May 28, 2020 Parish Update
I’ve spoken in homilies about my great uncle Frank and great aunt Martha who lived three doors up from me as I was growing up. Uncle Frank was my father’s uncle, Auntie Martha my mother’s aunt. Everyone is related. Their oldest grandson died this past week—David. Dave and I went to St. Florian’s together. We are the same age—I the oldest son of my father who was the oldest son of his father, Dave the oldest son of his father who was the oldest son of his father. Strange parallel in our lives. When I went to the seminary Dave joined the...
read morePENTECOST
31 May 2020 A prayer for this Pentecost. Come Holy Spirit, Guide my days and deeds. Give me healing in my soul, Love in my life, and strength always for my task on earth. When I am discouraged. Grant me hope; When I am sad, Show me the way ahead’ And when I want to leave the way...
read moreMay 21, 2020 Parish Update
Like many people of my generation my early religious education was based on the Baltimore Catechism. The Catechism contained a series of questions and answers about the central tenets of our faith which as children we memorized. There are some who say the memorization alone of those questions and answers did not make us very good Catholics because we didn’t understand the reasoning behind the questions and the answers. I suppose that could be true for some but the sisters who taught me were smart women and they not only had us...
read moreASCENSION
24 MAY 2020 They all came back, save Judas. They were all there, save Judas. Even though just about everyone of them deserted him, betrayed him, fled his passion and cross, they were there. I’m always been just a little amazed there weren’t any retributions. Of course Jesus wouldn’t be this forgiving savior that we like to think of if there had. But on other occasions he could cast people out–let’s remember that temple scene, and his admonishments about giving scandal. He was capable of separating...
read more14 May 2020 Parish Update
These days of social distancing have probably brought out some strange or new characteristics in all of us. I started picking tulips. I’ve never done that before. One day as I was walking around the grounds I noticed that some of Sister Laverne’s tulips had bloomed. “Well,” I thought to myself, “I’m going to pick them and put them in my house.” And, I did. And as the days have rolled on I’ve picked a few more. Flowers were never a big part of my childhood in Hatley. Mom did have a huge,...
read moreSIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
17 May 2020 “If you love me…..” Aren’t those some of the clearest words which put all of us on our guard? We know we’re either about to disappoint someone we care about, or we’re going to feel manipulated into doing something we don’t want to do, or we’re going to agree to do something we have no intention of doing but in the face of “love” just can’t say “No,” –right now. These words are a combination: threat and fact of impending disappointment. The exact words aren’t always used, but they are implied. They come from our...
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