……from your Pastor’s Desk Setting the Stage for Our Advent Journey Today is the first day of the new Church year. It is also the first day of Advent. Advent is the 4 week period before Christmas when the Church celebrates the first coming of Christ and anticipates His second coming. It is also a time when we are pressured by advertisers…

……from your Pastor’s Desk The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe This Feast Day is enhanced by asking, and answering a few questions: Who is Jesus?What does He mean in your life? We call Him Messiah or Christ. Do those words mean anything to you personally?We call Him Savior, Redeemer and Lord. What effect does this have in…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Worst Day Ever?[please read entirely through] Today was the absolute worst day everAnd don’t try to convince me thatThere’s something good in every dayBecause, when you take a closer look,This world is a pretty evil place.Even ifSome goodness does shine through once in a whileSatisfaction and happiness don’t last.And it’s not true thatIt’s all in the mind and…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Veterans Day – 2021 Veteran’s day is ACTUALLY this Thursday, November 11th. But for continuity purposes, this writing says ‘Today’. Today is not Memorial Day – Not a day to pray for those who died under arms. We should do that EVERY day. Nor is today a day when we specifically honor and pray for all those men…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Halloween – Secular or Sacred? October 31st is Halloween. Many people, especially Christians, dismiss Halloween for what it has become. Fact is though; we are the ones who invented it, or rather, in ancient days ‘converted it’ as we did many other pagan festivals. Halloween is an ancient festival with roots in Celtic pre-Christian times. It was adapted…

……from your Pastor’s Desk In today’s gospel Blind Bartimaeus asks for sight. He is indeed given that, but also an even greater gift; Insight, and he becomes a follower. We have been told that God hears and answers every plea. Sometimes the answer is ‘yes’, sometimes, ‘not right now’, sometimes even – ‘no’. What have you asked of God? How did God…

……from your Pastor’s Desk I love the fall. And as I quietly contemplate on what I might write, I watch dappled sunlight shifting through trees stirred by a warm, soft and gentle breeze. Leaves that are already on the cusp of turning into beautiful and stunning shades of gold and brown as winter awaits. It reminds me in the beat of a…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Owned by our “stuff” This weekend’s Gospel is the famous story of the rich young man who wants to follow Jesus. At first sight the young man comes across as an exceptionally good person, deferential to Jesus and somehow searching for the way of eternal life. And, it seemed he was well on his way to just that.…

……from your Pastor’s Desk This Sunday the readings invite us to consider marriage and the relationship between a man and a woman in marriage. Just a few years back that would not be even considered remotely controversial. Today, such a topic has so many challenges because; let’s face it, modern culture has changed the perception of marriage, the perception of commitment, the…

……from your Pastor’s Desk St. Francis and the Blessing of AnimalsSaturday, October 2nd at 11:00 am in our plaza. As many of you already know, years ago, many Franciscan priests and brothers served in our Diocese. At one time they covered all of Lake County. And, as some of you also know, I, too, have a Franciscan background. There is still evidence…