Coronavirus
We are a full two years into the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of us have been worn out by the pandemic. We are tired of shutdowns, social distancing, and facemasks as well as the polarization over these. Presently, there is good…
Read MoreOne does not have to look far to see that we live in a troubled world. We have been dealing with the Coronavirus for two years now. Right now, the number of cases in the United States has dropped significantly…
Read MoreLast week I wrote an article about new year’s resolutions (“A New Beginning”). Today I will share some thoughts about what we might be looking forward to in 2022. I think the thing most obvious thing that we would all…
Read MoreI have not written much on the Coronavirus in recent months (You can see past articles by clicking here). There are two reasons for this. The first is that I didn’t have anything new to say about it. The second…
Read MoreOne of the things I like to write about here is current events in the news. At times I have also considered starting a discussion group about current events. I believe it is important to reflect on what is going…
Read MoreAs I write this, I am just seven and a half days from moving from my current assignment as the Parochial Vicar at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in western Livingston County to St. Mary’s of the Lake in Watkins…
Read MoreIn March of last year we began to feel locally the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Coronavirus was known to be out there. Knowing it was coming, precautions were put in place. In church it began with the suspension…
Read More6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BLeviticus 13:1-2, 44-46Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11 (7)1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1Mark 1:40-45February 14, 2021 The “leper came to Jesus.” The very fact that the leper came to Jesus would be amazing to the people around Jesus. …
Read MoreIt is no secret that 2020 was a difficult year. A number of my blog articles in the last year reflect that. In particular, there were the articles, “2020: What a Year!” and “2020 is Over!”. Now, we try to…
Read MoreToday is January 1st. That means we begin a new year. It is now 2021! That means 2020 is over! 2020 is a year we might wish we could forget but probably never will. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the…
Read MoreThanksgiving DaySirach 50:22-24Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-81 Corinthians 1:3-9Luke 17:11-19November 26, 2020 Today is our national day of Thanksgiving. The custom of this holiday dates back to the first pilgrims in Massachusetts. They were thankful that God had blessed them…
Read MoreDear Lord, It has been a challenging year and we still have two months to go. The challenges have come in various ways. Perhaps the one most obvious to all is the Coronavirus Pandemic. Our greatest concern is for those…
Read MoreIn the 1930’s, Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971) developed the Serenity Prayer. The first four lines have become well-known. God grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. It…
Read MoreThe first reading in yesterday’s (28th Sunday in Ordinary Time) Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours led me to think about where we are at as a Church with regards to the number of people who practice…
Read More22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AJeremiah 20:7-9Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (2b)Romans 12:1-2Matthew 16:21-27August 30, 2020 Last week Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”. Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the…
Read MoreI recently read a book about Franciscan Spirituality relating to our care for the environment. I am not going to focus on that topic today but I mention the book (Care for Creation by Delio, Warner, and Word, Cincinnati: St.…
Read MoreIt’s hard to know but it seems like I have heard of increasing numbers of acts of violence (mainly shootings). I currently serve in a parish about thirty minutes outside of Rochester, NY. Last weekend, Rochester had three separate shootings…
Read MoreThe Coronavirus shutdown our Masses for three months. It continues to impact attendance as people stay home to protect themselves. For those who do come in person, attendance hovers about 30-40% of normal. There are others who continue to watch…
Read More18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 55:1-3Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18 (16)Romans 8:35, 37-39Matthew 14:13-21August 2, 2020 All our readings today share the theme of being fed. In the first reading, the Lord invites “all who are thirsty” to “come…
Read MoreAfter the Coronavirus first became present in the United States in March and April of this year, I posted some articles here about how we were responding in terms of our stress and adjustments in our lives. (For some of…
Read MoreWe face challenges in our world today. Of course, there has been challenges as long as there has been people making bad choices with their free will. There has also being illnesses that challenge us but do not know why…
Read More12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AJeremiah 20:10-13Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 (14c)Romans 5:12-15Matthew 10:26-33June 21, 2020 “Jesus said to the Twelve, “Fear no one.” Fear can be a powerful thing. Often, we might seek the approval of those who…
Read MorePrior to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) it was common for Catholics to go to Confession at least monthly if not every other week. Some even went weekly. For some it didn’t matter if they didn’t know of any mortal…
Read MoreThe Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year ADeuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16aPsalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 (12)1 Corinthians 10:16-17John 6:51-58June 14, 2020 It has been a while since we have been able to gather together physically to celebrate Mass. We have…
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