This weekend we celebrate our nation’s independence. On July 4, 1776, the colonists signed the Declaration of Independence. The colonists had fought for representation so that their voices could be heard. They declared their independence and fought the Revolutionary War for seven years. They believed that all people have certain rights given by God that …
I arrived Tuesday afternoon (June 29th) at St. Michael’s Rectory to begin my new assignment at Our Lady of the Lakes. It has only been two days so it has been quiet so far with activities focusing on unpacking and getting to know the parish. I celebrated my first Mass here yesterday at noon at …
In today’s Gospel (Wednesday, June 23, 2010), Jesus tells us to be careful of false prophets. Whenever we encounter a new person we might wonder ‘Can I trust this person?’ We know nothing about them. Can we trust them to tell the truth? Can we count on them to do their share? We need to …
The gospel reading for today is Jesus’ teaching on the familiar passage “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:23-24). People often use this passage from Exodus to justify punishment, especially the death penalty. John J. McDermoot in “Weekday Homily Helps” (St. Anthony Messenger Press) for June 14, 2010 says that the passage was not …
I maintain this blog to help educate people about our Catholic faith. My desire is to always have constructive and polite dialogue. I have been writing for this blog since late January 2010 and for over a year before that on a parish blog. In that time I have allowed comments from people who disagree …
With the celebration of Memorial Day a few days ago summer has “unofficially” begun. Summer vacations are beginning. Most colleges have already begun their summer vacations and the elementary and high schools will begin their vacations by the end of the month. With the summer season people will be travelling or staying at their summer …
Today we celebrate Memorial Day. It has taken on various meanings. For many it marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. In New York State it is the time when people plant most of their gardens, assured that there will be no more frosts after Memorial Day. Corresponding to the “no more frost” theory, …
Sometimes there doesn’t seem to be a lot of love in the world. Sad considering that Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our neighbor. I believe we have an infinite capacity to love but in our humanness other emotions or misdirected love keep us …
On June 30th of this year I will celebrate the third anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. It has been a good three years and I truly enjoy serving as a priest. There have been difficult moments both professionally and personally but I know that God has been with me through all of it. So …
I attended a presentation this week on discipleship. One of the questions offered by the speaker was “Are we willing to be disturbed?” The short answer for me is, of course, I don’t like to be disturbed. It is easy to think that disruptions in our lives keep us from doing important work. The reality …
