One of the perks of wearing the roman collar in public is that I get to have the most interesting conversations in the oddest of places, even in the cereal aisle of a supermarket. I was looking at cereals the other day, and from the corner of my eye I saw someone pass by, and […]
the lost story of christianity
The great author G.K. Chesterton said the following words: The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder. As Christians, we can sometimes fall into the danger of losing our wonder about the story of Christianity. We cease to marvel at the glory of a Father who goes to […]
one doesn’t “just” follow jesus
Last week we heard about Jesus’ dinner invitation with one of the leading Pharisees; we heard that his popularity has been steadily increasing, and that he is becoming a celebrity of sorts. Today, the Gospel depicts a multitude walking with Jesus: “Great crowds were traveling with Him” (Lk 14:25). I can picture Jesus stopping, looking […]
if you had HALF my humility!
“I am the most humble man on earth, you really should learn from me.” Only one person who could  in all honesty say that phrase without falling into the temptation of pride, and today in the Gospel acclamation we hear from that person. “Learn from me,” Jesus says, “for I am meek and humble of […]
meta-olympic fire
Sometimes I think that watching the Olympics should count as exercise. After just ten minutes of watching athletes swim, jog, and run, I feel like I’ve had half an hour at the gym and I’m ready to order a good pizza to compensate for all the exertion! Eight years ago a thirteen year old kid […]
missing our homeland
We live in society that does not believe in God, or rather, a society that believes in several gods—the god of money, the god of pleasure, the god of fame, the god of popularity, and the god of power; this presents a great challenge to our faith.The Second Reading speaks to this challenge. In this […]
three excellent excuses to not pray
I have always wondered what it must have been to have a conversation with Jesus, face to face; to sit down and talk to the most interesting person, the most full of life, truth and wisdom. What would we ask? What questions would we make? In today’s gospel we hear some questions that Apostles do […]
mass is useless
Today we hear the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary, who invite Jesus into their home. One of these women is very active and busy serving Jesus, the other is captivated by his mere presence, and sits listening to his feet. Martha, the active, busy woman, is frustrated with all the work she has to […]
DON’T be nice
There is a phrase that has been widely used to unite the people of The United States, especially during World War II; later that century it was adopted as the national motto. This phrase, which calls on the spirit of the founding fathers of this country, is familiar to us all: “In God we trust.” […]
confession secret
One week ago I had the blessing of traveling to Omaha to attend the priestly ordination of one of my seminary friends. The day after the ordination we went to the Zoo to see the aquarium. It was amazing to witness the bright and vivid colors of the fish, the textures of the corals, the […]
fear that locks in
Newscasts have learned to rely on a number of phrases to capture our attention. They start with “Don’t leave, when we come back, the danger of using too much salt in your food!” move on to “The frightening truth of sitting down for too long” or “What you may not know about the water you’re […]
if jesus loves us so much, why did he leave us?
Throughout human history, the most common form of government has been monarchy. Monarchy offers several benefits: you can act quickly, and if you have a wise king, you can also act efficiently. Of course, the catch is that you have to have a wise king. If the king is selfish, or capricious, then you’re stuck […]