Pastor’s Post (Page 2)

In today’s Gospel we hear the story of the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. That’s all that young boy had and he offered it up to feed the multitude. They left it in the Lord’s hands to feed everyone. I think of this miracle a lot when I am preparing my homily for the weekend. What do I have to offer to feed all the people with different feelings that day who…

Today’s Gospel is all about Jesus being the shepherd to His people. It reminds us of Jesus being the great teacher, not only teaching us but showing his care and concern for us all. Jesus told his disciples to take time for themselves at a deserted place for them to rest. Yet, the people who recognized them went ahead of them and gathered before them to learn. When they arrived, they saw the crowd. Jesus instead welcomes them and becomes…

One of the most profitable endeavors today is rental garages. As soon as one opens, each unit is immediately rented out. When we first opened this Church, I rented one of those garages since I had no rectory to store my belongings. After two years we built a rectory and I emptied this garage. Despite not using anything from this garage in two years, I moved all its contents into the rectory. I guess, I like everyone else tend to…

Pope Francis has emphasized that all baptized Christians are “missionary disciples.” This means we are to speak the truth of God in love to the world and witness to that truth by our lives. In today’s first reading, Ezekiel was told this would not be an easy task. These words might be said to us today as well. In fact, our society is becoming increasingly hostile toward Christianity and its teachings. Just like in Ezekiel’s day, many today resist the…

As fireworks light up the sky and the smell of barbecue fills the air, this Thursday we will come together as a nation to celebrate the Fourth of July. It is a day marked by patriotism, freedom, and the remembrance of our nation’s founding history. But for Christians and Catholics, Independence Day holds a deeper significance, intertwining faith with the principles of liberty and justice. The Fourth of July is an opportunity to express gratitude for the freedoms we have…

Life is full of storms. At times, they can become so strong and strange that our human strength can no longer help or support us. At such moments fear and complaining take over the central stage of our life. Even in some cases, we might lose our faith in God, thinking that He has abandoned us, or that He does not exist. These storms come in different forms. They could be problems in our marriage, our children who are not…

As we gather on this Fathers Day Weekend, we honor our Dads. We remember those who have passed as we think of the many ways they have inspired us. We pray for those still with us, so that they guide their children. Here’s a prayer in their honor. Heavenly Father, As we celebrate this special day, we think of the gift that You have given us in the form of earthly fathers. What a blessing that fathers share such an…

Today’s Gospel challenges us to face rejection with prophetic courage and optimism. Very often our friends, families, or childhood companions fail to listen to us and refuse to accept the words of grace, love, and encouragement that we offer to them because they know so much about us and are so used to us that they disregard what we have to say, if they even hear it! But we have to face such rejection with a kind of prophetic courage…

Dear Friends at OLV, You absolutely overwhelmed me last Sunday as we shared the celebration of my Fiftieth Anniversary of Ordination. The two little words of thank you cannot come close to letting you know the gratitude and appreciation I feel for all who contributed to such an exciting and wonderful day. I hope the liturgical celebration was as meaningful to you as it was to me, and pray the words I spoke touched your hearts knowing how I feel…

In our life, we have many things to be thankful for. These could be gifts, favors done, help offered or even a few minutes spent with a friend. We might say the Eucharist is all of that and much more. Because it is Jesus Himself seen through the appearance of bread and wine. Today we have the opportunity to spend some time with the Lord, beyond the Sunday Mass. It could be a quiet few moments or a time to…

Today (5/26/2024), we Have a special celebration in our parish. It is Father Tom Ciba’s 50 Priesthood Anniversary. That is a great milestone in the life and ministry of a priest. We congratulate and thank Father Tom for his dedicated service to God and the Church. It is also a reminder to us all of our priestly service to God. Everyone is not ordained a priest. But we all are called to offer service to one another as Jesus reminds…

Today, twenty two of our young parishioners are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. It’s a great experience for them as they are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and now the Church sees them as adult members. They have received the religious education to make decisions of faith. So have we all. But we also know, that the world is constantly changing. New temptations face us each day trying to draw us away from our faith and the…