrative attention, that his lank forefinger followed up every line as he read, and made clammy tracks along the page (or so I fully believed) like a snail. ‘You are working late tonight, Uriah,’ says I. ‘Yes, Master Copperfield,’ says Uriah.   ‘I am improving my legal knowledge, Master Copperfield,’...

From the Pastor: 8.22.10

FROM THE PASTOR: August 22, 2010 This week I offer the third (and final) “little way of praying” from the “Spiritual Exercises”; hopefully, some of you have been finding these simple approaches to prayer helpful during the “dog days” of August. This third “method” (“Sp Ex #258-260) focuses on our breath.  This embodied approach to prayer, if we think about it, is fairly consistent with the incarnational emphasis of Ignatian spirituality overall.  We may recall, for example, that earlier in the “Exercises,” Ignatius pays significant attention to...

Homily: 8.22.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J., Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 21st Sunday in OT (C) – 8-22-10 – 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The U.S. draft lottery was revived for the Vietnam War in December of 1969; at that time, there had been no draft since 1942.  Hollow plastic balls containing each date of the calendar year were drawn by hand; and the first one picked was September 14, which meant that all eligible registrants born on that date would be the first to be drafted into military service. My own turn came two years later, in August of 1971, when order-of-call numbers...

From the Pastor: 8.15.10

FROM THE PASTOR: August 15, 2010 This week, I want to introduce you to the second “little method” of praying from the “Spiritual Exercises.”  In this method, you will spend time ruminating on the meaning of each word or phrase from a familiar rote prayer (like the Our Father or the Hail Mary). The first step – common to any and all Ignatian prayer – is to relax and to “recollect” yourself.  It involves quieting the body and mind and reflecting on what you are about – namely, that you are changing gears, making a transition from the busy, distracting...

Homily: 8.15.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J., Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia Assumption of the BVM – 8-15-10 5:30 p.m. Vigil (8-14) and 9:30 a.m. (Children’s homily) Happy feast of the Assumption!  I always feel that this is one of the most confusing and challenging Marian feasts; in fact, I have been known to say, when preaching this feast, that the only “assumption” we can make is that Mary is in heaven! First off, of course, the feast suffers from scheduling problems; it falls on August 15 when lots of people are on vacation.  And locally, of course, vacationers at the...

From the Pastor: 8.8.10

FROM THE PASTOR: August 8, 2010 During the “dog days” of summer, what with the oppressive heat and vacation travel, maybe you’re looking for some easy ways to pray.  I thought, therefore, that I might spend three weeks sharing three “little” methods of simple praying which St. Ignatius includes in the “Spiritual Exercises” (#238-260). The first of these “methods” is for praying with familiar parts of faith and experience: e.g., the ten commandments, the seven deadly sins, the three powers of the soul, or the five senses of the body.  Just in case some...

From the OSJ Archives: 8.1.10

From the Archives: August 1, 2010 The French have a saying: “Plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose.”  That roughly translates to: “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”  I was reminded of this recently when I received from our trusty archivist, Maryjane Green, a transcription of the diary of Joseph Donath, who had the dubious honor of serving as secretary and treasurer of the building committee which oversaw the construction of our present church.  The diary begins in May 1838 and concludes in February 1839 with the completion and...