This is one great parable, isn’t it!?!  Especially in this Lenten season, we can all relate to the prodigal son, wasteful and extravagant in our use of all that God has given us to fulfill our own desires rather than for the building up of God’s kingdom.  But, sinful though we are, if we convert our lives, God, in his love and care for us – will always demonstrate his love, always forgive us and welcome us back

We know this parable under the title of the prodigal son because he […]

I hope you’re all enjoying the first taste of spring; yesterday was such a beautiful day that helped to distract us from the devastating war in Ukraine that continues to capture our attention as the people caught in the crosshairs call for our prayers and support.  Unfortunately, this is only the latest of calamities that we have encountered over the past few years, isn’t it?  The coronavirus has claimed over 6 million lives worldwide, and epic floods, relentless forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes here and around the world fill […]

i don’t know about you, but I have been watching with disbelief and horror the events unfolding in the Ukraine as Russia invades it, causing wanton destruction and killing both soldiers and civilians without any compunction.  It is, tragically, just the latest reminder that, ever since Cain slew Abel, there are those among us who do not respect the rights of others and will do anything they can to get their way.  We see the same scenario playing out between Israel and Palestine and China and Taiwan. We are, once […]

So, how do you like the new look in our church?  Finally, all 2,242 pipes of our new organ are in place, both in the choir loft and the positiv divisions over the doorways flanking our Blessed Sacrament Chapel.  Aren’t they magnificent!?!  We are very blessed to have a beautiful church, with splendid stained glass windows that present all of Salvation History, a handsome, granite altar and ambo, from which we hear the Word of God proclaimed and we receive the sacred Body and Blood of Christ, the source of […]

Ice cream, chocolates, candy…don’t they sound great!  Many of us crave sweet things.  In just a little more than a weeks, some of us will be giving them up as our sacrifice for Lent.  Sugary treats may not be a healthy option but they trigger the release of feel-good chemicals in our brains that provide us with a momentary rush of pleasure.  Interestingly enough, so does the thought of getting even with someone who has hurt us.  Neuroscientists have discovered that revenge really is “sweet” for that part of our […]

What does it mean to be blessed?  It means to be in God’s grace, to enjoy his favor and it leads to true joy and everlasting happiness.  We all say that we seek to be happy but what we really seek is to be blessed, that is, to enjoy God’s favor, both here and for all eternity in heaven.  So, how do we become blessed?  Fortunately, in his infinite love and wisdom, God has shown us the way to true blessedness.  How does God guide us?  Through Sacred Scripture, of […]

As we look back on our lives, many of us will recognize a particular person who caused us to make a significant change or to go in a different direction.  It might have been a parent, a neighbor or teacher, our spouse or a good friend.  The change we were influenced to make was good, even though, at first, it made us very uneasy.  It caused us to think bigger, do better things, use our talents in ways that we didn’t imagine possible, to live differently.

This is what we hear […]

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was baptized?  We all know that baptism washes away our sins – that’s one of the reasons why we use water as the sign of the sacrament – and Jesus was sinless.  Baptism also welcomes us into God’s family, and Jesus is God so he is already in the innermost circle of God’s family – the Holy Trinity.  And finally, the other reason we use water at baptism is as a sign of the new life we receive through this sacrament – that is, […]

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”  The explanation that the Magi gave for their journey seems so simple and straightforward.  But, like most aspects of our Salvation History, there is more to the story.

We do not know exactly where these men began their journey. We do not know how long or how far they traveled, but it seems that they were not Jews or Romans.  They did not come to pay homage to their own newborn king, but the king of […]