Posts by Fr. Rich (Page 12)

There are a lot of questions in today’s Gospel. I like the one: “Who is my neighbor?” He seems to want Jesus to tell him who to like and who not to like. How would you answer the question of Who is our neighbor? What criteria would you use? Would any of the following influence your answer: race, ethnic background, family history, language, job, age or financial stability? Sometimes we allow these criteria to influence who we associate with and…

For over 200 year we have celebrated our independence of the 4th of July. Indeed, we are blessed with exceptional liberty in our nation compared to other nations around the world. But in Ephesians 3:12 we celebrate another kind of freedom one that is more amazing than the Declaration of Independence guarantee. In Jesus, we have the freedom to draw near to God, to tell God anything we wish, without holding back. We can express our joys and sorrows, our…

“Follow Me” Jesus said in today’s Gospel. Just like those at the time of Jesus, we all have excuses why we can’t do that now. Being a disciple of Jesus isn’t necessarily to learn about different things, but to live out our beliefs and the teachings of Jesus. Our excuses go from fear, lack of knowledge, have no time, not worthy, too busy, and a host of other excuses. But the reason to be His disciple is our love for…

DAD This world has many heroes you’d know most of them by name. It’s apparent that they gave their best, and they deserve their fame. But among all of the heroes this world has ever had, there’s not one that I admire more than my dad. He’s more than just a hero, he never looks for praise. He’s heroic in his quiet strength and caring ways. He may not be famous as those you hear about, but he’s everything and…

Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Why is a Triune God so important to us. Maybe belief in a triune God changes everything for us. If our God is just a Deity out there who created the world, established some rules, and sat back until judgement day, then we’re all in a heap of trouble. But if God so loves the world that Jesus entered our lives and our predicaments, showed us one clear path through sin…

The fifty days of Easter do not end with a whimper. Easter does not appear to go out quietly, according to the description in Acts. Easter comes to its fulfillment with “noise like a strong driving wind.” The noise fills the whole house where the disciples are gathered. The sound causes others to gather to find out what is going on. It was a gathering from every nation. The diversity of those gathered seems to correspond to the uniqueness of…

Memorial Day is an American Holiday honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Even though many will use this as a long weekend away from work, to travel or hold a barbeque, don’t forget its…

This week, thirty one of our children will be confirmed. These children will be seen now as young adults in the Church, taking responsibility for their faith lives. It is too bad that some see this as their graduation from religion and now need to do no more. But in reality this is just their beginning to exercise their faith on their own, just as the Apostles did on that first Pentecost. Do you continue to learn about your faith?…

A journalist, after watching Mother Teresa caring for a man with gangrene, remarked to her: “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” Mother Teresa replied, “Neither would I… but I do it for love of God.” Jesus in today’s Gospel says to love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. Selfishness builds barriers and keeps us shut in. What frees us is caring for others, being friends, being good neighbors. Being loved…

Let us take this time to wish all our Moms a Happy Mothers Day. For some it may just be memories of our Moms and all they did for us. For others, our Moms are still with us and we need to appreciate them. They brought us into this world; they nurture us with their love and attention; and they are always there for us. Happy Mothers Day!

Early on during the pandemic, Churches were closed and people kept asking when will we get back to an open Church and Mass. We are back to an open Church and regular Mass schedule. In getting back, we have taken all kinds of precautions to keep people safe by sanitizing after every Mass. But I wonder where all the people are? In today’s reading from Acts, the Apostles kept preaching about Jesus despite the order by the Sanhedrin not to.…

We just experienced a prayerful Lenten Season, witnessed Jesus’ sacrifice in our beautiful Holy Week Services and joyously celebrate Easter. I hope you experienced the presence and peace of Christ in all these gatherings. I would like to say Thank You to all who have worked hard to make our celebrations so beautiful: our most helpful priest, Father Tom and Deacon Len who carried the load especially over these last few months; our administrative staff who keeps the parish functioning…