Please check our schedule updates page for the Mass, Confession, Adoration, and Devotions schedule during the Week. Please keep checking often for any changes.
Voting 2020
In just a few weeks, Americans will again have the opportunity to elect various government officials. Our Founding Fathers were not perfect. That said, when they founded this Democratic Republic, they established an incredible system wherein every person would have an equal vote to elect representatives to govern the country.
As Catholics, our Faith, established by Almighty God in Jesus Christ, is our guide as how to apply moral principles so as to cast a vote which is a good action rather than a bad action. Voting is a moral action: it is either virtuous or sinful. Some would say the Church should stay out of politics. True and false. When priests in various countries have tried to run for politics, the Church has told them to choose the priesthood or politics. That said, the Church as the Moral Teacher in the world, must address and judge policies that various candidates may espouse. What of a society that ceases to incorporate principles of Natural Law and Christian charity? If no one has a right to life; a right to religious liberty; a right to private property? How long can it endure?
In 2012 Pope Benedict XVI wrote a document entitled, ‘Sacramentum Caritatis’ wherein he explained there are Three Non-Negotiables that a Catholic may never compromise:
Sanctity of Life
Sanctity of Marriage
Religious Liberty
At times people wish to confuse issues related to life as all equal. Some may say immigration, the death penalty, abortion and euthanasia are equal. They are not. Abortion and euthanasia are inherently evil; they can NEVER be good or allowed. They are the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. As a Catholic, one may never support abortion
Marriage between a man and a woman is an absolute, objective good as God established it. So called ‘same-sex marriage’ is inherently wrong; no child can come forth from it. You will notice that not too long ago we were told to ‘tolerate’ others’ choices. Do they tolerate ours now? Will they?
Religious Liberty is an absolute that may never be compromised. Whether to live out one’s beliefs without harassment in business or in attendance at Mass, religious liberty is innate to the human person. There are those running for public office who would require Catholic institutions to pay for abortifacient drugs for employees.
The pre-eminent issue, of course, is abortion and the right to life upon which all other rights are built. What is a candidate’s voting record on abortion? Even if a candidate says he/she cares about the sanctity of human life, what has been his/her actions? One may even say he/she is a faithful Catholic. Has he/she supported abortion? Facts are facts. One can easily find the answers from faithful Catholic entities – for example, National Catholic Register. One can also just read each party’s platform.
May we vote as Catholics this year who are faithful to Jesus Christ in all elements of our lives.
God bless
FRVW
Homily for the 19th Sunday After Pentecost (EF 10/18)
“…One of the continual themes you have of all the saints who give a chance to the mystics to tell us a sign to tell us is that if they could come back to earth and suffer a little bit more for Jesus, for His glory, they’ll be more than happy to do so…”
Homily for 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (OF 10/18)
“;Repay to Cesar what belongs to Cesar, and to God what belongs to God’…The inscription on the coin was Cesar’s, his image was on that coin, Our Lord’s image in on our souls…”
Welcome to Holy Trinity Fr. Bork!
Welcome to Holy Trinity Father Vincent Bork!
Fr. Bork is coming to us from St. Rita Church in Alexandria. Fr. Bork was born in Evansville, Indiana, graduated from Notre Dame University and then earned a doctorate in physics from Washington University in St. Louis. He taught at Christendom College in Front Royal before entering Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
After his ordination to the priesthood in 1995, he served as parochial vicar of St. Michael Church in Annandale as his first assignment as a priest. He has spent the last twenty-five years at many parishes all around the diocese and we are excited to welcome him to Holy Trinity as parochial vicar.
Please be sure to say hello and give him a warm welcome!
Middle school hike!
If you are in grades 6, 7, or 8 … or you know someone that is, please consider joining us on October 24 at Prince William Forest Park for a middle school hike! You’ll need to sign-up to save a spot, and all of the event details (packing list, times, etc.) can be found on the sign-up, here:
https://forms.gle/4egro1HpxsAfM3CZ6
Friends are welcomed, but we need to be sure we have enough adults to take everyone…compliant parents and volunteers, please consider joining us! The sign-up link above has more details on this, too. And please email Paul with any questions: youthministry@holytrinityparish.net.
We hope to see you there!
Homily for the External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary (EF 10/4)
“….If you want my vote change what you stand for, until then, you’re disqualified from receiving my vote if you’re pro abortion, pro euthanasia, assisted suicide, pro same sex marriage, pro limiting religious liberty….”
Homily for 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (OF 10/4)
“Bishop Burbidge writes, ‘this year we have an opportunity to take direct actions supporting the unborn and vulnerable by bringing our convictions with us into the voting booths…”
Revolution and Our Lady of Fatima
1917 saw one of the bloodiest revolutions in history: the Communist Revolution in Russia. That said, communism has never limited itself to Russia. When Pope Pius XI condemned communism in the 1930s, he wrote the encyclical in Latin – for the whole world (as opposed to the two encyclicals condemning Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany were written in Italian and German respectively).
1917 also witnessed the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three poor shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. On July 13, 1917 Our Lady showed the children Hell. She also spoke to them of the sins and offenses against her Son that had caused World War I and would possibly lead to another war if mankind did not repent of its offenses against Jesus. To avoid impending suffering, Our Lady asked the children to spread the following message (which is relevant today):
Mary said, “To prevent this I come to ask the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If they listen to my requests, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not she will scatter her errors through the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyrized, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and it will be converted and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world.” (The First Saturday Communion of reparation is to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of each month in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.)
In other apparitions Blessed Mother asked the children to pray the Rosary for the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady’s promise has come true as in 1984 St. John Paul II consecrated Russia to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. It was soon thereafter that communism in Eastern Europe fell, beginning in Poland. The Catholic Faith is free in most of the former ‘Eastern Bloc’. Communism also fell as a political party in Russia, though there are many ‘former communists’ in power. The Catholic Faith is ‘mostly free’ to operate in Russia today.
Was there bloodshed in this Revolution of Our Lady? The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe was, for the most part, a bloodless revolution led by Our Lady
Herself through Pope St. John Paul II. It was this pope who consecrated himself to Our Lady as a 20 year old. He loved to pray the Rosary daily. He was miraculously spared by an assassin’s bullet on May 13, 1981 – the anniversary of the first apparition of Fatima. It was this saint who was ordained a priest in secret during the communist rule of Poland. He consecrated his papacy to Our Lady. He it was who led this revolution through the Rosary, his courageous teaching and courageous action.
In the midst of an attempt to a social revolution in our country to socialism and a removal of a government ‘by the people’, may we follow Our Lady’s words to pray the Rosary daily and make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and peace! May we learn from St. John Paul II to use the weapon of Truth in action to shine on the errors of darkness that seek acceptance of immorality as well as limit our freedoms, especially our religious liberty!
God bless
FRVW
Homily for the 17th Sunday After Pentecost (EF 9/27)
“…We must pray fervently, that the best candidates are indeed elected, in the humble and trustful and persevering spirit of the alleluia verse, ‘O Lord hear my prayer, let my cry come unto thee”…”
Homily for 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (OF 9/27)
“…God’s ways are not unfair, we think that because sometimes life is hard for us, and we get frustrated in our sins …”
