……from the Pastor’s Desk WHY DOESN’T GODMAKE 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,…

……from the 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…

……from the 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…

……from the 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 the 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 the 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. Interestingly enough – In his reply Jesus named a number of commandments, all…

……from the 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 the Pastor’s Desk St. Francis and the Blessing of AnimalsSaturday, October 5th at 11 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…

……from the 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…

……from the 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. It is one of those Scripture passages that leaves people somewhat puzzled. What is…