July 9, 2025

Closer Than You Think Some things are just not in our reach: a mini vacation on the moon, racing a car in the Daytona 500, winning a championship at Wimbledon. Yet, we have so many good-life experiences that should not be taken for granted: family, friends, parishioners, clergy; then worked into these relationships we add […]

July 8, 2025

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. (Matthew […]

July 7, 2025

In this Gospel, we encounter two stories of deep faith — a father pleading for his daughter, and a woman reaching out for healing. Both are drawn to Jesus in desperation, but their actions are rooted in unwavering belief: “Come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” “If only I can touch his […]

July 6, 2025

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time How many of us can remember NOT hearing these words when listening to a vocation talk about the priesthood: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few”? And then we are asked to pray to God that he send more young men to serve as priests. There are so […]

July 5, 2025

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain […]

July 4, 2025

Independence Day (USA) Today, as a country, we observe Independence Day, an opportunity to pause and celebrate the fact that we are a free people. We look back on the history of this American nation, which has been shaped by millions of people who immigrated here from every corner of the globe. They came in […]

July 3, 2025

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle I recently visited Lakeland, Florida, where I took an in-depth tour of the campus of Florida Southern College. The College has been heralded as the most beautiful college campus in Florida, due to the large number of buildings designed by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. When Mr. Wright visited […]

July 2, 2025

Thereupon, the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their district. This is one of the more interesting passages in Matthew’s Gospel, not only in the cure of the two possessed men, but in the aftermath. The people in the town ask, no beg, Jesus […]

July 1, 2025

As we hear in our first reading with the angel urging Lot onward, we cannot help but think of the early settlers of this great country who trusted in God, and the angels led them through the many journeys to this sacred land. Today, the United States church remembers Franciscan Junipero Serra, who founded the […]

June 30, 2025

Tempus Fugit There certainly is an awareness that time is being wasted. See the impatient one in a long line at the store. See the walking-talking phone operator trotting to the car to get on with the business at hand. Hear the complaining that the Mass went nine minutes overtime. Such hurrying, such rushing, and […]