Posts by Fr. Rich (Page 21)

Whenever anything happens, it immediately becomes public. Social media, cell phone cameras all contribute to sharing with the world all that happens. Now everyone passes judgement on what they see. But no one really knows all that has happened. Jesus said go privately to the person that has hurt you. Then take one or two others, then go to the community of believers. In each instance, our motivation should be love and reconciliation, not rash judgement, retaliation and condemnation. The…

We had or parish picnic last week. For all those who attended, it was a great time. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus who came and helped set up the area. We were entertained by Joe Franzo our DJ and caller for some of the Bingo games. Everyone enjoyed the foods, hot dogs and burgers cooked on the grill by Mike Castrogiovanni. And all served by our volunteers and led by and organized by Karen Miller and her husband…

Do we judge by our own standards or by God’s? That is the question to Peter in today’s Gospel and to us. Fear dictates many of our responses in life, like the pandemic, racial issues, and even what we would like to do to help others. Fear is exclusive and causes us to shy away from others and from doing what we know is the right thing to do. The opposite of fear is Love. Jesus loved us so much…

“Who do you say I am?’ Jesus asked Peter in today’s Gospel. Peter answered with great authority: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” With that Jesus called Peter the “Rock” and said he would lead the Church. What would be your answer to that same question? Would you call Jesus YOUR Savior and YOUR God? Or would He just be generically, the God and Savior? How personally do we take our faith? How far do we…

Thank you to all who bought the raffle tickets this year. We were unable to run the Bazaar but we did what we could with the raffle tickets and food sales. It was really great that so many people came forward to purchase these tickets and buy some of the homemade foods. We didn’t make what we would usually have at the Bazaar, but we did well, I think. Between the raffle tickets and food sales, we were able to…

When I read today’s Gospel about the Canaanite woman wanting Jesus to cure her daughter who was being tormented by a demon, I think about how I pray to Jesus. Do we pray to Jesus only when we want something? Or does our prayer start with the recognition that Jesus has already provided us with so much? When we offer our petition to the Lord, is it a demand or a plea. The Canaanite woman seemed to demand Jesus’ attention.…

THANK YOU to all the women and men who came out to make the pierogi and halupki for our Bazaar food sale. Despite social distancing and wearing masks, everyone had a good time and a lot of work was acomplished. Thank you for your support!

It is I, Jesus says to Peter in the Gospel as he attempts to walk on the water to Jesus. When you focus on the story, the common element is the revelation of who Jesus really is. He is the one whom the wind and the seas must obey, the Master over chaos. When we find ourselves on troubled waters, we can take courage: the Lord is near, even sharing the humble boat of our humanity. If we had the…

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…