Year of St. Paul
St. Paul and the Eucharist
By Deacon Louis S. Malfara “Is not the cup of blessing we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread we break a sharing in the body of Christ?” 1 Cor. 10:16 Last week, in the rectory, a man said to me, “They will be coming to church to get […]
‘Lift high the cross’ in the year of St. Paul
By Deacon Louis S. MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T I was determined that while I was with you I would speak of nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. — 1 Corinthians: 2:2 When I was little, my fraternal grandparents took me on occasion to their church, St. Nicholas, near 8th and Moore Streets in South […]
A closer look reveals St. Paul’s view of women
By Deacon Louis S. MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T When I was enrolled in the diaconate formation program at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, I was eager to study the New Testament, especially the letters of St. Paul. I remember asking our professor this question, “What was St. Paul’s attitude toward women?” I was curious because discussions […]
St. Paul teaches balance of humility, confidence
By Deacon Lou MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T As a manager of a large computer center, I was surrounded by very bright people. One such person was arrogant in dealing with clients and staff. I confronted him about his behavior, especially his demeaning attitude toward others. This behavior was not conducive to team work or to […]
St. Paul shows the way to deeper life of prayer
By Deacon Lou MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T I recently gave a talk to St. William’s Sodality about praying the rosary as a contemplative method, citing the teaching of several saints. As I completed the homily, I remember being frozen in my shoes watching the faces of these venerable ladies, mostly all senior citizens, who have […]
In his writings and life, St. Paul teaches how to pray
“It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)By Deacon Louis MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T I recently gave a talk to St. William Parish’s Sodality about praying the rosary as a contemplative method, citing the teaching of several saints. As I completed the homily, I remember being frozen in […]
The Word of God is active, real and alive
By Deacon Louis MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T A professional writer friend of mine mentioned that words have definitions that can be found in a dictionary, but their meaning rests within the speaker’s heart. It’s in this context that I understand the Eternal Word, Jesus, who is the inherent meaning of the Word. St. John explains […]
Conversion isn’t just a patch job, it’s total transformation
By Deacon Louis S. MalfaraSpecial to The CS&T For many years, the cement front steps, the sidewalk and the landing in front of my house were in constant disrepair. Every spring I got my patching cement and trowel and fixed all the little areas that had eroded throughout the winter months. One of my sons, […]