I had never seen a depiction of a human being and a dinosaur that implied that both species inhabited the Earth simultaneously until I watched the movie Religulous two weeks ago. The picture above is from the Creation Museum in Kentucky which Bill Maher visits while filming his movie Religulous. I do not recommend watching this movie since it borders on blasphemy and certainly insults people of faith, but the movie accurately portrays the flaws of Young Earth Creationism advocated... Read more

While in seminary in Rome I would send pictures back home to share with my family the experiences I was having abroad.  As time went on I opened a picture account with Yahoo where I could organize the pictures and send them more easily.  Eventually I opened a Flickr account where I continue to organize and share my pictures.  It has turned into a well-organized and beautiful record of the places I have visited. An unexpected effect of having a... Read more

Whenever I leave the office for a few days, the mice come out and play. This one particular game I found very clever.     I sometimes wonder why I don’t lock my office when I leave… I think that deep down inside I look forward to seeing what will be waiting for me when I return. Pictures are mine, all rights reserved. Read more

Last weekend I had the joy of officiating the wedding of my cousin Maria Fe and her husband Daniel. It was a beautiful ceremony attended by close family and friends. My opening words at Mass were about God’s providence and his plan for each one of us. I said, “who in the family could have thought years ago that one day I, the youngest of the cousins, would be officiating the wedding of Maria Fe?” After the wedding I have... Read more

Some time ago, someone asked me, “out of all the churches you have visited, which one is your favorite?” That’s a very difficult question to answer. Architectural styles vary so much making it difficult to compare structures. Some churches are impressive on account of their historical or spiritual significance rather than their actual physical beauty. Other impressive structures were once magnificent churches but are unfortunately no longer churches. I have tossed this question around in my mind for some time,... Read more

[Homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A] If love were only a feeling, I believe it’d be impossible for couples to stay married, it would be impossible for parents to care for their children, and it would be impossible for anyone to maintain any kind of friendship or relationship. Why do I believe this?  Because all of us very well know that the people we love the most usually are the people who upset us the most. ... Read more

For many years Father Robert Barron, a priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago, has been working on an impressive and challenging project, The Catholicism Project.  It is a ten-part documentary on the history of the Catholic Church that will soon be available and aired on public television.  All sneak previews of the documentary prove that it shows the history of the Church in all its glory.  Oftentimes the history of the Church is told by people outside the Church who... Read more

Yesterday evening I had another first experience as a priest, my first confirmation. The first few months of Priesthood were overwhelming because almost every day was filled with things I was doing for the first time. My first baptism, my first emergency, my first hospital visit, my first funeral, my first time present when someone dies, my first confession, and the list could go on. This “first” comes after some time of not experiencing a “first” as a priest. My... Read more

[Homily for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A]   Have you ever felt like the prophet Jeremiah? Duped by God? Deceived or forgotten? A victim of derision and reproach, as Jeremiah says? I dare say that all of us at one point in our lives (or at different moments throughout our lives) have shared Jeremiah’s sentiments. We too have wondered where God is, why God has abandoned us, why God hasn’t descended from heaven with a magic wand... Read more

My canon law professor in seminary, Padre Urru, always began class with a beautiful prayer. He prayed it quickly and in Italian. Class was held only on Fridays, so one Friday I had my pen ready to jot down the prayer, I only got half of it. The following Friday, I was able to get all of it, I was so happy. The weekend passed and on Monday morning I was in the seminary chapel at 6:15am for Morning Prayer... Read more