Parish Blog

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, Jesus prays and then teaches his disciples how to pray. We would do well to pay great attention to what his attitude teaches us. Quite often, Jesus Christ feels the need to meet face-to-face with his Father. In his Gospel, Luke emphasizes this point.

What were Jesus and God the Father talking about that day? We do not know. On the other hand, somewhere else, we have located a fragment of a conversation between his Father and Himself. It was when He was baptized in the Jordan River, and He was in prayer, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Lk 3:22). This is an intermission in a tenderly affectionate dialogue.

Dear Parishioners,

Today we clearly see a Jesus that is fully divine and fully human: He is tired of his journey and lets this family He loves so much welcome Him into their home in Bethany. He takes this moment to show us “what matters the most.”

Dear Parishioners,

A teacher of the law approaches Jesus and asks him a question: “What must I do to gain eternal life?” This question, whether we like it or not, is always in the back of our minds. We know well that one day we are going to die and that after this life, eternal life awaits us: eternity with God or eternity apart from Him. But what must we do to attain eternity with God?

Dear Parishioners,

Our Catholic School students are given incentives to do a lot of reading during their summer vacation. It’s a good idea for faithful Catholics to do summer reading as well. Here are some suggestions: What do you really believe about hell? Do you believe it exists, or do you think that God is too merciful to send anyone to hell? I heartily recommend that all Catholics read The Hell There Is: An Exploration of an Often-Rejected Doctrine of the Church, by Msgr. Charles Pope. Msgr. Pope has stated that “Of all the theological errors commonly held today, the most popular is surely the denial of the doctrine of hell.” In a brief and compelling manner, Msgr. Pope clearly presents “The Hell there is.” A must read. Available from catholichomeandchurch.com.

Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate those two apostles whom Christ chose as “pillars” to continue his work in the Church. Peter received the mission to found and govern it; Paul, the mission to spread it throughout the world. Remembering them in a single day, we become aware of the Church's dual dimension: to be one and to be catholic. And....this feast is especially important to us because our parish was founded on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. This date completes 172 years for our parish!

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, a feast instituted in the late 13th century to commemorate our Lord’s institution of the Eucharist, which is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Catechism, # 1324). Accordingly, this is a feast in which we are called to give rightful honor to our Lord’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s also a good time for us to reconsider our own relationship with the Eucharist, most especially how reverent we are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and in particular our own reverence in receiving Holy Communion.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the mystery at the center of our faith, from where everything originates and to where everything returns: the mystery of the unity of God, and at the same time, his subsistence in three equal and yet, different persons. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, unity in communion and communion in unity. In this great day, we must realize that this great mystery is ever present in our lives: from the very Sacrament of our Baptism — which we have received in the name of the Holy Trinity — to our participation in the mystery of the Eucharist, which is made for the glory of the Father, by his Son Jesus Christ, thanks to the Holy Spirit. And it is also the sign by which we Christians recognize one another: the sign of the Cross, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, on Pentecost, the promise that Christ made to the Apostles is fulfilled. On the evening of Easter Sunday, He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (Jn 20:22) The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost solemnly renews and brings to completion this gift with outward manifestations, with tongues of fire no less. Thus, the Paschal mystery is culminated.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The disciples knew well that this farewell was forever. They would never see Jesus again with the eyes of the flesh, so feelings of sadness and longing well up in their hearts. However, the promise also comes to mind: “I will be with you until the end of the age.” Christ leaves but stays? How did they understand this paradox?

Dear Friends in Christ,

So…the warm weather has returned as it always does in this part of the country. And with this weather, I see increasing numbers of men, women, and children dressed as if they were headed for the beach. A significant number of men, women, and children are wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a T-shirt from their favorite sports team at Sunday Mass.

Dear Friends in Christ,

I am writing this letter three days after the exciting news of the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th successor to St. Peter. What a joy it has been to experience these past few days! I have always loved being Catholic, but these days have been extra special for me. I suspect it has been the same for you.

Dear Friends in Christ,

May 29th of this year will mark my tenth year as a priest of Jesus Christ. On that date in 2015, Bishop Guglielmone ordained Father Morgan and me at St. Mary’s in Greenville.

I don’t feel that it’s been ten years but denying it doesn’t make it less true. I am overwhelmingly thankful for the honor and privilege of serving Christ as one of His priests. Being a priest is difficult, challenging and sometimes completely exhausting, but the rewards are amazing. I thought I might try and do a brief reflection on my ten years using the description given by Terence Cardinal Cooke: “From the day of his ordination, a priest can never forget that he has been called by God Himself. The priest is called to be a servant, a victim, a brother, a listener and a friend.”

Dear Friends in Christ,

We had finished the Holy Triduum of our Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit blessed us with beautiful and reverent liturgies. On the Easter Vigil, I was blessed to offer the Sacrament of Confirmation to 24 people.

Then Easter Monday as I was getting ready to leave for the airport at around 4:00pm, a friend texted me and informed me that Pope Francis had died. It was quite a shock and quite a way to start on my journey to Wisconsin to see my brother Warren and his wife Marilyn.