We all know the story of king Solomon, whom God would give the wisdom that he asked for. Solomon had it all: riches, lands, gold, slaves, and fame, and yet he was a searching soul. In Ecclesiastes he tells us of his journey, and his quest for what brings true happiness. At first, Solomon thought…
Whenever families gather, depending on their views, there can be certain unwritten rules that we prefer to follow, certain topics that we would rather not address. Sometimes it’s sports. Sometimes it’s politics. Most of the time religion is among them. …and yet these topics keep coming up. I was at a get together with friends…
The first reading, from the the book of Genesis, tells of what follows immediately after Adam and Eve consume the forbidden fruit. We hear of Yahweh walking in the Garden, looking for Adam, calling out Where are you? With a hint of humor, we hear Adam hiding from Yahweh. His shame makes him reluctant to…
why, why, why? If I asked if you have had a personal encounter with suffering and pain, you would most likely say that you have. If I asked if you have experienced the emotional pain of losing a loved one through a tragedy or through natural passing away—or perhaps a personal loss like divorce, career…
The New World Order I was thinking about how we would respond if Jonah came to Floresville. How would we react if we heard this message; that Floresville or San Antonio will be destroyed in 40 days? Probably some people would ask him for proof. Probably he would get arrested for public disturbance of the…
Why Forgive? Thirty-six years ago, there was an attempt on the life of Pope St. John Paul II. Many of you may even recall it. Fortunately the pope lived, and after he recovered, he shocked the world when he made a visit to Rome’s prison on Christmas Day to see the man who had attempted…
I was meeting with one of the Confirmation students and talking about the Sacrament. She asks me, “So, what now?” “What do you mean?” I respond. “Well, until now I’ve been in CCD classes for First Communion prep and then Confirmation prep classes. What now? What happens after I receive the Sacrament?” And I thought…
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 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…
