Father Dan O'Reilly

Pastor of St. Philip Neri Church in The Bronx

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

Paul Morphy was born to a prominent Catholic family in New Orleans in 1837. Without formal training, he became one of the greatest chess players of all time. Admired by Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and even Beth Harmon (from the Queen's Gambit) he died July 10, 1884.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

The first Chinese martyr was a Spanish Dominican friar, Fr. Francisco Fernandez de Capillas (d.1648). On July 9, we honor 120 martyrs between 1648 and 1930, of which 87 were native-born Chinese Christians and 33 were foreign-born missionaries from various religious communities.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

"May Christ come to our house..& by his command cure the fever of our sins. Each one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger I have a fever. There are as many fevers as there are faults & vices. Let us beg the apostles to intercede for us with Jesus." St. Jerome

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

It has been said that without the priesthood, there is no Eucharist; and without the Eucharist, there is no Church. Remember the words of the Lord, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

St. Maria Goretti appeared to her murderer in prison and pleaded for Alessandro Serenelli to repent. He converted and eventually attended her canonization.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

The only Catholic signer of the Declaration was Charles Carroll. He was also the only one bold enough to include where he lived in MD "Carrollton." His cousin John was the first bishop in the United States and the founder of Georgetown.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

"America seeks no earthly empire built on blood and force...The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God." - Pres. Calvin Coolidge, b. July 4, 1872

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

What did Thomas doubt - the Resurrection? Maybe indirectly. He directly doubted the eyewitness testimony of his brother Apostles about the Risen Lord. He believed only when he saw for himself. Jesus used Thomas to teach us not to doubt those chosen by God to teach all nations.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

A Catholic from County Wicklow, John Fitzgerald emigrated to VA in 1769. In 1775, he joined the Continental Army, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel as an aide-de-camp of General George Washington. They became life-long friends and died within weeks of each other in December 1799.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

This statue of St. Junipero Serra was given to Statuary Hall in the US Capitol building in 1931 to represent the state of California. Born in Spain in 1713, he taught theology for years before coming to the New World in 1750, where he established nine missions on the West Coast.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

We see the divinity and the humanity of Christ in the miracle of the calming of the storm. He is so exhausted that He is able to sleep through this awful tempest. Yet the living Word of God rebukes nature and restores peace.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

The altarpiece at Corpus Christi, NYC by Valentine d'Ogries (1947) features SS. Peter and Paul. The keys'of Peter represent forgiveness and the sword of Paul represents martyrdom and sacrifice. Their authority in the Church comes from Christ who is both King and High Priest.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

"Pythagoras [was] a boxer; he heard his teacher discuss the immortality of the soul..he was so enthralled..he dedicated himself to..philosophy. But what little old woman..does not know that the soul is immortal? Faith is capable of much more than philosophy." Aquinas, 'Attendite'

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

St. Dominic Savio died at 14. After his First Communion, he wrote "I will go to Confession often & as frequently to Holy Communion as my confessor allows. I wish to sanctify the Sundays & festivals in a special manner. My friends shall be Jesus and Mary. Death rather than sin."

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

"I was born out of due time in the sense that by temperament and talent I should have been more suited for the life of a small Bach, living in anonymity and composing regularly for an established service and for God." - Igor Stravinsky. "The Firebird" premiered 6/25/1910

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

Augustine likens the rain to "gloomy superstitions," the wind to "turnouts of men" & the floods to "the river of this life, as it were flowing over the earth in carnal lusts." He adds that one seduced by prosperity is ruined by the adversities arising from these three things."

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

"Ut queant laxis" is a hymn written for today's feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Guido d'Arezzo (b. 991) used it to teach music. The syllables of the song are the names of notes still used in solfege: ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la. Ut became "do" later
https://t.co/dHsNan9S77

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

Robert Frost called himself an Old Testament Christian but "The Road Not Taken" sounds like Jesus' direction to "Strive to enter through the narrow gate." Frost wrote "Two roads diverged in a wood & I - I took the one less traveled by & that has made all the difference."

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

After the restoration of the English Catholic Hierarchy in 1850, Thomas More, John Fisher & 52 other martyrs were beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. More and Fisher were then canonized together by Pius XI in 1935.

[Father Dan O'Reilly @FrDanOReilly]

It has been said many times that the phrase "do not be afraid" or some variation appears 365 times in the Bible. It implies that God wants us to trust Him every day. This is only half true - the phrase apoears fewer than 150 times..but God still wants us to trust Him every day.