An epiphany is an event where something hidden is revealed.  Most of us experienced this recently as we opened our Christmas gifts.  In our family, we gather around the Christmas tree that is surrounded by countless gifts for all.  The youngest children who are able to do so take turns finding a gift for everyone in the room and then we open them together.  Of course, we old folks wait as the children open their gifts because we don’t want to miss the excitement as they tear away the wrapping […]

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, with time to celebrate with family and friends.  As usual, I joined my brother, Will, and his family for Christmas and, like Simeon who took Jesus into his arms, I was blessed to hold my latest great niece, Whitney, once again.  It was so precious to see her, now two months old.  I’ll be baptizing her here next Saturday; what a privilege that will be!  This is a very sacred time of the year as we reflect on the great mystery of […]

Have you ever noticed that we human beings have a seemingly infinite capacity to complicate things?  It’s like we have a built-in aversion to the simple.  We often take the simplest situation and we make it a complicated affair.  As they say, we make mountains out of molehills.  And, when we do, we often miss the real point.  But, when you get the heart of it, often the greatest experiences of life, and the greatest insights, have a way of turning out to be very simple.  Take Christmas, for example.  […]

It is so good to see all of you here this evening, on this the most holy of all nights.  And, so many of you are here as families, parents, grandparents and children.  So, you all remember the moment when it was time to name your child.  It was an exciting time, to be sure.  We just had this in our family as one of my nephews and his wife were preparing to give birth.  They kept the name secret; we didn’t learn his name until he was born.   And, […]

I hope you like our nativity display here in front of the altar.  It really is splendid and I thank all of you who contributed to our Christmas flowers special collection and those who helped to put it up on Friday.  You will notice, however, that the central figure – the infant Jesus – is missing from the manger; he won’t arrive until Christmas and we’re still in Advent for a few more hours.  And so, like in the Wizard of Oz, I say, “Pay no attention to the man […]

Once again, Happy New Year and welcome to another liturgical year … another Advent … a new opportunity to prepare our minds and hearts for the coming of Jesus into the world on Christmas Day and at the end of time.  How blessed we are to believe that the infinite, almighty, eternal God came among us in time.  We are even more blessed to believe that his coming offers us the hope for eternal live in God’s loving embrace.   Advent Season speaks of both of these comings and it’s important […]

Whether we like it or not, judgment is a fact of life.  That is true whether we are talking about the histories of nations or the events of our own personal life.  If we break the law – exceed the speed limit on the road, for example, – the law enforcement officer will judge us and give us a ticket.  If we eat or drink too much or live a lifestyle of constant stress then our bodies will judge us and we get sick.  We simply cannot escape judgment in […]

Jesus once told a story of a wealthy man who was preparing for a long journey. He called his three servants and divided his possessions among them, each according to their ability.

Why is life like that?  We are all equal in the eyes of God.  But when it comes to our abilities, we are as different as different can be.  God simply did not make us all the same.  Each of us is a unique, partial reflection of God.  And, depending on our talents – that is, the abilities he […]

As with any good book, the books of the Bible can only be fully understood if you read the whole book.  This past year, we have been privileged to hear much of one of these books, the Gospel of Matthew, and it’s important to recap some of the points made earlier in this Gospel to fully understand today’s passage.  Otherwise, it might seem as if the five wise virgins we heard about were being rather unchristian in not sharing their oil.  After all, doesn’t Jesus teach us to share?  So, […]

What is love? Each of us probably has our own understanding of love, as well as varying experiences of loving or being loved. We need love as much as we need the air we breathe.  So, it’s important to ask ourselves: what is love?  Is it just an emotion, or a virtue?  Is it chemistry or a psychological commitment, or is it a rational decision?  As Catholics we will find the answer by looking to Jesus and his teachings.  And, as you know, Jesus came to fulfill the law and […]