For a Holy Heart I share with you a prayer written by St. Thomas More: Lord, grant me a holy heart that sees what is always fine and pure and is not frightened at the sight of sin but creates order wherever it goes. Grant me a heart that knows nothing of boredom, weeping, and…
Nothing Less than All of You Is What I Want This Thursday, January 31, marks the 44th anniversary of my Ordination to the Priesthood. I give thanks to God for the gift of my vocation and God’s willingness to allow me to share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. I pray for continued strength as…
Gratitude and Intentionality Last weekend as we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we closed out the Christmas Season. It is with a heart full of gratitude that I continue to thank God for having the opportunity to celebrate the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany Seasons with you, the Parishioners of St. Thomas More Parish. This…
Epiphany Quiz Answers How many Wise Men (Magi) visited Joseph, Jesus and Mary in Bethlehem? Nobody knows. The tradition that there were three arises from the three gifts that were given to the Holy Family. Which King of Israel wanted to kill the baby who would grow to become the Messiah? Herod. Caesar Augustus…
Epiphany Quiz How many Wise Men (Magi) visited Joseph, Jesus, and Mary? ___Two ___Nobody knows ___Three ___Four Which King of Israel wanted to kill the baby who would grow to become the Messiah? ___Flavius Josephus ___Caesar Augustus ___Herod ___Quirinius Who wrote the text of the Epiphany carol “We Three Kings of Orient Are”?…
Children in Church at St. Thomas More Parish I thought it appropriate that I discuss the place of families with children here at our Parish on this “Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” Pope Francis said this on December 17, 2015 at St. Joseph Parish in Rome: Babies cry, make noise,…
Come Home For Christmas! We hear much about “coming home” for the holidays. My Christmas greetings and prayers for you and yours are contained in these words from Fr. Henri Nouwen: Coming Home There are two realities to which you must cling. First, God has promised that you will receive the love you have been…
A Temple Built of Living Stones The Mass of Dedication and Blessing: December 16, 2015 This weekend we celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the Dedication of our Church. I share my Pastor’s Column from that time three years ago. Our Parish Family, now 33 years old, continues to witness to the mission and ministry of Jesus!…
As we continue our journey through the Season of Advent this weekend, we focus upon John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. The voice in the wilderness cries out: “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” In John, we see and hear a message of urgency and immediacy. So often, as we make our…
Parish Advent Communal Penance Service: The Sacrament of Reconciliation— God’s Unconditional Love for Us! In recent years, a name change has taken place with the “Sacrament of Confession.” We no longer call the act “Confession,” but rather “Reconciliation” and/or “Penance.” This name change better reflects what happens in this celebration. We do not go to…