Lecture Archives
Why We Love Mary – July 2019
Why We Love Mary In Luke 1:26-38,the Evangelist writes about the announcement of the the birth of Jesus:”Hail Mary Full Of Grace The Lord Is With You” The angel goes on telling Mary that her cousin Elizabeth who is barren will also conceive. The particular focus of the Annunciation to Mary is Jesus identity as Son…
Solomon – June 2019
Solomon The Lord was pleased with his prayer for wisdom ! In I Kings chapter 3:5-14, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David, because he behaved…
John 14:6 – May 2019
John 14:6 Brother Knights ! Council # 8157 has decided to reinstate our lecture series previously given by our esteemed Faithful Navigator SK Jim Russell. The series was temporarily halted in order to shorten the length of our monthly meetings. We are now about to restart these lectures via email on a monthly basis…
Lecture No. 54 – August 2018
Several weeks ago, maybe a few months ago, the church observed Vocation Sunday. I usually associate the word “vocation” with a call to the priesthood or possibly the religious life. Members of the religious orders all share a special vocation. Certainly, our Deacons are engaged in a special vocation. The homilist explained that the word…
Lecture No. 53 – April 2018: We are called – Chapter 2
We Are Called Yes, my brother knights. We are called. From the founding of our order in 1882, our order has been based on three principles: charity, unity and fraternity. We have not wavered from these principles but have developed specific means to meet the challenges each principle presents. Initially, we were called to perform…
Lecture 52 – March 2018
We Are Called It was early January. The church’s Christmas season had just ended. I was getting ready for the start of Mass when the cantor announced that Jan. 14 was the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. I thought for a moment that I might have missed something: like, maybe, the First Sunday in Ordinary…
Lecture No. 51 – Christmas
By now, most of us have been “Christmased out.” But I would like to read to you one of two articles that are almost totally unconnected except they both deal a bit with Christmas. I will save the second one for next month. Several years ago, I subscribed to “Smithsonian” magazine. I already had a…
Lecture No. 50 – December 2017
I grew up in what we referred to as “Upstate New York,” more properly western New York. From my earliest years, I was taught that we were “Irish, with a bit of Scotch, English and maybe some Norman French.” Somewhere on my father’s side, there was an Aunt Fitzpatrick. On my mother’s side, there were…
Lecture No. 49 – November 2017
Veterans Day The motorcade made it way down the unfamiliar streets of the city. It was an open vehicle, and the riders waved as was expected to the crowd lining the streets to see this powerful couple. The driver was becoming more and more confused with the unfamiliar streets and the city. He made a…
Lecture No. 49 – October 2017
A few weeks ago, I was on a tour of Ireland. Now, I’m not going to take up your time telling you all about the tour. I’ll save that for next month. I returned home to news that is, to me, grossly confusing. My trip began about a week after Harvey had devastated southeast Texas….
Lecture No. 48 – September 2017
For almost 30 years, whenever the reader began, “A reading from the Book of Jeremiah,” I would look to the lady sitting next to me in choir and whisper, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.” She would reply, “was a good friend of mine.” And together we would finish with, “I never understood a single word he…
Lecture No. 47 – August 2017
I have heard tell that we can all thank Vice President and presidential candidate Al Gore for the Internet. I used to look forward to the arrival of the postman. I still do but not for the same reasons. Instead I turn on the PC and open my email account to see if anyone has…