The King's Corner

  Due to audio difficulties there will be no video of the pageant click for photo's  

click to watch video of the ceremony

Homily for The First Sunday of Advent Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

If you were unable to attend or would like to share our special Thanksgiving Mass click The Mass

Readings for today's Homily Semper Fi is the well-known motto for the Marines.  “Fi” means short for Fidelis—“always faithful.”  Not as well known as the motto for the Coast Guard, which also uses Latin.  It’s “Semper Paratus,” which means, “always prepared.” It would behoove us in these last days of the liturgical year to adopt Semper Paratus, that we are always prepared.  The readings in these last days of the year, as far as the liturgy is concerned, point to the end of time—to the final judgment.  The First Reading today is the reaper that comes, which is kind of adopted by culture.  We talk about the grim reaper coming with his sickle.  But in the reading, there are two reapers—one for the good and one for the bad. Maybe if we put both motto's together; if we are always faithful, then we are always prepared.

Come join us tonight...

  click "Pastor's Appreciation Night" to view photo's from the evening.

Homily for The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

The first thing I'd like to say, is, this is my take on the book of Proverbs, one of the Wisdom books.  Now let us visualize our church as Wife, next visualize Jesus the Christ as the bridegroom who is married to the church, which is, you and me.  Now let us change some of the words of the "Ode to a Capable Wife." How do we find a capable wife?  She is more precious than jewels.  Do we understand who we are? as wife, as church? The heart of her husband, this is Jesus the Christ who trusts in her, He trusts us and He will have no lack of gain.  He gives generously because He is the Lord of abundance.  So too she gives generously.  She does Him good and not harm, all the days of her life.  She does nothing to embarrass Him.  She works with her willing hands in order to provide for her household and for those in need.  She opens her hands to the poor and the needy and she is not afraid of Winter as she and her family shares their clothing with them.  She has a good s

Homily for The Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

This past weekend we celebrated our grandson’s 11th birthday. His birthday was actually on Halloween but due to scheduling, the family portion, including all of the cousins, aunts and uncles, was celebrated on Saturday. We had a lot of fun together with the highlight being the opening of presents topped off with grandma’s Hummingbird Cupcakes. Three dozen cupcakes don’t go very far with six grand-kids around. The few that were left were finished off for breakfast the next morning. Having all our children and grandchildren together made me realize once again that family is all important. After breakfast Sunday, grandpa had to take his walk so our eleven year old grandson, our son, and my wife took off for the mountains for a change of pace instead of walking in the neighborhood. What a beautiful venue on a beautiful fall day. Our goal was The Whale Rock. After finding our way on the trail through the woods and avoiding most the horse droppings, many hidden by leaves which made it

On this Veterans Day, let us remember all those men and women who gave selflessly of their lives to protect and defend our freedoms. Thank you for your service. Veteran's Day Prayer God of compassion, God of dignity and strength, Watch over the veterans of the United States In recognition of their loyal service to our nation. Bless them with wholeness and love. Shelter them. Heal their wounds, Comfort their hearts. Grant them peace. God of justice and truth, Rock of our lives, Bless our veterans, These men and women of courage and valor, With a deep and abiding understanding Of our profound gratitude. Protect them and their families from loneliness and want. Grant them lives of joy and bounty. May their dedication and honor Be remembered as a blessing From generation to generation. Blessed are You, Protector and Redeemer, Our Shield and our Stronghold. Taken from a blog you might be interested in called " A Concord Pastor Comments ". Dea

Homily for The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

A lady was driving through the countryside one day when she saw a sign outside a farm that said "talking dog for sale." She decided she would check it out. She went in, met the farmer and enquired about the dog. The farmer informed her that the dog was "out back." The lady went around the house where she saw a very elegant German Shepherd just lying there. She approached the dog and reluctantly said "can you talk." The dog propped himself up and responded: ”Yep, sure can.”Immediately the woman asked the dog to explain his whole life to her. In response, the dog described how he had worked for the CIA for years… sitting at the feet of diplomats all over the world and taking in and relaying all the top secret information he could back to Langley.  The woman was amazed, she asked the farmer how much he wanted for the dog."Ten dollars"said the farmer. "Wow, why so cheap for such an amazing dog? asked the lady. The farmer turned to her and sai

Christmas (yes, Christmas) is just beyond the horizon, although even in some stores now, it’s front and center.   This is the time when the Word became incarnate.  It’s also the time for us to remember those in need.  It’s when we find many on the streets who are homeless and sad.  We’re to be the Word for them and not walk on by.   I’m reminded of Christmas and those left behind by Country Western singer Willie Nelson whose Christmas CD I recently found in Mary’s Closet – the thrift shop of Corpus Christi in Sandwich.   Listen to “Pretty Paper,” and you’ll know what I mean. Deacon David Pierce

Big News!?   “Big Bang theory does not contradict role of God,” so says a late October headline describing Pope Francis’ address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.  Okaaay.  Since when did we think it was a contradiction?   Actually, not too many people understand the Big Bang (who can blame them?) when 13.8 billion years ago our entire visible universe was contained in an unimaginably hot, dense point – a billionth the size of a nuclear particle.  Say what!!??    Then “BANG!!”  Our Milky Way Galaxy is one of 100 billion galaxies all flying apart as the universe expands.  Now the farthest observable edge of our expanding universe is 47 billion light years away.  Beyond the edge is unknown to us.  Say what??!!    Consider that the Milky Way alone has up to 400 billion stars of different size and brightness.  The Way is about 120,000 light years across meaning that light traveling at 186,000 miles per second takes 120,000 years to get from one side to the other.  If we travele

Are we losers?   Yes, we are.   In his 2008 book “Once Upon a Gospel,” Father William Bausch said: “Christianity is for losers: for those who have lost virtue, hope, pride, position, wealth, health, and life.   It is for those who have lost everything and found themselves, as a result, open to God’s tender mercies.”   Eventually and for all of us, we lose one or more of those things, and we need the ever-present love and mercy of God to see us through. Today’s Gospel reading gives us parables and speaks of “losers.”   A man lost a sheep.   A woman lost a coin.   Although not mentioned, a man lost his son – the third parable in Luke 15.    But the lost can be found by the “hunter” who we know is Jesus: the shepherd, the woman, the father.    He never relents to find us when we are lost and sometimes feel as if we’re in hell and need a guide to find our way out. Jesus’ hunt reminds us of the famous poem written by Francis Thompson (1859-1907): “The Hound of Heaven.”   It r

Psalm 27 is quoted today, but only a few bits and pieces.  Much is left out.  Ever wonder about those missing parts?  It begins with #1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?”    It ends with #s 13-14: “Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.”  We have just one in-between passage (#4).  It’s a beautiful psalm.  When read from start to finish, we appreciate it’s a psalm that understands our doubt, but at the same time, it gives us strength in times of trouble.  For example: “Do not hide your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger. You are my salvation; do not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my savior!” On the other hand, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?  The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall…For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, he will conceal me in t

The Little Red Hen found a grain of wheat and asked for help from the other farmyard animals (pig, cat, and frog) to plant it, but none volunteered.  When harvesting, threshing, milling the wheat into flour, and then baking the flour into bread, the hen again asked for help, but again she got no assistance.  At long last, the hen asked would help her eat the bread.   Now, all eagerly volunteered.  She turned them away reminding them that no one came to her aid when she did all the preparation. The hen ate the bread with her chicks leaving none for anyone else. Does this story sound familiar?   It’s a well-known children’s story.  It sounds a lot like today’s  Gospel story according to Luke who said: “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.  When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’  But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.”

Today’s Gospel reading should be emblazoned on the door of our Food Pantry – one of our St. Vincent DePaul’s Society’s missions.   It reads: “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.  Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Our Food Pantry volunteers expect no repayment.  Neither do all the donors who provide food out of the goodness of their hearts.  As noted on the CTK webpage describing the Food Pantry: “The main source of our food comes from the Greater Boston Food Bank, without it we would not be able to furnish the quality and variety of foods.  We provide eggs, cheese, canned vegetables and a variety of meats and fish.  We also receive free food from th

Homily for The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Readings for today's Homily Please excuse the poor quality, this was filmed during a power outage.

We’ve all heard the expressions: “He’s a poor soul.”…“She has soulful eyes.”… “Songs to soothe the soul”….“Soul music”…“Dark night of the soul”…“Soul sister”…“He’s a tortured soul.”…”Lost souls.”  The word “soul” and the phrases in which it is used conjure up all sorts of images. Then there is: “Now I lay me done to sleep.  I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”  What do we pray the Lord to keep and then take?  This popular prayer makes it seem that our soul is separate from God who will take it when we die.   This “taking” prompts us to ask: “What is a soul?  Is our soul separate from God?”   And, referring to our first reading, what happens to “unjust” souls?   According to the Book of Wisdom, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God…”   Do the “unjust” slip and flow though God’s open “fingers?”