Our Blog
Some people seem to think our faith doesn’t have much to do with the way we do our jobs. A person might say I am accountant or a engineer or work in a government office. My job doesn’t relate to…
Read MoreToday, one of our churches at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, St. Januarius’, celebrated the dedication of its newly renovated sanctuary. The present church was built in the 1960’s. Another one of our churches is having some roof work…
Read MoreToday’s readings (August 3, 2011) show two different responses of faith. In the first reading, the Israelites are preparing to enter the promised land. At God’s command, scouts are sent ahead to explore the area. The scouts return with reports…
Read MoreThe post that follows is the article I wrote for the cover of our bulletin at Our Lady of the Lakes for July 31, 2011. Death & Life Jesus knows what it is like to lose a loved one. Today’s…
Read MoreGod has given each of us many gifts. No one has all the gifts but working together as a community of believers we have all the gifts we need. We begin working together by each recognizing our strengths and our…
Read MoreForgiveness can be a difficult thing. It can be difficult to forgive someone when they do something that hurts us. It can also be difficult to accept forgiveness that is offered to us after we have hurt someone. When someone…
Read MoreYou may have noticed in the last few months I haven’t written as much as I used to. Generally, I make a point to write something here at least once a week. I write more often as Spirit inspires me. …
Read MoreThis week I celebrate the fourth anniversary of my priestly ordination. In four years, I have served in two very different parishes. The first (St. Mary’s Southside) was a single church located in the City of Elmira but serving people…
Read MoreIn our country where we believe in democratic principles, laws are passed by the majority vote of elected representatives (who were elected by getting the largest share of the vote – not necessarily a majority if there were more than…
Read MoreAs part of our diocesan initiative this year to help us better understand the Mass, here is the homily I gave today on the Holy Trinity. All three persons of the Trinity are at work in the Mass and they…
Read MoreI just returned from a five day retreat at Bethany Retreat Center. While not everyone can take five days, I encourage everyone to think about taking an annual retreat. For those who work, many retreat centers offer weekend retreats. What…
Read MoreLast night, our parish school in Penn Yan (St. Michael’s School) held its spring concert. The first third of the concert was the band playing instrucmental pieces. The rest of the concert was all the children singing as one large…
Read MoreYesterday was the 7th Annual Stewardship Day in the Diocese of Rochester. Representatives from parishes throughout the diocese gathered to listen to speakers about stewardship. The main speaker was Susan Erschen of the diocese of St. Louis where she is…
Read MoreEach year the priests and administrators of our Rochester Diocese gather for a convocation with a featured speaker. Below follows an article I just wrote about the convocation for an upcoming parish bulletin. Continuing Education There is a saying, “We…
Read MoreOn Good Friday, Jesus died for us. On Easter, he rose to new life and he promises a share in the new life in his Father’s kingdom to all who believe in him. We enter into that new life in…
Read MoreThis is the holiest time of the year. Last night (Thursday), we celebrated the Institution of the Eucharist and the Washing of the Feet. Today is Good Friday, the day which we celebrate the Crucifixion of Jesus. Yes, we celebrate…
Read MoreHere are some more of my thoughts on words we use to describe God. Potter – Isaiah 64:7 says “Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of…
Read MoreThis weekend we begin Holy Week. Easter is the highest day of the year for it is the day we celebrate the Resurrection. Yet, to properly understand Easter, we cannot just look at the Resurrection itself. We must look at…
Read MoreWe continue to talk about words people use to describe God. Today I turn to some “negative” words Trickster/Joker – I was a little surprised to see trickster/joker on the list. I don’t know if I have ever heard God…
Read MoreToday I take a look at some more positive words for God. Friend – Without a doubt, God is a friend. A friend is someone you share close moments with. A friend is someone you can count on to always be there. …
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