Reflection 11-29-15 What if? What if… this Advent we were to “increase & abound in love for one another?” (1 Thessalonians 3:12) What if… this was your BEST ADVENT EVER?! What if… we fed the hungry? What if… we stopped ourselves from gossiping at the office? What if… we smiled...
This past week saw the passing of the Catholic thinker Rene Girard, whom Fr. Robert Barron calls “one of the most influential Catholic philosophers in the world.” Girard spent his academic career in this country, but was born and educated in France, and his work has great relevance to the...
If you were not at one of Deacon Jay’s masses this weekend or just want to read his moving homily please click here: HOMILY SUNDAY — Nov. 14-15, 2015
A couple of weeks ago we invited you to share your story of feeling welcomed to the parish. We received a couple so far! Let’s make more stories like these! “In my 55 years in this parish, I have been involved in a number of ministries. Two of them required...
Beginning today, our homily theme is “acquisitiveness,” or “keeping up with the Joneses,” illustrated by a child’s tendency to want another child’s toy, even amidst a sea of toys. This played out recently among children of our parish, who fought over a “special” toy until it was confiscated! We chuckle,...
When my children were small I would read them a book by Max Lucado called Hermie. It’s about a caterpillar named Hermie who doesn’t know what makes him special. He looks around at the strengths of his friends, the Ladybug who’s SO pretty, and the Ant who is SO strong....
Today’s second reading from St. James tells us that God’s wisdom is pure, and is full of good fruits and righteousness that are sown in peace. It is gentle and merciful. We are then cautioned that the conflicts and wars in our lives come not from God, but from our...
Pope Francis has proclaimed 2016 a “year of mercy” – a time for us, as a Church, to be ministers of the mercy of God for all. As part of the jubilee, the Holy Father has extended to all priests the “discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those...
There was a time when “How to” books were the rage. They instructed you in how to be successful, popular, admired because of your skills, your complexion, etc. The goal, of course, was to make us look good in the eyes of our friends and the “important” people of the...
I was talking to my youngest brother the other day… I am blown away by the philosophy out of which he serves as an EMT/Fire Dept. Lieutenant and from which he mentors those under him… maybe his approach, which I find so powerfully God-like, will challenge you as it does...