Pastor’s Post (Page 10)

A teenager got mad at her parents because they never gave her the things she wanted or needed. So she decided to leave home and go out on her own. She packed her bags. Her parents saw her and said the suit case is theirs, the phone is the daughters but the service will now stop, hope you have a place to stay and plans for meals. She decided to stay home. Do we realize the blessings and graces God…

When Mother Teresa had to make a speech, she did not use notes or read from a prepared text. To get ready, she would simply withdraw to a church or chapel or other quiet place for a few minutes and pray. Then, when the time for her talk came, she always found the words she needed—in fact, her brief and simple words usually went to the heart of the matter and displayed great spiritual depth and wisdom. “Remember,” Jesus told…

This past week we celebrated the Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. These two celebrations together remind us of our own destiny, the promise of eternity, and the hope of enjoying the blessed vision of God’s presence forever in heaven. During November, as the earth itself seems to be dying all around us, we take time to remember those who have gone before us “marked with the sign of faith.” We offer special Masses…

Today’s Gospel tells us about Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, who was curious to see Jesus. He was short in stature and knew he would not be able to see over the crowds. So he went out of his way to climb a tree just to see Jesus who then said I must stay at your house. That meeting changed his life. What would you do to see Jesus? Well, you don’t have to climb a tree, just come to…

In today’s Gospel: who is the bad guy and who is the good guy? The Pharisee who didn’t go away justified was the one who knew the scriptures and lived them to the letter. They taught them to others. They defended the faith and when their country was overthrown they were martyred for that faith. The publican was the sinner who took resources away from the average person through over taxing, and he walked away justified. Why? That’s the question…

Be persistent in prayer is what Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel. But in today’s society, persistence isn’t what we do. We want answers immediately. Such as, I said a prayer this morning and by noon, nothing happened. I guess God isn’t listening! What are we looking for? What kind of answer do we expect? Prayer is our means of creating a relationship with God. In our relationship, our lives are being transformed. We go from wanting something that we…

This message comes as we are trying to end the Covid-19 isolation – our own leper experience of being isolated from society. But as we come back from all this, have we taken the time to show our appreciation? For some it may have been food supplies, some stimulus checks, others live streaming Masses, and still others a phone call simply to check if all is okay. Have we expressed our thanks for these and other things provided us? In…

“Supersize that meal” is what we say at our favorite fast food place. That means more fries and a larger soda. But to Supersize our faith is not the same as the Apostles in today’s Gospel find out. Faith is not about size or quantity as Jesus points out when He says, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can tell that tree to be uprooted and replanted in the sea. And it would obey you.”…

RESPECT LIFE WEEKEND is this weekend. Life is a precious gift from God. We are to live it fully, nurture it daily, and protect it always. Look, through the eyes of faith, at life all around you. See a women carrying her unborn child, a new life so precious. See a disabled person, maybe struggling to move about, but grateful to be alive. See an elderly person and see someone with great wisdom through their life experiences. See that everyday…

Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you.” (Mark 14:7) Who are the poor? Who is the Lazarus at our door? Those who sleep in the streets or in their cars? Those who eat at soup kitchens or get food at Church pantries? Those just under the poverty level? We always ask why are they poor and can’t they better themselves. Mother Theresa once said, “If you judge people, you don’t have time to love them.” We are…

In today’s Gospel, the steward is facing a crisis, mostly due to his dishonesty. But knowing the ways of the world, he solves his problems in such a way that everyone benefits, including himself. We all have problems and crisis in our lives. In the last couple of years, we all experienced the pandemic. Everything around us closed, churches, stores, businesses and even schools. We were definitely in a crisis. But we survived with masks, vaccines, social distancing, and support…

In today’s Gospel, we see the experience of a family suffering through the loss of one child, the resentment of another and the broken heart of the father. The interesting theme throughout this story is that the father had never given up hope. Forgiveness bring home the one son. A calm, humble, and loving spirit is offered to the other son. In the midst of life’s experiences, do we argue our way out of things? Do we resent the situation…