Sunday’s Readings: Daniel 12:1-3; Psalms 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32

…from your Pastor’s Desk – WHY DOESN’T GOD MAKE THINGS EASIER? – Perhaps the most vexing faith-question of all-time is the problem of God’s silence and his seeming indifference: why does God allow evil? Why do bad things happen to good people? If there is an all-powerful and all-loving God, how do you explain that millions of innocent people suffered and died under Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, in massacres in Rwanda, Algeria, and the recent terrorist killings in the USA? Where is God in all of this? …

Sunday’s Readings: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalms 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 OR 12:41-44

…from your Pastor’s Desk – Worst Day Ever? – Today was the absolute worst day ever And don’t try to convince me that There’s something good in every day Because, when you take a closer look, This world is a pretty evil place. Even if…

Sunday’s Readings: Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28b-34

…from your Pastor’s Desk – YOUR VOTE COUNTS – This will be the 15th Presidential election in which I am eligible to vote. I also believe it is the most crucial. I must admit that I did not vote in all of them in my early years. A few I thought, ‘oh well, what does one vote really matter’? A few more it seemed that there just was not a ‘lesser of two evils’ choice. Maybe you have experienced the same in the course of your life. …

Sunday’s Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalms 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

…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. …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45 OR 10:42-45

…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. …

Sunday’s Readings: Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalms 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30 OR 10:17-27

…from your Pastor’s Desk – There is something appealing about the question in today’s gospel. It comes from a sincere young man who was serious about finding the way to eternal life. It is a serious question, “What must I do to gain eternal life?” He REALLY WANTS an answer. …

Sunday’s Readings: Genesis 2:18-24; Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16 OR 10:2-12

…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 perception of chastity and the perception of love. …

Sunday’s Readings: Numbers 11:25-29; Psalms 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

…from your Pastor’s Desk – St. Francis and the Blessing of Animals – 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 of our Franciscan roots throughout the Diocese. The spirit of Francis lives on, especially more so now with our beloved Pope Francis. …

Sunday’s Readings: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalms 54:3-4, 5, 6 & 8; James 3:16—4:3; Mark 9:30-37

…from your Pastor’s Desk – Some Truths are Hard to Hear – Some questions are hard to ask. We can all struggle at times to listen to someone if what they say arouses painful emotions in us. They might be trying to tell us something about ourselves that we find difficult to hear. That very human tendency is reflected in the disciples in today’s gospel. …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 50:5-9a; Psalms 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35

…from your Pastor’s Desk – “Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” This is part of this Sunday’s Gospel. …