Posts by Fr. Rich (Page 21)

In today’s Gospel, we hear about the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. Every time I read that Gospel, it gets me to thinking. How many of those people brought food with them but didn’t tell anyone else? How many were just thinking of themselves? But then Jesus took that little bit of food, prayed, and then began to share with everyone. Could that action and generosity of Jesus make people start…

We have been hearing about the Kingdom of Heaven these last few weeks. What is this Kingdom to you and can you recognize it in your life? The Gospel says if you find a treasure on the land or find a beautiful pearl, you sell what you can and buy that property to get that great prize. But is the prize worth it? In the first reading Solomon was asked what he wanted from God. His answer: an understanding heart.…

This message is taken from “Living with Christ”. Like the psalms, we often wonder, “O Lord, why do the wicked prosper?” When injustice is rewarded by prosperity, we can begin to question God’s oversight of the world. Today’s Gospel gives two good reflections. First, we may not understand why someone sows weeds among the wheat, but we do experience the reality of the two growing together. Thus, the parable invites us to trust that God’s justice, despite what we see,…

Coming of age stories are as old as literature itself. From Odysseus to St. Augustine, from Tom Jones to Jane Eyre, from Celie to Harry Potter. This classic genre captures the struggles, turmoil and adventures young people experience as they mature and develop as human beings. Often these characters must come to grips with the reality of cruelty, dishonesty, hatred and violence. Or they must struggle with their own misconceptions and prejudices. Whatever one’s particular lot in life, one thing…

Jesus says in today’s Gospel,”Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” These words of Jesus tell us to trust in Him and He will carry the load, He will ease our burdens. But sometimes we take these words of Jesus and now say that we are entitled to everything and should not be denied anything. It is God’s duty to provide for us. Sowrong!! It is Independence Day Weekend and we…

This weekend is our Independence Day Weekend and usually a lot of picnics, parties and family gatherings are planned. Enjoy your festivities but please be careful. Masks and social distancing can put a damper on things, but you and your family’s health, safety and well being are more important. Enjoy and be careful.

When we think about Christianity, the prophets and disciples are always the first things that come to mind. Yet it was their persevering faith that led to the spread of Christianity amid difficult times. In today’s Gospel, we are told to put God above everyone and everything else. That’s a lofty challenge for us as followers of Christ today. The world is focused on us, as individuals, and what we want, rather than on what God wants for all of…

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Body & Blood of Christ. It is truly the feast of the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, Jesus said: “Do this in memory of Me.” Our Eucharist is a daily opportunity to live and retell what we are thankful for. For the word Eucharist means thanksgiving. Each celebration of the sacraments reinforces the mysteries of our faith: that we are invited to be members of Christ’s body, called to be witnesses and given…

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity: Father, Son and HolySpirit. We don’t need a theological explanation of what the Trinity is. But maybe we need to know that God as Trinity acts in our lives: Creating (Father), Redeeming (Son), and Sanctifying (Holy Spirit) each and every one of us. In today’s second reading, St. Paul gives us a formula to follow: grace, love and fellowship. Greet each other with kindness, not a curse, as the world…

Today is the Feast of Pentecost. It is called the Birthday of the Church. And it is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon those first apostles and upon us all. What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit come to you? For those first apostle, it meant that their fears all but disappeared and they had the courage to go into the world and share the Good News of Jesus. They spoke and everyone…

This past Thursday we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension. In Acts 1:9 it says Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight.” Then two angels addressed the apostles asking why they are just standing there looking at the sky. We lose things in our lives that are valuable to us. It could be a job , our health, a loved one, and in the midst of this pandemic, our ability to gather, give a hug,…

This is Memorial Day Weekend. We would usually have a memorial service remembering and honoring our veterans. But due to covid-19, this service will not be held. But that doesn’t mean we cannot remember to honor our veterans. Since its first official observance on May 5, 1868, when it was called Declaration Day, it has been a day of remembrance for those who sacrificed and died in our nation’s service. And while it was originally dedicated to honor Civil War…