2011-11-11T11:11:00-05:00

I just had to post today at 11:11am. So many people panic or speculate all sorts of things will happen when a particular date arrives.  What we must remember is that our measuring of time is a human development.  Nature could care less that today is 11-11-11 because these numbers correspond to our human manner of keeping track of time.  We don’t “create” time, we simply attempt to keep track of it in an intelligible manner.  The natural world creates a cycle... Read more

2011-11-10T14:17:00-05:00

A few weeks ago a parishioner asked me to lead a prayer at the presentation of her third published book.  I was unaware she had published books before, I gladly agreed to lead the prayer.  I led the brief prayer earlier this week at a simple ceremony held at a local bookstore where representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor were present. That morning I learned that her first book were her memoirs, the second a collection of poems and the third... Read more

2011-11-07T11:51:00-05:00

I will speak about two specific parts of the Mass today: the Preface and the Holy Holy or Sanctus. In the early apostolic church, the priest would offer bread and wine and follow it with a prayer of thanksgiving.  This spontaneous prayer gave thanks to God primarily for our salvation oftentimes mentioning specific events of salvation history, feasts that were being celebrated or martyrs that were been remembered.  This prayer then led into the consecrating of the bread and wine.... Read more

2011-11-06T11:23:00-05:00

[from my parish bulletin] Many have posed the following question regarding today’s parable, “why did the five wise virgins not share their oil with the foolish ones who ran out?  Perhaps all ten could have entered the banquet hall if they had shared.” The fact is that certain things, even if they are very good and we would love to give them to others, we cannot give.  Our personal faith in Christ is one of these things we cannot automatically... Read more

2011-11-03T12:50:00-05:00

The Southern Cross has begun a four-part series on immigration in our diocese.  Reporter Dana Clark Felty has interviewed many throughout the diocese, traveling to parishes to meet with priests, parish leaders and parishioners, both immigrants and non-immigrants. Watch the video below that includes bits from her interviews (you may recognize one of the interviewed).  To read the first installment of the series click here. Click here for Part Two of this series Read more

2016-03-25T17:01:31-05:00

I have always found visits to cemeteries thought-provoking and paradoxically life-giving.  To visit a cemetery is to remember death, and by remembering death we can live our lives more fully.  The thoughts of Ivan Illych in the famous work by Leo Tolstoy The Death of Ivan Illych come to mind.  When Ivan was faced with certain death, he asked himself why he had to wait until almost dying to begin living.  By recognizing his impending death, he shed superficiality, established priorities and began to truly... Read more

2011-11-01T13:40:00-05:00

Oftentimes when I hear the Scripture reading for today’s Feast of All Saints from the Book of Revelation, the painting by Jan van Eyck of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb comes to mind. “I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea… I heard the number of those who... Read more

2016-03-25T16:27:49-05:00

It’s always a good day to have some fun at the office.  Note: I only wore costumes for the pictures, I didn’t think it’d go well to show up for Mass like this.   Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.   Read more

2023-11-02T14:28:20-05:00

From the Gospel of Saint Matthew Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their... Read more

2011-10-28T12:17:00-05:00

Earlier this week, the third grade teacher invited me to speak about the new bishop and about the Church in general.  They must have been talking about the new bishop in class since when I asked who knew the name of the new bishop, one boy raised his hand right away and answered “Gregory John.” The kids had lots of good questions.  When it was time for all of us to leave for Mass at 8:45, the kids lined up... Read more




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