Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them." This little line from today's Gospel reminds me of the importance of silence and spending time with Our Lord.

When I discerned that I was being called by God to be a priest, I packed my bags and headed out after a few years at Arizona State University, a school with 30,000 noisy college students, in order to attend St. Meinrad Seminary with a student body of 225 that was run by Benedictine monks.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last April, a pew study found that 25% of Americans believed that their faith was stronger due to the pandemic. I wonder if that statistic has held up after so many frustrating months of rules, precautions and isolation. Many ask, "Where is God in all of this?" We've all seen some of the grief people have carried during the COVID-19 pandemic at the loss of regular accessibility of the great Sacrament of the Eucharist. I suspect some have begun to question whether faith is as essential as they once thought.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it . Be made clean." The message in today's Gospel reminds us to act with compassion.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I wanted to offer some perspective for all who are enduring the death of a loved one, the pandemic, political chaos, unstable economy, family drama or job loss. Those are just a few of the possible hardships you may find yourself trying to navigate!

Our perspectives and ability to deal with our current struggles vary. A brother priest prophetically told me recently that, “This is the cross! Are you going to carry it or not?” Jesus also said that, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’

Tuesday, February 2nd, is the day the Church celebrates Candlemas Day. It is one of the oldest feast days of the Church, and has been celebrated since the 4th Century.

This feast celebrates three important events. It commemorates the day that Our Blessed Mother Mary came to the Temple as the Law required of all women, in order to go through a purification ceremony 40 days after giving birth. Because of this, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Purification of Mary and is the reason why it is always celebrated on February 2nd. It is also the day that Mary and Joseph had to present their newborn Son, Jesus, to God in the Temple and offer a sacrifice on His behalf for His birth. All parents were required to do this for their firstborn sons. For this reason, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sadly, the unwillingness to offer real sacrifices and the lack of true love has led many people to believe that life is disposable. This tragic way of thinking has impacted our world in many negative ways i.e., marriages, families, workplaces, government, the economy, communities and even the Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You have probably seen the bumper sticker: God is Pro Life. As children of God, we celebrate the Right to Life. We are all called to be Pro Life. All life has an inherent dignity because we were created by God and for God. Our Lord reminds us of the sacredness of every human life… born and unborn. Catholics have always held and will always preach the value of human life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Earlier this month, Pope Francis announced the Year of St. Joseph, honoring the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. This made me happy as my middle name is Joseph and I pray to him often.

Pope Francis said the pandemic heightened his desire to reflect on St. Joseph, as so many people have made hidden sacrifices for others, just as St. Joseph quietly protected and cared for Mary and Jesus. He also said he wanted to highlight St. Joseph’s role as a father who served his family with charity and humility, adding, “Our world today needs fathers.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Magi? Wise men? Ancient astronomers? Kings? Who are these sojourners following the lightof the star to the Christ Child who is the Light of the world? We do know that they came toOur Lord to “do Him homage”. Following a star, they left the comfort of their familiarsurroundings to worship God. As the Gospel reminds us: When Jesus was born in Bethlehemof Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do himhomage.”

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

I find today’s gospel passage to be incredibly moving. This print depicts the Flight into Egypt. In the picture, Mary is resting between the paws of the Egyptian sphinx as She cradles Her newborn Son. Meanwhile, Joseph lays in front of a smoldering fire absolutely exhausted. They are a suffering family and Mary and Joseph have done everything they can do to protect the Christ child.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent. Because so many of us will be traveling over Christmas, I want to take this opportunity, on behalf of our parish staff, to wish all of you a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Over the next few days, we will be wrapping up our Christmas preparations—decorating, buying and wrapping presents, sending cards, and baking. Of course, we must remember the most important preparations of all… spiritual ones.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

Maranatha! It simply means, “Come Lord Jesus!” This simple prayer of the early Christians was offered because they expected the Lord’s return at any moment. As they waited for His coming, they lived like it and they were joyful about it. Today is a reminder that the celebrations of Christ’s coming draws near.

Dear Family,

Peace and Joy in Our Lord Jesus!

In his book about Jesus’ birth, Pope Benedict wrote: “I consider it important to focus on the final sentence of Luke’s Annunciation narrative: ‘And the angel departed from her.’ The great hour of Mary’s encounter with God’s messenger – in which her whole life is changed – comes to an end, and she remains there alone, with a task that truly surpasses all human capacity.”