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The Ordinary time of the year makes up the largest part of our liturgical calendar, and it represents our day-by-day life in this world, as we deal with our daily responsibilities to God, Church, family, friends, work, school and our community and nation; in other words, everything that we are “ordinarily” called to do in our daily lives. These summer months, during which we have more time to relax and catch up on what we find ourselves saying we have no time for due to our busy schedules, provide us with a great opportunity to remind ourselves of what is important in our lives, and to renew our commitments to all the ordinarily important relationships in our lives.

May is the month that is filled with memorable events and celebrations of all kinds, from sacramental moments of First Communions and Confirmations, to the beginning of the College and High School Graduation season. Of course, we cannot forget Mother’s Day (May 13th), the day we celebrate the heart of every family and the one who remains so important to each of us, whether our mother is already living in Heaven or is still here with us on earth. And as we celebrate our natural mothers in May, we also devote this entire month of May to special devotions to our Blessed Mother. Yes, May is memorable and filled with good reasons to celebrate.

“is is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Alleluia” at beautiful statement is the refrain from the responsorial psalm for Easter Sunday. it is a part of psalm 118, a powerful (and lengthy) psalm of anksgiving, and one with which we are more than likely very familiar, with verses such as “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever….By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.” e psalm, proclaimed by King David many generations before Jesus came into the world, anticipated that great “Day of the lord” when all things — all creation — all humanity would be made new.

Bishop Bradley's monthly column from February 2018 - Does Lent qualify as one of the reasons why February, for me, is one of my favorite months? It certainly does, because Lent brings us an “early Spring”; and Springtime is (at least for me) the best season of the year.

Bishop Bradley's monthly column from December 2017 - ​​​​​​​Christmas really is the most joyful time of the year, however, sometimes we can find ourselves ambivalent about the season and even joy-less as we hurry through the days as well as our “to do” list. Rather than focusing on all the extra responsibilities, it would be good to take a step back and prayerfully remember that we are preparing to celebrate the greatest event in the history of humanity.

Bishop Bradley's monthly column from November 2017 - One of my favorite experiences is attending events in any of our parishes where the CCD or Catholic school children make presentations about the lives of the saints. Whatever the method, whether it’s creative costumes or joyful celebrations, the genuine interest in the lives of those saints who inspire us with their examples of faith is a great practice, not only for students, but for all of us.

Bishop Bradley's monthly column from October 2017 - What stood out like a bright light throughout the days of media coverage and storm tracking of those catastrophic days was the countless heartwarming stories of everyday heroes, certainly the first responders, but also ordinary citizens going above and beyond to make life better for their neighbors and friends. And my dear sisters and brothers aren’t we called to live that out every day?