Fr Anthony’s Word of the Week: Consolidated Reflections



Fr Anthony’s Word of the Week: Consolidated ReflectionsAugust 17, 2017:"When you pray the Our Father, what phrase or word speaks to you most in that moment? What words to Our Father do you need to pray and believe the most at this time in your life? When you find it, stop yourself, sit with it and pray it again."September 6, 2017:"What does God's mercy mean to you? Is it something cosmic that affects all of creation or something you have personally felt and experienced? It is both of course, but we cannot truly share what we haven't experienced. Do you truly believe that God's mercy is greater than your sinfulness? We need constant reminding that while sin will always be a constant nuisance, mercy is an unstoppable force! All we need to is trust and receive it. Then we must hold in balance our trust in His mercy, without taking it for granted."September 11, 2017:"A key to keeping faith is memory. How can we have faith for the future if we don't remember all God has done in the past? To that effect, we can take a page out of the Jewish faith. And we know that God always uses others to accomplish His will, spread His love and mediate His grace. Take a moment to recall all the people God put along your path to get you here. Then from there, know your worth by realizing how God has used you to lift others up and lead them closer to Him."September 18, 2017:"I was downtown Cleveland this past weekend. Walking down the street, I had some incredible, graced, surprising encounters just from wearing my priest clerics and collar. While a priest's clerical dress is a visibly distinct symbol of our faith, we can each be an even more profound, visible symbol of our faith everyday by: The way we throw out a gentle smile or a slight nod to strangers we pass; Asking the clerk behind the desk how their day is going; Saying something humorous to the person standing in line with us; Waving on a another driver with a smile; By just looking people in the eye when most would ignore others; By letting a homeless person know we SEE them and love them, even if we give them nothing more."September 25, 2017:"God has shown us how to live our faith and gives the grace to do it, yet we get discouraged because so often, we don't feel the faith we believe we're living. One way to know is by the fruit in others' lives. If you bring someone else closer to God, you ARE living out your faith, even when you don't yourself feel it."October 2, 2017: "Reconciling that God sees everything that is going to happen yet allows us to go through times that seem purposeless, unnecessary and frankly difficult, is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. Out of personal love for our freedom, He doesn't force the world to change. What He does change is us. He changes hearts. That's how He changes the world. He changes how we live in it."October 9, 2017: "Why do we sin? Because it's fun! It's satisfying. Otherwise, we wouldn't do it. That's the point! This world isn't meant to satisfy us. We're supposed to experience emptiness and longing in this life, in anticipation of the life to come, which is the complete fulfillment of ALL desire. When we're feeling that emptiness and seeking satisfaction, think about this and appreciate that longing in the presence of the Lord."October 16, 2017: "Last week, I mentioned the emptiness we are meant to feel in this life, in anticipation of the next life. Following from that, the question is how do we handle that feeling of emptiness or unfulfillment? If just sit there, not satisfied, trying only not to sin, it's either frustrating or inevitably a losing battle. This time is where growth happens. We have seek out the Lord in prayer, dialogue or scripture to allow Him to fill us with peace and consolation. If can just challenge ourselves a little bit at a time in this way, God will new spaces that were empty and unhealthy before."October 23, 2017: "Atheism is the antithesis to Christianity and an instrument of the enemy. Atheists however are not the enemy. They are people fooled by the enemy into bring convinced we are all alone in this. When we encounter or dialogue with them, it is apparent how much pain and darkness they are living in. While we cannot force anyone to find God until they are ready themselves to, what we can do is meet them in word and action with the kind of love, charity and compassion that contradicts the world. Hopefully through our simple witness of love, paired with rationality, the smallest desire for something more might light up in them."October 31, 2017:"It's no secret that we need each other. God made us to be that way. There is delicate, dynamic balance of associating with those who are good for us and those who we are good for. The latter is of course more difficult. There are people in our life, often friends, family or those we work with, that are challenging and difficult, occasionally or perhaps often. The world says if someone is difficult and offers you no real benefit, walk away. That's not what the Gospel says. We shouldn't pander to them too much. Hold them accountable out of respect, but do it with persisting patience and compassion. Sometimes the Lord gives us special crosses of accompanying others through their struggles, but know and accept how much you can actually do. Do not take the full burden of anyone's life upon yourself. That's Jesus' Cross. He already bore it and He bears it for us."November 6, 2017:"We're always looking for Good News on Monday morning, yet it seems like every week we hear about some act(s) of mass violence happening to an innocent crowd of civilians, in a school or to a church community during worship. All we can and must do sometimes is just BE the Good News for the world around us. While most people aren't radical enough to take to violence, they are however quite content with the judgments and divisions they harbor inside. We cannot as Christians be content with division among people. Even when we cannot agree, we can exert love, understanding and charity in our differences. If we at least refrain from fanning the flames of political, religious, racial or cultural division, Jesus can work with that. Even better, it only takes a smile or one compassionate response to cool the flames of others' hostility."November 12, 2017:"It's hard to reconcile the whole free will thing with God's providence in our lives. When Fr Valencheck or I walk the dog(s), most of the time they are fine without the leash. Sebastian in particular is comfortable with the leash when necessary, but he really thrives when he's free to roam unleashed. So it is with us and God. God lets us roam the world, sniffing around as He walks close by, watching over us with a smile. It's only when we're heading for danger or turning the wrong way that He gently holds us back. The Holy Spirit is like that leash that gently nudges and steers us back on the path that is safe and smooth, granted if we don't fight His guidance."November 19, 2017:"Have you ever thought "I don't have time to sin"? Maybe it's a good daily mantra for us sometimes. We can tell ourselves "I don't have time to sin. I have to be at my best for others today/tomorrow. I'm also anticipating the joy, peace and wisdom the Lord wants to give me now/this week. For all of these things, I need God's grace. So I need to stay close to Him, so I don't have time to sin."November 26, 2017:"Life is busy. Life will always be busy. That being said, if all we do is work and fulfill our responsibilities, that makes for an exhausting, non- rewarding life. We need to take those brief breaks from our work, no matter how brief they are, to be energized. When small opportunities present themselves to step away from your work, take them. If nothing else, take a breath, a coffee break or one moment to relax. The time away will refresh you, give you peace and inspire you when you return. In other words, be present to each moment, protect your peace and let the Lord energize you in your work and through the people you are with throughout your busy day. He will.”December 4, 2017:"What do you want to give God for Christmas? What do you need to give away, in order to receive something much greater? We all know our answer to this question. To welcome Jesus and the joy of His birth, we need the peace and freedom to be present to Him. He can only take what we offer though, so let's start opening our hands and our heart now to let go of what might deprive of the Christmas joy we are hoping for on December 25."December 11, 2017”"Christmas is not only about presents...it's about Presence. There will be a lot of scurrying around this week, wrapping up loose ends, in many ways. That way, we will be able to enjoy Christmas with a clear mind and calm spirit. Christmas is about sharing time together around Christ's birth. We can't be truly present and truly share time together with loved ones without Christ. So, take whatever private time you need this week to prepare yourself to be present, but start loosening the grasp of your anxieties now. When you come together on Christmas or any day, you are SHARING time and presence, not merely sharing the same space. So be present...in Christ for one another."December 18, 2017:"For all of us workaholics out there, let's not confuse doing our 9-5 work with doing the Lord's work. This is to say: spreading love, hope andcharity in the name of our faith and living the Gospel by our life. Living faith and doing the Lord's work is far simpler than we think, because it's His work. He can we do God's work? Let Him do all the work. So perhaps our greatest challenge is listening for what to say, being transparent and present to each moment, and walking forward with an open heart. As we face down 2018 and all our New Year's resolutions, let's ask ourselves: What do I hope the Lord will change for me and hope He can do through me?"January 1, 2018:"The heat in my room at the rectory died last night, in the midst of this brutal cold. I was standing there in my winter coat, placing a heated blanket on my bed, preparing to rough it out for the night. Then I realized just up the hall, there is a perfectly warm bed in another room. Duh! Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that the comfortable, familiar places to us aren't always the answer. Sometimes when we just step back, we realize what is best for us in the moment is in a different place…unfamiliar territory. Often spontaneity is Gods answer, not familiarity. Do we rough it out to stay where we're comfortable or look for the answer that is out of the box in times of brokenness?"January 8, 2018:""Do a good job." "Don't screw up." "It was really great, but..." "The only problem was..." We hear or say these all the time. They usually mean no harm, but at the same time, is this all that life and work boil down to...what's wrong? When someone says "Make sure you do a good job", it reduces your efforts to either perfect or not perfect. It takes away your personality and presence. Our life, responsibilities and relationships aren't just performance. Where's the love in that? Whatever it is you have to do today, opposed to "Do a good job", I would propose instead "Prepare the best that you can, but more importantly, Just be YOU, Make it about the people, Mean what you say, Jump in and Let the Holy Spirit into moment." If you do, really how can you screw it up?"January 15, 2018:"We all have that perpetual To-Do List and we do as much as we can each day. Usually the practical things we need to do get put on the top while unfortunately, the things we want to do for others tend to get bumped to the bottom of the list. In the spirit of recently canonized St Theresa of Calcutta who made peoples livelihood and wellbeing her daily work, I believe she would say "Do ittoday. Tomorrow is too late." Whatever charity your faith is calling you to today, whatever your heart is urging you towards lately, the things you said you would do for another person that may not be pressing needs but would give them peace, help or happiness....make it happen. Do it now. Tomorrow might be too late."January 22, 2018:"We're all sinners, right? We're all saints in the making too. The journey from this starting point to that ending point is this adventure we call "Life on Earth." The Life of Faith says to God "You are too good to me!" It's acknowledging we don't deserve ALL God's love, His mercy, His help, His grace...but we know He will always give it. Hence out of that humility, we are so thankful, so we have faith. The Life of Sin says to God "You're too good FOR me." Its giving up on redemption because of our sins and so giving up on God, so a person chooses to do it all on their own. This is the big difference between Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. Both knew they were sinners, not worthy of God. But one had the humility to return to God trusting in His mercy, where the other one refused to turn back to God out of pride and self-reliance. Faith says "You are TOO good to me Lord! Thank you!""January 29, 2018:"Are you an Open Book kind of person or a Closed Book kind of person? We are all wired naturally one way or another when it comes to our interactions with others. Neither way makes a perfect person, but with our God, the only way to truly live and live on fire with His love is being an Open Book...staying open and stretching open one page at a time throughout life. The fire of Christ's love is burning in and all around us, waiting to catch and consume us. The wider we open ourselves to Him, the more crevices, spaces and shadows we expose, the more brightly He will illumine us, scatter the darkness and enkindle us. Can we even imagine what it could be like to be totally ablaze in His love?"February 5, 2018:"When we're faced with temptation, which is an attack from the enemy, the two gut reactions are Flight or Fight. If we run from it, the enemy will pursue you, either until you give in or run straight to the Lord. But know if we face it, fully acknowledging it and staring it down, feet planted in the Lord, the temptation will fade as quickly as it came. We shouldn't be scandalized by our sinfulness or when the enemy attacks us. Instead accept that growing in faith willalways be a struggle, so share that struggle with the Lord, no matter how fierce or ugly it may be. If we run to Jesus for shelter, we win, but also if we face temptation holding to Jesus, we will certainly win. As St Peter assures us "Resist him, solid in your faith" and he will retreat."February 12, 2018:""The Burden of Charity." Charity by nature does impose on our comfort. Charity goes far beyond just donating our time or resources for another person. Maybe charity in its essence is taking someone else's cares onto ourselves and sharing in their concerns, when we could easily move on with our own. Something amazing happens when we choose to share in someone else's burden. Even if we can DO nothing for them, having shared their burden in heart, in prayer, in our time or in a kind word, their load is somehow lightened because then they're not bearing it alone. Maybe that's the essence of the Cross. So to that effect, if we carry others' burdens alone on our own strength, of course it will drain and exhaust us. To truly share others' burdens well, we have to stay yoked to Christ in ours. Only then will our load be lightened and bearable. Then the Cross that we embrace leads to the Resurrection, time and time again. As we step forward into Lent, may we cling to Christ for freedom and hope AS we reach out from ourselves in charity to whomever God places in our path. May we bear the Burden of Charity with Christ because He already bore it and always bears it with us."February 19, 2018:"You know when someone trusts you with a task they need to get done or let you borrow something that they love, it's a whole different feeling of responsibility. We set our clock by it and remind ourselves to get it done. We make double sure that things are kept safe and undamaged. When it's something that we own, that tends to mean it's ours to use, misuse or abuse or neglect. That's our right...or is it? In my morning prayers, St Gregory of Nazianzus said "Let us never allow ourselves to misuse what has been given us by God." This is the meaning of stewardship: stewardship of our gifts, our possessions, our opportunities, our time and yes, our body too. All these things, God has lovingly trusted to us to take care of and make the most of. There is freedom, responsibility, empowerment and indeed humility in caring for what doesn't belong to us. If we truly let this sink in, what a great job we would do with all of it!"February 26, 2018:There's a scene from the movie "Patch Adams" where a doctor is teaching medical students about treatment. They're standing around a very sick woman. He asks "Questions?" They ask for Diagnosis. They ask for the Procedures. The woman cringes. Then Patch raises his hand and asks "What's her name?" The doctor reads "Oh...Sharon." Patch says "Hi Sharon." She smiles. Don't just see problems to be fixed...See the Person. See your/their dignity, and our need for love, rather than only our defects. See God already at work in you/them and our need for more healing. See the Person...Not the Problem. That's what Jesus sees."March 5, 2018:"Perhaps the question of faith to answer every day, every moment until THE moment we meet God face to face is "Do you trust Me?" Maybe the measure of our faith and hope could be summed up in how much we trust God. Is there any question, any uncertainty, any situation, any person or any relationship that we still have our hands wrapped around, afraid to place in God's hands? The more we trust Him, the more freedom we give Him to provide, guide and deliver for us time and time again. If we told God "I trust You" a thousand times a day, every day for the rest of our lives...especially when it's difficult to trust, that would be a life well lived. Do we trust God will fulfill all His promises? Do we trust He will fulfill the good work He has begun in us?"March 12, 2018:"It's the pain of sin, having stepped away from the Lord, feeling that emptiness and isolation that reminds us why we hate Sin and the Author of sin who loves our misery. Therefore in running back to the Lord in our desperation, grace flows from it. And so, the more we actually, truly don't want to sin, the more open we will be to God's helping Hand in these moments of trial and the warning signs from the Holy Spirit to pull us back and deliver us from temptation when it comes upon us. Rest assured, there will be MANY opportunities from God to stay close and pull back, the more we truly value our relationship with Him, truly desire to stay with Him and so, hate sin."March 19, 2018:"When someone is hurting, on impulse our heart goes out to them. We pray for the victim. We're called to do so, but do we remember also to pray for the one who victimizes them? Do we pray for the oppressor in a relationship? Do we pray for the aggressor in a situation? Maybe they need prayerseven more. To change the whole world, we have to pray for the ones doing the damage. Let's take a moment to think of the people we are concerned for right now, whether it's someone we know personally or people we know of. Then take a moment to pray for the people who are causing them to hardship or harm. Pray for THEIR conversion, their peace, their hardness of heart, their brokenness and their need for healing. That's the kind of radical act of mercy that Jesus Christ Himself exemplified on the Cross for His oppressors. If God were to bring conversion to the victimizers, the victims would no longer be victims. What a thought!"March 22, 2018:"To be human IS to be open to God: a Box with no ceiling, by nature open to Him. However when the first man and woman: our first parents fell from that Original Grace, we lost this openness. The lid was shut from God.Through the event we just celebrated, the Paschal Mystery in which we live, Jesus entered into the mess of our fallen reality, He entered literally into the farthest depths of our sin and death AND when He rose from it, Jesus blew those doors that once separated us wide-open forever! We may choose to turn away at times, look away or be fooled into thinking that we lost our way back to God, but the light of the Resurrection and our reconciliation with God can never be lost again. Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ, King of Endless Glory. Alleluia, He is Risen!"March 22, 2018:"As we walk forward into Holy Week and this final breath of Lent, let's let the Lord draw us into it as He wants to. Rather than just skipping meals or avoiding YouTube, which is good, maybe let ourselves be drawn into a Spirit of Fasting, tethered to our relationship with God. Fasting or pulling back a little from the comforts we normally cling to opens us to the kind of uncomfortability that reminds us how much we need God. Prayer is reaching out to God in our need with a longing heart. Then Almsgiving, or I would say, MERCY when offered to another person whether deserving or not, gives our heart the freedom to receive God's mercy and love. Yes, Lent has mostly run its course, but let's not box God in by thinking we've squeezed all the grace we can out of this season. Therefore let God lead you through Holy Week. Put the work in His hands."April 9, 2018:"I had a thought one day while celebrating Mass: What was life like for Adam and Eve in the Garden before the Fall? Imagine the peace,freedom, security and joy they walked with everyday! I think, similarly to that of a happy, trusting child, they were free from self-awareness. They just walked, talked and thrived, immersed every moment in pure God-awareness. They were completely content and happy in being who they were in God's eyes: living 100% the person God created them to be. That is truly a "Don't Worry, Be Happy" way of life! This wonderful walk in the Garden can be ours, on a moment to moment basis, so long as we fix our eyes/mind/heart on God and fight the impulse to look down and in on ourselves. Of course, this is a daily battle for us unfortunately, to stay the course of grace, but that's why Jesus said I'm giving you a Helper: His Spirit. Just imagine one day in that Garden. If we could just taste that experience each day...what a day every day would be!"April 16, 2018:"It's important not only to hear what faith means to others, but also to think and share what it means to you. We need to be able to articulate our own story of faith. So what does faith mean to you? Why is it important uniquely to you, through your life or at this point in your life? In a word, is it: Trust; Patience; Hope; Generosity; Charity; Mercy; Forgiveness; Surrender; Obedience; Peace; Love? Write it down. Then maybe explain in a couple sentences, what you would say to a person looking for faith. Then stop, listen and think "What aspect of faith do I need to open myself to more?" "In what way do I need to let myself be stretched more, for the Glory of God?"April 23, 2018:Inspired by our partnership with Julie Billiart and my own experiences in ministry, I would like to humbly offer a Word of Awareness about our brothers and sisters with mental illness. Mental Illness can mean a lot of things. It can mean chronic anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD, subtle cases of autism or inability to socialize well with others, etc. As I like to say, there’s no such thing as "Normal." However there are parishioners here of visitors to our community that have more debilitating and/or more prevalent disabilities. On a typical day, we might be thrown back initially when someone acts in way that is outside the norm. However, we need to remember that every living person ultimately has the same needs and desires: peace, happiness, comfort, love, acceptance, belonging and contributing what they have to offer. The big difference with someone with adebilitating mental illness is their ability to express their thoughts, feelings and desires...to fit into the common mold. What can we do? Only as much as we can: An understanding smile to let them know we're not bothered, so they don't feel more isolated; Just ask how they're doing and listen for a moment; See if there is anything we can do to make them feel more comfortable; Or just allow them to be themselves, as we do. If someone starts making a scene, let them know but with compassion. If someone becomes excessively loud, poses a threat to themselves or to others, then there are appropriate steps and resources in place. So the mentally ill may most likely require extra patience, understanding and energy from us at times. Yes, but Christ doesn't call us to love when it's easy, but most especially when it's difficult. In all things, Christ be with us."April 30, 2018:"We're called to do as much we can for others. We're called to be stretched for others. But we need to be aware of our own limits, when our own peace is at risk. When there is a person, relationship or situation when we are doing all we can and find ourselves thinking: "I can't carry all of this." "There's nothing else I can say or do." "I don't know what to do.", it's OK. In those moments, I would say like a football, Pass it Off to Mary. Tell her "Mary, you pray for them. You're prayers are better than mine. I trust you with this." Throw out a Hail Mary pass...she'll catch it! There is no one closer to Christ, so there are no prayers more powerful than hers. Mary is our mediator between Christ her Son AND she is Our Mother. She wants to help us, love us, console us and so lead us closer to God. She will. Let her. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us Now..."May 7, 2018:""Whoever lives in Me and I in him will bear much fruit." Jesus chose to live in us/you/me. He does, always. He doesn't miss a beat of our lives! It is our part however...our active, daily calling to choose to live in Him. If we choose to dwell with the One who dwells with us, it's a guarantee that we will bear much fruit. If we just stay with Him in whatever we're doing: work, rest or leisure; home or abroad; in times of joy, suffering or anywhere in between...really what do we have to worry about?"May 14, 2018:"Have you ever felt like everything is going so wonderfully, you're afraid if you think about it, you will "jinx it"? I do! It's likePeter, out on the water, walking towards Jesus. Things were going swimmingly until he looked down. The best things we ever do are the things we don't stop to question or analyze. It's just us and the Lord doing His thing through us. It's the second we look inward/downward about what we're doing, what we're saying, how we're doing it...that can become about "ME." Often that's when we do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, drop the ball...start sinking. So let's get out of our head, just keep stepping out and extending ourselves for others. Just do it and keep your eyes on the prize: Jesus. That gaze, that exchange, that divine connection, that trust and friendship with Him will keep us up, afloat and moving forward all the days of our life."May 21, 2018:""You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek." This is what the three newly ordained priests heard the other day. Melchizedek didn't earn or inherit his call. He was chosen by God before birth. We've been chosen too. Our calling before any other calling is to be Christ in the world, to also share in His priesthood in diverse ways. The Good News is we can NEVER lose this calling, this identity, because our chosenness by God has nothing to do with our worthiness. It's not our qualifications, merits or performance. It's all God's work, which He began at our baptism and He fulfills through the course of our life. It's not what we do. It's who we are. It's what God does through us. Just keep showing up every day, trusting in God. Never doubt your chosenness or your call to love and holiness. That's what the devil wants...very much. What can we do to undo what God has done? Nothing."May 28, 2018:In the movie "Hacksaw Ridge" (Based on a true story of a WWII Medic), there's a crucial moment when Desmond Doss' spirit is crushed under battle and is on the brink of giving up. He tells the Lord "What is it you want from me? I don't understand. I can't hear you." In that moment, he hears the cries of wounded soldiers. What saved him from despair and defeat was the needs of the people, those within his grasp, right in front of him. That was the voice of God and he heard it loud and clear. The needs of others is our way out of despair. Giving of ourselves for THEM...whoever God has placed or will place in our life is our calling in Christ. When we are tempted to turn inward on ourselves, look and listen for aneed in another that you can fill. Their needs will save us from our sins and give us freedom from our self everyday."June 4, 2018:"We know that life is not about being recognized, but all of us do want to be seen, appreciated and loved. It's as natural as butter and toast. However, on those thankless days, when they come and they will, when you pour yourself out for "them" and no one smiles, raises an eye, pays you any mind or perhaps even returns negativity for what you do for them...don't lose heart. It's in those graced moments, thanks be to God, that you realize more than ever who your best friend really is: Jesus. He alone knows you perfectly, knows the good in you, all you do, all you’re trying to do and loves you through it all with perfect understanding and compassion. Jesus alone is your "BFF"...aka "Best Friend Forever."June 11, 2018:"Psalm 51 (A great one!): "For in sacrifice, You take no delight. Burnt offerings from me, You would refuse. My sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart You will not spurn." The best gift we can offer God is a present, imperfect, yearning heart. Before we offer God our sacrifice, our prayers or our work, offer Him your heart first, such as it is. Then our prayers won't be empty lip service. Then our works will be offered rightly to him, for Him, not for us. If we simply shared our heart with the Lord every day, at any given moment, wherever we're at or whatever we're doing WILL be prayer: Thinking; Breathing; Listening; Observing; Venting; Working; And our prayers and worship all the more. First and foremost, a humbled, contrite heart He will not spurn. Give Him your heart."June 18, 2018:"The other day I had an unexpected guest to the rectory. I was sitting on the porch one morning and I heard a weird "rustle" nearby...a couple times. I figured it was one of the gardeners or maintenance workers, but I heard it again: "Rustle, rustle." I realized it was coming from the trash. I looked down and saw a cute, little mouse stuck in the bottom. It was probably stuck there all night in the garbage, dirt and bags of dog droppings. It would have died in there if I didn't care to look. I gently turned the bin on its side and the mouse calmly escaped into the light of day. When we're down in the dumps, surrounded by the "muck" of anxiety, frustration, desolation, hopelessness and the burdens of life...if no one else takes notice, know Jesus is already watching and listening to you struggling for air. Healone always offers us a way out, if we take notice of Him. He can't take away the struggles from us but will always take away the burdens of it. He will give us the hope, freedom and fresh air we need. He just reaches out to us and gently turns the situation. The question is: Will we stay in the bottom of the garbage OR look for the escape He is presenting to us, then calmly walk forward into the light of day?"June 25, 2018:This Week: "I gave a Theology on the Rocks presentation last week. The title was "How to be Attractive: Beauty Tips for the Common Christian." Someone requested that I share the highlights for those who missed the talk, so here goes. 1) Be Who you're Good at, You: That's where God meets you and that's exactly what people need you to be. 2) Own your Brokenness: That's all we have to offer and we truly encounter each other in our brokenness and need for God.3) Don't go Growing Up: A child is transparent about themselves, knows they're loved, secure in their Parent's love and fearless in "letting out their Goofy". 4) Look them in the Eye: That is the most intimate part of a person and the window to our soul. Looking someone in the eye is letting them know they're seen and an invitation for encounter. 5) Ministry of Smile: It's an invitation to be Happy. 6) Wear your Heart on your Sleeve: However you are in each moment, be honest about it, which enables others to do the same. 7) Hold to your Peace: THAT is attractive. It's the one thing we all desire and the one thing only God can give. Attracting others to the faith is not as much about what we do/say, but who we ARE."June 31, 2018:"Maybe the greatest power we have over evil is the knowledge, trust and confidence that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God! Sin does take away our peace, wounds our soul and hurts our relationship with the Lord...but it is only a temporary, passing wound. In the shame we feel in turning away from Him, the enemy wants us to think the damage is permanent, we've lost all the graces God has given us and we now need to rebuild all the progress we've made. Don't give into it, but persevere and trust boldly, always that there is nothing that can take away our relationship with our loving God who chose US before we knew Him, while we were sinners and loves us not for our worthiness, but because of who we are. We are His. We will always belong to Him. So never stop turning and running to Him."July 9, 2018:"Always prepare for Conversion. It's always coming. We can all look back and be thankful for those times when the Lord reached into our life and touched us, moved us, showed us this/that and we were changed. But conversion isn't only about those big moments, it's about every moment. From the moment we came up out of the waters of Baptism, God had a whole lifetime of conversion planned for us: the journey from here to Heaven. May we never sit idle, remaining just where we are with the Lord...hence the phrase "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Just ponder, what's the next "Aha moment" God wants to show me about who I am, who He is for me or who I can be for others? Let's strive everyday not to deprive ourselves of the next grace that is lying just ahead of us or the grace God has already offered us. Whether He is giving us something good or holding us back from something bad, believe that God's work is never done with you. He is always leading us forward in our life and deeper into His life. Wait for it. Thirst for it. Fight for it. Always prepare for Conversion."July 26, 2018:"What's the one thing we can't do with God? Sin: the Actual Act of Sinning. So Jesus is walking with us every second up to that exact moment when we step away. Temptation is like a journey, pulling us toward that place: a place we know we don't truly want to go, but a place of familiar comfort or pleasure. It's like an old friend, a bad friend, who knows us very well and will never stop calling. This friend however cannot be reconciled with our new best friend: Jesus. If we know the Lord is with us the whole way, trying to save us from going to that place, the question is: Will we let Him change our mind? Do we want Him to change our mind? Will we give Him the time to? Do we actually believe that He can?"July 30, 2018:"We wait for the Lord. He also waits for us. I read somewhere in my morning prayer that God's patience is directed towards our salvation. We're destined for Heaven but we're not there yet. He sees where we're headed and how far we have to go. He perseveres perfectly and perpetually in His patience as He draws us forward one baby step at a time towards Himself. A great prayer perhaps is "Thank you Lord for your patience with me!" Now the plot thickens: Jesus then commands to us have patience for one another...not as easy. Patience is however crucial to charity. We have to breathe in patience when someone doesn't know anybetter, isn't listening, isn't ready to listen or simply isn't "there" yet. God will get them there, but we have to wait alongside them. On the flipside, sometimes we're the problem. Maybe they're not so bad, but we lack the peace and presence for patience. This virtue requires our effort and God's grace, to pull back and wait or accompany a person when we feel: "I don't have the time for this. I'm not in the mood for this. I have better things to do. They should know better. Forget them." Just think, maybe it will be my patience that could bring someone closer to Christ and into His Church. "Thank you Lord for your patience with us!"August 6, 2018: "The work of Christ is for our salvation. He comes to save us, but we know it's not only about "me" and God. It's about "us" and God. So His work is always, constantly bringing us together. So if we are Of Christ, doing His work, our life should always bring people closer together. We're called to be instruments of unity, never division. Every word we say, thing we do, gesture we make, even our expressions have great power to unite or divide others. May we bring the one person who no one is talking to into the conversation. May we let the person, often dismissed, know they are seen. May we welcome the gifts of every person, in spite of their brokenness. May we empower the person, who others deem worthless. May we shed light and understanding on the person others are judging or defend the person others gossip about. Even within our own Church...our own community, may we never hold an "us and them" mentality, but love the diversity that forms ourunity. With every breath, with every moment may we be the glue in Christ to grow and mend His Body together as one as we await our salvation together."August 13, 2018:"Something that we all love to say, but never want to hear is "I told you so!" Think about it. We may mean no harm in this quasi-comical statement, but it is a statement of condemnation or condescension, that "I" knew better and "you didn't." Therefore I will take this opportunity to point out your stupidity! Thanks be to our loving God, that He doesn't do this to us, or else we might have a lifetime of "I told you so's" coming to us! Granted He has told us so, tells us everything, offers us everything...but when we screw up anyway in our stubbornness and obstinance, all He wants to say is "Come here. I know. It's ok." Lately I like saying: God never gets tired of hearing just "I'm sorry." May we never tire of simply telling Him, tellingone another and hearing with the compassion of Christ "I'm sorry" and responding accordingly "It's ok" rather than "I told you so!"August 22, 2018:"Perhaps a question that crosses our mind sometimes is "How can a person call on God to do His work, yet on the contrary do evil instead?" Perhaps because they're not truly listening. They're talking to themselves or trying to answer their own questions, maybe seeking justification from the Lord, when there may be none. Perhaps the way out of this is stopping to breathe in the Lord's presence and listen before we pray to Him. Check our desire first against His desire, against the truths He has revealed through the Holy Scriptures and through the teachings of His Church. He knows our needs and desires better than we do, long before we take the time to tell Him. Remember prayer helps and changes US. Dear Lord, in our prayers, may we want fearlessly and trustingly, what you want. And if we struggle to want your will, help us do so. Jesus, Son of the Living God, we Trust in You. Accept our heart as it is and make it your own."August 27, 2018:"How many times do you think the members of the Early Church thought "We're not going to last"? There was a shortage of leadership. They barely knew what it even meant to BE Church. Their enemies were everywhere. Perhaps some were thinking "Flight" while others were thinking "Fight." Words like Faith, Hope and Love were their livelihood! They stayed their course with lives centered desperately on a person they never met: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Yet, they knew Him. They encountered this Jesus more intimately than those they had known all their lives. The answer to every "How?" was "Jesus" and every time they were tempted to despair or give up, they gathered together for the Eucharist and every time without fail, walked away strengthened and restored again. Have things changed that much? Better yet, do WE actually believe there is an "Expiration Date" for our Church? (On Earth) Are there conditions on the promises of Christ to us? Do we believe the life of the Holy Spirit will ever dry up within our midst? What can humankind, outside or inside our Church walls, do to end or prevent what Christ Himself has done or promises to do? The answer to every "How?" is Jesus. In Him, every beginning of despair does end in hope."September 3, 2018:"If you know you're a sinner, own that you're a sinner and truly don't want to be so, there is indeed, always hope for you! To be a sinner, is a reality we can't get away from, but to KNOW by faith that we are sinners means we know we need God and furthermore, know that we belong to Him...for better and for worse. We are a Holy Church, filled with broken people. Knowing this, Jesus didn't promise His love to us because we're perfect...else what need would we have for a Bridegroom. No, God Married us to Himself TO perfect us, to MAKE us Holy. God, give us the grace to KNOW we're sinners, but nonetheless and most importantly, that we belong to you. Remember, what God unites, no one can divide."September 10, 2018:""Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons/daughters of God." How do we be at peace with the Lord, so as to spread His peace? The scriptures proclaim "Those who love Your Law shall enjoy abundant peace, for to them it is no stumbling block." The most painful battle we can endure is a battle against God's will, because it is written within our heart and is always for our good. So being at peace with God's will is an abundant source of sustaining peace, but still a peace that requires painstaking patience at times, radical trust and continual death to our will. Furthermore, being at peace with God's will requires sticking it out when we see no fruits or staying the course when we can't see where it's going. There are countless tests of faith in the scriptures, where God pleas with His people "Don't retreat. Don't give up. Don't take the easy way. Wait it out and trust in Me." Life and the walk of faith will always be a challenge, but where else can we find the peace to sustain us in it? He promises His peace through absolutely anything so as long as we simply desire His will and just try to follow it. As always, He will do the rest and peace will accompany us as we walk this path."September 17, 2018:POEM - "I shared this poem on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It was requested that I post it. I hope you find it fruitful:Our Lady of SorrowsSeptember 24, 2018:"If you have to hide it, you shouldn't be doing it. If we have to lie about something to others or to ourselves, its high-time we took a closer look at the truth. We have to remind ourselves sometimes that we can't run from ourselves. Our conscience knows when we're doing something wrong, but we mightdelude ourselves or make up excuses, so we can keep doing it. To know what's right and choose what's wrong anyway causes a divide within our heart. Let us pray that if there is something we have been making excuses for, that God might may slowly remove every excuse, that we're left with nothing but the desire for growth and change. If there is a door between our public self and our private self, may light might shine through that doorway. Let us pray that God may show us the reality of our unhealthy attachments, toxic relationships or spaces we hide, that we may see fully what we already know to be true."September 31, 2018:""Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons/daughters of God." How can we be at peace with the Lord, so as to spread His peace? The scriptures proclaim "Those who love Your Law shall enjoy abundant peace, for to them it is no stumbling block." The most painful battle we can endure is a battle against God's will, because it is written within our heart and is always for our good. So being at peace with God's will is an abundant source of sustaining peace, but still a peace that requires painstaking patience at times, radical trust and continual death to our will. Furthermore, being at peace with God's will requires sticking it out when we see no fruits or staying the course when we can't see where it's going. There are countless tests of faith in the scriptures, where God pleas with His people "Don't retreat. Don't give up. Don't take the easy way. Wait it out and trust in Me." Life and the walk of faith will always be a challenge, but where else can we find the peace to sustain us in it? He promises His peace through absolutely anything so as long as we simply desire His will and try to follow it. As long as we aren't at war with the Lord, there will be peace within us and we will make peace."October 6, 2018:"The most intimate, graced, enriching moments we have are the moments we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist...being nourished and restored and encountering Jesus in Confession...being healed and reconciled. They're sweet, tangible and breathtaking! Yes, there is a unique source of grace in the Sacraments, but Jesus is no less present to us every moment of everyday. Why can't we have this intimacy all the time? Why can't we experience the power of His friendship, love and mercy in some random encounter on a Tuesday afternoon or in some unexpected moment during our day when God stops us in our tracks and blows us away? Whyshouldn't our whole life be this awesome? What if our whole life was one continuous act of reconciliation to God and with one another? We would know Heaven well here and our journey there would be the easiest one we ever took."October 15, 2018:"Conversion is seeing things in a way you didn't see them before. I used to love the TV show "Friends." It's cute, friendly, witty, overly- emotional and Joey cracks me up every time! However as I matured, spiritually that is, I awoke to the reality: the show is ALL about sex, with love thrown sparingly into the mix. We should want the gift of new insight that conversion of faith continually brings. We should be curious how God wants to transform our perception, to see something in a new light or a greater light. Of course, this takes much humility, the willingness to learn we had it wrong. Often we have some feeling of how the Lord is guiding us, while sometimes we are totally thrown back. Will we let Jesus through the Holy Spirit show us something new? That something we really enjoy is actually toxic OR perhaps seeing the beauty in something or someone that we dismiss as undesirable. Open my eyes Lord, help me to see. Open my heart Lord, help me to love."October 22, 20178:"As I was driving around last week I saw a refreshing license plate on the car in front of me. It said "Be Still." Of course, what rushed into my mind was "Be Still and Know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10). Isn't this the perfect thought to let in, particularly while we're rushing down the road! It's a time where everyone is in competition with one another, we're under constant pressure to get to where we're headed and patience is about the last virtue that comes to mind! This isn't much different than the rest of life though. When we feel ourselves figiding with anxiety, steaming with frustration, overwhelmed by everything we need to do and freaking out about getting to where we need to be...STOP...BREATHE...BE STILL...let peace take control and KNOW that He is God. He's got this. He's got you. He will get you there, where He is leading you, at the right time. Everything will be more than fine, trusting in Him. Whether walking, running, cruising or speeding..."Be still and know that I am God."October 29, 2018:""Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen". Ordained ministers,consecrated religious and any lay person, who prays the Liturgy of the Hours throughout their day, end almost every psalm and prayer with this intention for God's glory. When life is confusing or turbulent, this prayer is a reminder of hope and consolation that before the beginning of the world to the end of time, God hasn't changed. His love hasn't changed and neither has His plan for us. His glory and the course of our salvation unfolds differently in every generation...in each of our lives, but nothing can get in the way of either, if we truly trust in Him. We just have to let it be revealed as He wills. God's timelessness, in the midst of our changing life and fleeting time, should give us hope in Him and motivate us to take up our part in His plan. Yet, when we get too caught up in the hot mess of the present moment, remember "Be still and know that I am God."November 5, 2018:""God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference." Alcoholics and addicts embrace this prayer every day of their lives. It is the "bread and butter" of their freedom and their credo of trust in God. On one hand, it is about maintaining faith amidst our brokenness, but I think it's also about keeping our peace through the fleeting, changing moments of our day and maintaining our trust through the ups and downs of life. Serenity is a huge gift of partnership with the Holy Spirit, to be desired and cultivated through faith. It is about trusting our self in doing the Lord's work, making a difference in the world and indeed owning our growth in the process. It is surrendering our world to God, to handle everything we can't. Something about serenity that also comes concretely to my mind is not being disturbed from grace or sidetracked from peace when things don't go as we would like or expect. Serenity perhaps is going with the flow, discerning each step and trusting that God has everything under control."November 7, 2018:Next Week: "I love seeing those "ringers" (as I call them) at Mass: those people who are always ready to jump in when someone is needed, a gift bearer, a lector, an extraordinary minister. Their eagerness makes me smile! These kinds of people are always ready and waiting, when someone is needed and no one comes forward. May we all be so eager and zealous to serve God on behalf of His people. May we put our gifts at His service, to be used whenever, whenever, asoften as He needs us. What if we were all "ringers" for Christ: eager disciples, just waiting to jump up and come forward, fighting to serve? (Well, maybe not fighting) How vibrant our Church would be...Christ serving Christ, at the altar and out in the streets!"November 12, 2018:"I love the whole scene with the Bishop and Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables" when this man of God picks up a homeless person off the street, who for all he knows, could be a criminal. He doesn't care. He calls him an "honored guest" in his home and a brother. He offers him warmth, food, fellowship, forgiveness and his own possessions to set him on a path of redemption. Perhaps someone else had shown him this kind of mercy in his life and no doubt offered his life to Christ in return. It was Christ Himself that the bishop saw and served in Jean Valjean. It was this one encounter that changed his life and path forever. One act of unnecessary kindness, unexpected affection or undeserved mercy can change someone's life forever, turn them back to God and set them on their path of discipleship, to change other's lives. May we embrace these opportunities when the Lord drops them in our lap. Will we play this role in someone's life, if, when and where God wills it?"November 26, 2018:"Instead of pointing out other's faults and failings, as the devil would want us to, may we look to point out Christ in one another. He is alive and can always be found in all who are baptized, whether they know it or not. Let's point Him out, in not only our search for Him, but helping others see He's right there within them. We can find Him in the beauty about them despite their imperfections, they faith they have despite their sinfulness, the love they have to give amidst their brokenness, in the joy or pain in their eyes, in the complexity of their smile, the way can affect others and the potential for good that God has or wants to realize in them. Furthermore, if you see Christ so vibrantly in someone else, then find yourself doubting His presence in you, know this: it is your love for Christ, your closeness with Him that enables you to see Him in others. Worthy or not, aware or not, we belong to Him. As Christ, we're called to serve Christ in one another. We are One Body with many, many parts."December 3, 2018:"May I offer a simple prayer as we journey with the Lord through Advent: "Come, Lord Jesus." "Come, Lord Jesus." Calling Him by name, to come into your life the moment you call upon Him, should make you stop, breathe and let your soul be still, because this is a prayer Jesus will never cease answering. He's already waiting to approach, if we just let Him. Come, Lord Jesus into my loneliness. Come, Lord Jesus into my darkness. Come, Lord Jesus into my brokenness. Come, Lord Jesus into my confusion, fatigue, numbness, complacency or despair. Come, Lord Jesus into my heart, my mind, my home, my work and my family. Come, Lord Jesus into your Church and into this world that needs you so desperately. Jesus, guide me in welcoming your coming into this world...and my world. Come, Lord Jesus."December 17, 2018:"One of my ALL time favorite movies that we tend to watch around Christmas, but I can really watch all year round is "It's a Wonderful Life." I love it! The moment when George Bailey reached the end of his rope, he was staring down at freezing waters, about to lunge himself off a bridge. Just in that crucial moment, Clarence his guardian angel threw himself off the bridge, wailing, crying out for help. In a flash, all George's thoughts of suicide went away as he dove into the waters, risking his life to save another. Thus, Clarence asserted "I saved you. I knew you'd try to save me and you did. That's how I saved you." Saving someone else, saves us from ourselves. If we want a way out of our gloom, our despair, our anxiety, our uncomfortable introversion, our sinfulness, our own self-slavery...listen for cries of help, look for someone to serve, someone to love, someone that you can reach out to, to lift up and carry back from danger. Let's keep our eyes open every day, looking out, rather than down. Be prepared to dive in when someone needs help physically, emotionally or spiritually...that God willing, we will be saved from our perils. Finally, let your guardian angel do their work. "Help them, by letting them help you."December 31, 2018:"I enjoy the occasional bowl of oatmeal. Recently, I decided to try the "real deal", steel cut oatmeal. It's especially healthy for you. However, it takes forever to cook! A friend then assured me, there is a shortcut: "You can microwave them." I had so much hope for a quick breakfast, but after 20minutes of microwaving and stirring, I still ate crunchy oats. Lesson learned! You cannot force what isn't meant to be forced. You can't quicken what is meant to be slow. Such is our heart and our relationship with God. There is no shortcut for holiness. There are no microwaves or magic spells that can soften us to His love in an instant or "poof" us into saints. Faith is slowly waiting in patience and letting Him stir us up when we get complacent. We cannot force ourselves to be any more holy or faithful than we are now in this moment. Just know we will be, in God's timing, as His plan unfolds in our life. Attempting a quick-fix in our life or trying to force ourselves to be holier is a losing game and perhaps a way to despair. If we trust God has opened us up this much, this far, we have every reason to believe He will continue to do soften our heart and do surgery on our soul. If we have been opened "this much", we will continue to do, so as we wait in patience. If we trust Him "this much", we should have the confidence to trust Him more. The waters of Baptism, the salt of His grace and the fire of His love will gradually make of us perfectly formed, perfectly ripened images of Christ for the world to enjoy."January 7, 2019:"You know that feeling before a test, a presentation, an interview, a conversation, a meeting or at the start of the day, when you think "I don't know what's going to happen." That's good! I wrote myself recently and am now sharing "Never prepare too much for anything." If we "feel"completely prepared for something, we might forget how much we need the Lord to be in it with us. We forget how much we need HIS help! Being fully prepared for anything, not only is a false allusion, it takes the excitement and dynamism out of life. It can suck out the needed spontaneity out of the situation. How can we lean on the Lord if we are sure: "I've got this”? I'm prepared for anything. Nothing will surprise me"? If we're 100% prepared, we're not giving the Holy Spirit the 10% to make the moment truly fruitful, not just successful. Case in point for me: Every time I prepare a lesson for RCIA, of course I discern what should taught that week and try to prepare content that will educate someone in the faith...BUT it's the things that I didn't expect to say, the conversations I didn't expect to have or the personal experiences I share from my heart, that stirs up their faith. In other words it's the 10% I hope God will provide that makes the most difference."January 14, 2019:"A powerful movie I saw once has resurfaced in my mind recently. The movie "Silence" is about a time in China when there was countrywide persecution of Christianity. Christians were threatened to either renounce their faith or die. This film is centered on Jesuit priests sent to minister to these Christians, worshipping in secret or dying martyr's deaths. One of the most powerful characters for me: a man named Kichijiro. He wasn’t a leader or hero of faith. Rather. He was the weakest, most pathetic person among them. Every time he was captured, out of fear he betrayed his faith over and over again in any way he was commanded. Why do I love this character so much? Kichijiro was a chronic sinner, a coward, justifiably a hypocrite. Yet, even after apostatizing, he followed the priest everywhere he went, asking for forgiveness, begging for confession over and over again. As his sins were intentional, so was his repentance. Unlike Judas Iscariot who gave up after his betrayal, Kichijiro never gave up hope for redemption. He was bold in that he believed God's mercy would always be given to those who truly seek it. Even when the priest gave up on himself, Kichijiro didn't. He believed in the power of priesthood to offer the Eucharist and forgive sins. So, the sinner who seeks out God, no matter how far they fall or how often they fall is a sign of hope and testament of faith. Heaven belongs to repentant sinners, those who know how much they need God's mercy, never cease asking for it and believe that Christ's victory will always overpower our failures."January 21, 2019:"This family I've been very close with, for a long time (Not here) has been divided: between the daughter and mother, whose families are now estranged from each other too. They live in the same neighborhood, on the same street, about a hundred feet away. Yet, they mind as well be dead to one another. It PAINS me to visit one and not be able to visit the other. I still persist in hope for their reconciliation one day, but I know they don't. There are too, too many families out there who live so close, that they have to literally try to avoid another. There are families that live close, if not in the same house, but feel worlds away. There are children who hate their parents who love them. There are parents that just deal with their children only when absolutely necessary. There are brothers and sisters that choose to forget all the years they had together. There are husbands and wives thatshare a bed, but refuse to look at one another. There are families that never talk or only talk-about one another. Each of these cases is a "big win" for the devil, who knows defeating humanity starts with defeating the family. Marriage and family is a gift that God Himself forms that grows love and guides us toward holiness. The bond that is shared is far greater than the imperfect people within them. If only they/we would say "our family / this marriage is MORE important than how I feel, what they did, what I did or these struggles we're having. We have to make it work, or better yet, let God make it work." Do we believe God can heal all wounds and division, especially when we don't know how? Are we willing to LET God take away our pain, bitterness and resentments? Do we trust that God can keep us together, rather than doubting we can? Just because things are the way they are now, by the grace of God, they don't have to stay that way. Maybe the biggest gesture of love we can offer and the "healing balm" in any relationship is FORGIVENESS. Of course this is difficult for us, but not so for Jesus. His life was one great of forgiveness and reconciliation, thus His Cross. May we each cling to His love, run to Him for forgiveness, seek His help to forgive and let Him nurture these relationships He has formed."January 28, 2019:"Something that isn't really addressed enough and really cannot be addressed enough is pornography: the evils of pornography. Pornography seeks to destroy something beautiful: the body; a person; sexuality; and sex, the act of making love. It takes an image of beauty and distorts it into a tool of pleasure. In pornography, the person doesn't matter and doesn't exist. They are only interested in bodies to be used, then thrown away. It strips the dignity of womanhood from a woman and the dignity of manhood from a man. Woman is made to be loved and nurture the love in the other. Man is made to protect and forget his needs for the good of the other. Of course, there is much more to the beauty of our nature and these two wonderful genders that God created to reveal His nature. Our sexuality is one of the most beautiful and powerful qualities of what it means to be a creature made in the Image of God: our desire for intimacy, our passion for love and our ability to give ourselves totally to another, body and soul. We're made to give, not take. As in the beginning, man and woman were made for union, naked without shame. Theexperience of marital love and the marital act, not only grows love and bears life, but can even grow holiness in this wonderful embrace of spouses. The image of our sexuality is made to be life-giving and awe-inspiring, not to be ashamed of, but to be marveled at. All this, the enterprise of pornography reduces, corrupts and destroys.Lust, the producer of pornography, soliciting a false sensation of love actually drains love from one's heart, leaves one's soul empty and closes the person off from intimacy. Therefore in protecting the dignity of others, we protect ours. In protecting beauty, we remain beautiful. So the virtue of Chastity isn't just some lofty idea the Church made up for priests or nuns. It is the practiced discipline, with the help of God's grace, of protecting our ability to love, to be loved and align every desire in our heart in us with love, which leads us to God Himself who IS love. The more we fall in love with love and are drawn to true beauty, the more we will recognize where it is not. So as we each join in the Church's conquest for beauty, let us stand for true love and take up the battle against the evils the enemy has planted within our society. May we also pray for the billions of people who have fallen victim to the evils of pornography. Granted, the battle will remain in our time, but God's victory will reign forever."February 4, 2019:"The breaths we take are as important as the prayers we make. The few breaths we take in silence before we pray are just as important, if not more so than what we say to God. Since He already knows what we need and what we want to say, prayer helps US. Prayer opens us to God, if we stop to let it. I think at times, we can become too focused and/or anxious about how many prayers we offer to the Lord. We can think if we don't say it all, He won't hear us. That if we feel we didn't do enough, He will agree. It's true we can NEVER spend enough time with Our Lord, but let's not make it about us and hate ourselves when we fall short. We do need to take/make time to be with Him in prayer, but the operative word is "BE." That's ultimately all He wants: for us to be with Him, to let Him be with us, our friendship, our presence, our heart as it is. That we can do no matter what our day looks like, no matter how busy we are and no matter where we are at. Give him that. Stop for a moment and breathe in His sweet presence. Just let Him draw close to you for a moment, then pray. Whether we pray a litany in the morning, a rosary inthe car, the liturgy of the hours, opening the scriptures, an hour in church or just "rambling to the Lord", make the priority being close to Him. That is the simple point and prerogative of prayer. So stop, close your eyes, raise your head and breathe. Be at peace knowing how close Jesus already is and will always be.February 11, 2019:"Resisting temptation, avoiding sin is work. It takes work, time and energy. We need to add this to our "To-Do List" every day. Sometimes the best work we can accomplish in a day is avoiding sin. We don't have time for it. Too many people in our life need our best, so we have to put in the work and prayer to avoid sin. The devil knows when we are most susceptible: when were overwhelmed with work; or when we have free time; when we're riding-high; or down in the dumps. Temptations that come upon us require our due attention. As we feel the inward pull toward sin, we are required to turn towards the Lord. So we have stop what we're doing and take that brief moment to retreat to the Lord for strength, peace and reassurance. When we do fall to sin it takes time to come back to the Lord. Why not fight and take the time to stay close to the Lord instead? Know these doubts, anxieties, grudges, addictions and pleasures only cause us pain and disturb our peace. So accept these struggles when they come, but one thing is for sure. If we wrestle with temptation alone, we are almost certainly bound to fall eventually. However, as we accept the struggle or wrestle with temptation, running to the Lord for safety, we are certainly bound for victory! May this day/tomorrow/every day be a day of fruitful work and blessed victory, so we can end the day giving thanks to the Lord for keeping us in peace, and on the straight and narrow. Wouldn't that be nice!"February 18, 2019:"As a priest, something that brings real happiness to my heart is seeing unity in our differences. On the contrary, when I see division in general but specifically within our Church, it hurts my heart as a priest. I hope and pray for this all the time. The truth is the early Church had these same problems and wounds of division will persist for the rest of time, until we're one heavenly Church. That doesn't mean we should be ok with it and acquiesce to factions of faith. When Jesus gave/gives Himself to us, He wants that love to bring and hold us together. The same way we grow in faith, hope and love, we are called to grow in unity. This growth requires an active opening of our heart, the willingness for our mind to beexpanded and reaching beyond ourselves to see the way another person is drawn to the Lord. To embrace unity of faith means embracing our diversity of faith.Catholicism is unity in our diversity. Maybe some ways that we can be a unifier among the people of God are: if we're not enthusiastic about a kind of prayer or spirituality, open your heart to finding what others have found in it; smile rather than smirk when someone prays differently than you do; if you don't understand a practice/teaching of the Church, research it and ask the Lord to help you understand why. Some things to avoid: any tendency to think "We're holier than them" or "This way is holier than theirs"; allowing ourselves to believe something the Catholic Church practices can possibly lead someone away from God. Perhaps one of the greatest virtues we can exercise towards the unity of our faith is TRUST in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ in which we all belong. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and built up by the Eucharist, we must trust that we will never be steered wrong. So even if this charism, that style, these prayers or those devotions don't move you...OR what moves you, doesn't move them, recall that we each approach the one Lamb of God, unworthy to have Him enter under our roof, but believe that by His word, our soul will be healed. May we all be One in You, Lord."February 25, 2019:"We had a Theology on the Rocks presentation on Angels last week. Since that evening a new awareness of my guardian angel has awoken in me. For one, here's some food for prayer. When God created the heavens and the earth, the light and darkness, the Angels were his first creation among the universe. From that first moment He revealed His plan for them to serve us, creatures made in His image, but creatures subordinate to them. I can only imagine the faith of those who remained in his presence and in His service, to submit wholly to His will, before any of this would come to fruition. I wonder, can we acquire this kind of faith as these Angels who minister to us every day? What struck me most is not only does our guardian angel protect from harm and steer us away from evil, they can direct our mind towards God. They can make attentive to God's will, more aware of His presence, more open to His guidance and protect our minds from temptation throughout our day. They do all these things even without our asking, but how much more could they come to our aid if we were to call upon them to do so! There havebeen some powerful moments in my life, as well as many small moments, that I knew God saved my behind, but the very next morning was actually the first time I called upon "MY guardian angel" for help. As I sat there preparing my homily, I simply asked my guardian angel to give me calm, give me focus, center my mind on God, listen to these scriptures and say the words the people of God needed to hear. Almost immediately I was filled with peace, consolation and my hand began to write. Our very own angel is already there, has been with you from the start, here with you now, will walk with you every day of your life and accompany you to heaven. Mind as well ask them for the help they are already offering."March 4, 2019:"When you're faced with temptation, when the urge is right in front of you and you're thinking of indulging it, stop to look two steps ahead at the consequences you don't want, rather than the immediate pleasure. Think about how much you don't want the consequences of lashing out, indulging bitterness, putting someone down, letting yourself despair or grasping that addiction that is grasping for you. Persevering through this one step leads to the peace, joy and freedom we want so much more. When we recognize the good ahead of us, the grace God has planned, it's easier to recognize that the devil wants to deprive us of it. So these thoughts and urges aren't ours. They are arrows from the hand of the enemy. Look to the horizon, dodge the danger coming, face the storm and anticipate the victory that lies just ahead."March 11, 2019:""You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to me." (Psalm 139) This is not just a lofty notion, but a truth that defines the whole span of our life. Our Father is not only an all loving, but all knowing God. He knew the course of every one of our days before we lived one of them. He knows every moment that we remain faithful and every time we fail or fall. More importantly, He has an intricate will for any given day, before we get there and it is always for our sublime good. He plans for the greatest possible grace, an overabundance of love and the exact moments of conversion we need on this day, this day, next week, 47 days from now or in 2 years time. This should give us great confidence and consolation when life feels like it'smoving on a whim or blowing with the breeze. As we walk these 40 days of Lent, anticipating this season of grace, growth and holiness, let us let God lead us as He intended the moment He formed us in our mother's womb all those years ago. Maybe as we drink that last cup of coffee on the morning or offer that first prayer to God, ask Him "Father, what did you have in mind for this day? This day is in Your hands. I trust You. May I get out of the way with Your help, so you can lead me through this day and accomplish your will until the moment I lie my head down tonight." Just think, what if God fully had His way with us through this Lent? What a journey this would be! What a HAPPY Easter it would be!"March 18, 2019:""God Himself will free me from the hunter's snare." This is an antiphon that we pray in the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the season of Lent. It is an assurance that God Himself will free us from the traps the enemy lays for us. A Hunter's Snare is a simple trap, hidden beneath a carefully placed item, desirable to any creature that happens upon that path. If we look and listen to God as we journey through our day, indeed He will steer us away from danger. However in His great mercy and gentle compassion, He will also free us when we do fall into the trap, when we've been tricked and caught. If at times we feel temptation has a lock on us and we can't shake free OR if we fell entirely into the trap, caught helplessly within the enemy's grasp...KNOW He has heard your cry and help is already on its way. God knows our weakness, but in HIS love, He will NEVER leave us struggling alone. He will free our neck or free our leg from the hunter's snare, that we may not remain stuck there in our pain and shame. So if we happen upon the wrong path or fall into the trap the enemy has laid, don't give up and lie down in defeat. Cry out to God, who already hears you! Finally trust that the last thing He wants is for you to remain stuck in those times you've been caught. He will free you from the snare, heal up your wounds and gently release you, that you may once again walk in safety and freedom. Father, through both victories and defeats, bring us closer to Yourself, show us your love and form us more and more into the beloved sons and daughters we are."March 25, 2019:"I felt inclined to look up a statistic: "How often do people look in the mirror?" Results ranged anywhere from 17 times a day, up to 500 times aday. It's hard to imagine 500 times a day! The point is: we know how we look. We know very well how we see ourselves. We know the usual expression in our eyes, the shape of our nose, the way our hair falls and the shape of our face. But what do we see? Do we like what we see? What do we think of ourselves? Do we respect ourselves? Do we LOVE ourselves? Are we more fixated on changing ourselves than just being ourselves? Loving who we are is seeing how loveable we are. It's no secret that we are often our worst critic. So the most important question is "How does HE see you?" Have we ever thought to ask "Father, how do YOU see me?" Better yet, "How am I precious to you?" It certainly isn't the shape of our face or our hairstyle! He sees the daughter or son we've always been, before we learned to doubt ourselves. That moment he beheld us, coming up out of the waters of Baptism...the very first moment He delighted in you as His beloved child: THAT is what He sees.Maybe Lent can be as simple as realizing more and becoming more the adorable son or daughter that Our Father sees in us. So today, sometime this week, even every day, ask your Father "How do You see me? How am I precious to You?" When you do see it, see who you are in His eyes, hang onto that. Hang onto that child!"April 1, 2019:"Lately I've been listening to the song "Old Man River" from the musical "Show Boat." Maybe I'm an "old soul" but this is a beautiful sonnet about one of God's little ones: the least among us. This song is sung by a slave working on a tug boat, pouring his heart out, looking over a great flowing river, feeling small, unknown and forgotten. He sings "Old Man River...what does he care if the world has troubles or the land isn't free." He cries out "I get weary and sick of trying. I'm tired of living and still I'm dying, but old man river...he just keeps rolling along." There are too many people we will never know who feel small, insignificant, dismissed and forgotten as they watch the world flow on without them. Showing mercy or doing acts of corporal mercy starts with opening our heart, not opening our wallet. This is why across the world, Catholics are participating in initiatives such as CRS Rice Bowl, to realize brothers and sisters in those we have never met but have an intimate bond with. Norma from Guatemala, Annette from Uganda, Christyan from Sri Lanka, Kumba from Sierra Leone and Ona from Gaza are just five people who were abandoned by the world and thanks be to God have been recognized andraised up by His Church. Love isn't defined by closeness or familiarity. That's human love. We share in divine love. We share in the love that God has for us, the God that loves all creation into being, creates every life for Himself and wills that we all may be united in His love. Every morning, I finish my prayer intentions with "Father, for all your sons and daughters. You made us. We belong to you. You know us each by name, You know every hair on our head and all our needs. I lift them all up to you and myself along with them." Too many people, whether poor in body or poor in spirit, feel like the world doesn't know them, doesn't need them and assume would leave them behind without a thought. It's true, the world will go on spinning without us. We are made of dust and to dust we shall return, but our soul is beautiful, gifted, unique and everlasting. Yes, sadly many are forgotten by the world, but none are forgotten by God. So let us see every person as one made beautiful, small and totally beloved by Our same Father."April 8, 2019:"One of your best defenses against temptation and a sure way to peace is silence. God comes to us in silence: silence from noise and distractions, but especially the silence we allow to envelop our heart. Let the words of your prayers not fill the silence, but open the door to silence. Talk to God, so He can help you listen. In the silence, the pressures of our schedule fade and the noise becomes distant, so we can hear God speaking what we need to hear most in that moment: "Do this"; "Don't do this"; "Consider this"; "Let this go; "Slow down"; or "Get up." Our thoughts and feelings become His and like slow surgery, he breathes peace and consolation into us. Just share your thoughts with Him or better yet, know we don't have say anything to be with Him. NOW in this moment, stop and breathe. Take in a moment of silence. These last few days of our Lenten journey, as we take these last steps towards Easter, hoping to enter into His Resurrection, expect opposition from the devil. The enemy always has a plan and it is often to hold us back from something God has in store for you. So, seek out silence. Busy as we are, God will allow us time to carve out from our daily schedule for a moment of quality time with Him in the silence. Let Him do the work, which He can do in 5 minutes...30 seconds...10 seconds. He's God! Squeeze in that time for silence. You won't regret it!"April 15, 2019:"I've had something of a fixation lately...OK, a big fixation. I recently rescued a houseplant from my mother's house: the place where all plants go to die. I've been trying to nurse it back to health the past few weeks. I trimmed the parts that were dying and have been giving it tender, loving care. There is hope. Every day I've been inspecting its growth, examining tediously where green is starting to inch its way into the ends of the leaves that were formerly brown, but the progress is painfully slow! If only I would leave it be and check it every once in a while, I might see its healing take place more clearly. Healing and growth come deep from within, from the roots. It doesn't show itself immediately. Only with much time and patience, it slowly reveals itself. God's healing isn't always dramatic. It is often slow. Maybe we can't see it happening, but it is. God's grace doesn't fix our branches, it fixes our roots. It takes place in our soul, then our body...in our life, then our lifestyle. When God plants His love in our heart and begins healing within our wounds, we know it, but don't despair or doubt as you wait for it to grow. Be patient with Him, as He is eternally patient with you! The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, was one day, one event, one singular moment in time. New life took root forever in the world, in our very nature, in our very existence. Let us not despair, that its effects haven't reached their completion yet. The healing is not done. God's healing work and loving care upon to world haven't reached fulfillment yet. Some leaves are still brown. People still suffer. The Church isn't a perfect Bride yet. None of us are fully alive in Christ yet, but it is happening, slowly from within. The branches ARE healing! Be patient. Don't fixate on seeing the growth in others or within you. Just let it happen. Trust that it is happening. Alleluia, He HAS risen!"April 22, 2019:"Where do you find Jesus most? With family, with friends, in solitude, in nature, in music, in church no doubt? Now, where do you leave Jesus? That is a good question for each of us to contemplate. Where do you leave Jesus behind and go on without him? Are we Jesus for only those we have to be? Is our ministry and love to be reserved for church, "parish ministry", family or prayers behind closed doors? Just because a person is holy and faithful doesn't guarantee them to be loving or charitable. This is certainly true for priests as well. We all know the person we are when we are close to Christ. That is who we are! When are weNOT that person towards others? At work, as a customer, on our day off, towards peers, towards strangers, out in the street, in the car (Indeed!), at the bar, with "these" friends, or perhaps with those who are closest to us: our own family or even our spouse? Jesus is continually calling us to be Him in new places and be Him more in old places. If we feel ourselves forgetting who we are, wielding judgment, harboring resentment, lashing out, seeing someone as a rival rather than a person or God forbid, wishing harm upon them...may we catch ourselves, retreat into our heart, tell God "I'm sorry" and find Jesus again. Having experienced the peace and joy of Easter, if we resolve to share this with others...whoever...it will continue to permeate in our life wherever we are and as branches, the Vine will grow as He wills."April 29, 2019:"On Easter Sunday, after Mass, life threw me a curveball. I mysteriously lost my phone. I was set to go to my mother's house after the last Mass, so my mission at hand was: Find that phone! I retraced all my steps that day, where I had it in the church, in the rectory and in the park when we walked the dogs. I got nothing. It was one of those moments when you scratch you head, thinking "This makes no sense." There I was at 3 pm, food and comfort waiting for me, praying desperately to St Anthony: "If my phone is meant to found, help me find it Anthony." It was a lesson in surrender, when I finally threw my hands up and prayed "Alright Lord. Father, You allowed this to happen." While awkward at first looking at the spot in my car where my phone normally is, peace and silence settled in. I took this uncomfortable detachment as a gift that God desired for me. So, I grilled my steak outside with free hands and a free mind, listening to the birds instead of my music. Long story short: I did find it, rather it was my brother Fr. Valencheck who was meant to find it. We prayed together as we searched together and shared in a brotherly moment. God doesn't cause accidents, misfortune or mistakes, but in His Fatherly love, allows them. Anything God allows indeed has good, grace and growth in store through it. Do we truly believe this, rather than thinking He is just watching from a distance? At those moments in life when we are doing our absolute best and coming up empty, when we are scratching our heads and raising our arms in frustration, instead raise them up to God in surrender, who has allowed this struggle, this frustration, this trial for a good reason, for our good/their good. Feeling helpless,not knowing what to do, aren't occasions to trust God less, but to trust ourselves less and trust Him more. His will be done."May 6, 2019:"The story of "The Lord of the Rings" never fails to tug on my heart or draw me into contemplation. There is one scene from "The Two Towers" that inspired me recently: the moment when Sméagol won victory over Gollum, his evil alter-ego. Sméagol finally found friendship and security with Frodo his new companion, his new master. Thus Gollum was right there to discourage him, trying to push him back into hatred and isolation. Gollum reminds Sméagol of all his past sins. Sméagol responds "Go away. I hate you." Gollum retorts "Where would you be without me? We survived because of me!" Then Sméagol straightens up and asserts "Not anymore...Master looks after me now. I don't need you. Leave now and never come back." He commands Gollum 3 TIMES: "Leave now and never come back!" There is a Gollum for each of us who recalls our past sins, shames us and tries to push us around. Often Self-reliance and self-pleasure, the devil uses against us, as he tries to Master us and keep us silent in the shadows. There must be that pivotal moment when we realize fully that Jesus IS our Master now. Not only that, He is our Friend. He protects us. He watches over us. He feeds us. He gives us happiness, freedom, peace and purpose. When that moment comes, as often as these moments come, the devil will not sit by silently. He will become more and more ferocious the more we realize we don't want him around. We cannot afford to be discouraged or intimidated when the battle intensifies. Be prepared to face him in all his treachery and malice. Dig your heals in, head-on, solid in your faith and secure in your friendship with Jesus...and he will retreat. He has no choice IF we truly cling to Jesus and let Him Shepherd you. In His Fellowship, Jesus will guide us through any marsh, desert, mountain or path unknown. He will see us through to the end!"May 13, 2019:"I think in many parishes, there has been much confusion and angst over Bishop Perez's recent statement about our common posture during Mass, namely how we should remain standing throughout Communion. Every bishop should try to bring unity of worship into his diocese, saying "This is what we will do here", adhering to Traditions of course. That way, each parish isn't doing their own thing and fostering division. One of the greatest earmarks of Catholicism is unity.You know how much I hate division! So I often emphasize unity. However, there is always a balance between unity and personal piety. This is why the Catholic Church also says and Fr. Valencheck our pastor reiterated, if our piety sincerely calls us to kneel during Communion, we shouldn't be forced to act against that. We just have to embrace piety the right way. Piety is ultimately about how we relate to the Lord, not how we appear to relate to the Lord. Is this posture or this gesture something we are just used to doing or feel called to do? Does this devotion or act of reverence bring us closer to the Lord or appear like we are closer to the Lord? As always there is a balance. How we appear in God's eyes is the most important, granted that we don't distract others from their worship or make them conscious about their prayer. If we feel called to raise our hands during the "Sanctus", do it...if it is for the Lord. If we feel called to kneel as we receive Communion, do it...if it is for the Lord. If we feel called to shake as many hands as possible during the "Sign of Peace" (within reason), do it...if it is for the Lord. Or do we simply feel called to follow every letter of the Liturgical Law, do precisely what the Church instructs and roll with the times...Amen. Ultimately, we just trust in this Church we belong to, entrusted to the continued guidance of the Apostles and the succession of Peter. Trust that the traditions that have remained, have remained for a good reason and yet trust, that when the Church allows changes, it is the Holy Spirit that has prompted them. The Liturgy and Sacraments are the lifeblood of the Church, yet every moment of our day can be an act of worship and our life itself can be a prayer."May 20, 2019:"How do you love people you don't like? HOW do YOU love people you don't like? Well, we're always called to growth in forgiveness and charity. That being said, we're only people. No one said we have to be best friends with everyone. How do we love those we just can't get along with? Start with acknowledging it. Humility and love always start with honesty. That's where grace hits the road. There is a proper distance in every relationship. We have to discern what distance we should have with this person, this person, this person, etc. Some people we can be an open book with. Some people we can be friendly or cordial with. With some people, a simple "hello", "morning", "good to see you" is all that is necessary. Maybe a simple nod is all we can do with someone. Acknowledging wesimply cannot be friends with certain people is actually a source of freedom and peace, rather than trying to force what cannot be, at least at the moment. Then we can be at peace and love the person at the right distance. We can love that they are good in their own way and love that they are good for others, even if not for us.Furthermore, how can we love someone who has hurt us, if we anticipate being hurt by them again? Someone told me once "Resentment" is choosing to "Feel again", meaning every time we see someone who has judged or hurt us in the past, we are already expecting it again. It's an act of despair, rather than hope. How can we counteract resentment? Cling to your friendship with Jesus who truly knows, loves and will never judge you. Then be Jesus. Only in Him, do we have the power and freedom to love one who has hurts us. May we meet them, the way Jesus met His friends who betrayed and abandoned Him: "Peace be with you." Meet them with peace. Greet them with peace. From there, love can grow, healing can happen, hope can be realized in any relationship and reconciliation is made possible. Who knows? Maybe someone that you stop trying to be friends with might in the end become your friend. When we stop trying, God takes over."May 27, 2019:"When was the last time you abstained from receiving Communion? How do we feel about this? As a priest, sure there is brief second of awkwardness when I offer Communion and someone does not receive, but then I am immediately move by their love and reverence for Jesus in acknowledging they are not fully ready to receive Him. The question isn't "Am I worthy to receive You Jesus?" We will never be worthy. That's why we go to Him. The question is "Am I ready to receive You?" Do we love Jesus to acknowledge the times when maybe, we're not ready? In my unworthiness, is my heart open to receiving my Lord in the Eucharist, or have my sins closed my heart toward Him? Am I aching for Jesus, or numb towards Jesus? We know well that certain sins in themselves require Confession, but many sins lie in the gray area. The truth which I think we forget is that a multitude of venial sins are healed in the Sacrament of Eucharist. When we feel uncertain or conflicted, we ask ourselves, do I need the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to receive the graces of His Body and Blood? Or, do I just NEED Him? Before our state before the Lord, trust in His state before you. Mercy itself is how Hemeets us. Our being good enough for Him is not the question. Fixing ourselves is not our job. The question, the measure as we approach Jesus is our openness to receive His mercy, His grace, His healing, His love. If fear is our motivation, that is not from God. Fear comes from self-reliance, rather than God-reliance. If we only feel sinful and find ourselves doubting we can go to Jesus, that is definitely not of God...rather a lie and attack from the accuser himself. If love is our motivation, our love for God for His love for us, our heart will not fail us. If we hold God's mercy above our worthiness, Jesus will always meet us there and the Holy Spirit who operates in love will guide us ever, ever closer to the Lord."June 3, 2019:"Recently I was driving back to the parish on my day off. While on the highway, I gazed up at the mirror and noticed a police car behind me. Yes, I was pulled over! I assume most of us know that sinking, sobering feeling of surrender. We're already preparing ourselves for what is coming. I looked intently into the eyes of the officer and was surprised to hear how fast I was going. I don't know if he was expecting excuses, but I gave him none. In all humility, I sincerely apologized and took all responsibility. Long story short, he admonished me but said "I'm not going to cite you." (No, I wasn't wearing my priest clothes). As I slowly drove away, more than my own shame, was my bewilderment. I thought "Why didn't he give me a ticket???" I didn't make sense! I was speeding in a construction zone. I deserved the citation. This wasn't a moment of luck, it was an act of mercy. The officer didn't need me to thank him, though I truly did. With full knowledge, authority and right to assign punishment, he CHOSE to show mercy: the kind of mercy that isn't merited and doesn't make sense. Such is some tiny glimpse of God's great mercy. His mercy makes no sense! There is nothing we can do to earn His graces. He doesn't need our thanks to show us forgiveness. His faithfulness doesn't depend on ours. His graciousness doesn't depend on ours. His friendship doesn't depend on ours. All He needs is our openness to Him, our surrender to His love. All He wants is our heart: honest, transparent, aching, yearning before Him. So, He needs our contrition, our repentance...that He may overwhelm us with His mercy: the mercy won by His Son. Excuses only hurt us. Hiding from our shame or ignoring the pain of our sin is choosing to stay in the shadows, rather than running to the light.Why do people hate the police? They refuse to apologize and are planning on breaking the law again. Why do people hate God? They can't bear the thought that they are sinners and that they need Him. Let us, as smart sinners and beloved sons and daughters, persevere in facing God in our sinfulness and never give up on His mercy. He will never punish us. May we not punish ourselves by staying away from the One who has already chosen to take us back."June 10, 2019:"The next time you are dressing/undressing, getting into/out of the shower, take a moment to look at yourself. Look at your naked body, not to critique it, but to appreciate it. Don't fixate on your condition, but see your shape and form as a man or woman. Be aware of this body God designed. SEE that it is good. It's beautiful...purposeful...fruitful. It belongs to you and it belongs to the world, to creation, to God. It is not meant to be judged, criticized or hated. It is not made to be used or abused by you, or by another. It is made to be loved...cared for...cultivated and empowered to embody God's love. God alone sees our soul, but the world sees our body, and so we glorify Him in this body He made. The most intimate parts of us that make us man or woman: our sexuality are an intricate work of creation to show the powerful intimacy of God's love: the love that we express and share. Yes, we have a responsibility to preserve and protect our nakedness, but by God's redeeming grace, but need not be ashamed of it. Love your nakedness. Love yourself. Love your body. Love your sexuality. Let your whole self be a gift for others, whether called to marriage, celibacy or living celibate love in the single life. Love your human dignity, the beauty you embody every day. Love this gift that we each have. Cling to your chastity: your freedom to love and let yourself be loved. Nurture and protect this wonderful gift to "be love" and "be gift.""June 17, 2019:"I attended the Steubenville Youth Conference this weekend. Wow! I am still buzzing from all the grace and joy I witnessed among 1,600 other Catholics! The biggest grace I witnessed, apart from unity, was healing...so much healing! In my three years at Steubenville, there were three very unexpected encounters that I was so thankful to be there as a spiritual father. All three were with young women who experienced rape or sexual abuse. They were so sweet, caring, faithful and beautiful. I have no doubt, over the course of the weekendGod consoled them with His love, peace and healing, but it hurts my heart that they needed this healing to begin with and that those events, they will carry with them. I am sure there were other young women and men there with similar stories, who I didn't meet. The spirit of lust is a powerful weapon of the enemy that turns people into animals, strips humanity of its dignity, corrupts hearts, destroys love, snatches away peace, wounds unity and seeks to destroy that which is innocent and beautiful. Thankful to have met and ministered to these three beautiful children of God, loathing the evils of abuse, rape, prostitution, human trafficking and equally so pornography, I was moved to name my enemy...my personal enemy. As a father to the children of a God and as a man, "In Christ, I name you, spirit of lust as my enemy." I will take up arms especially against this adversary. Name your enemy: your personal adversary, the rival that satan has set personally against you. Naming it and naming it doesn't belong to you already gives you power over it. Is it a spirit of lust? Is it a spirit of pride? Is it jealousy, or anger, or despair, or fear, or self-condemnation? Whatever it is, pray about it. Discern about it. In the Name of Jesus, standing firm in Jesus, confident in His love, trusting in His power...name your enemy. Take up arms. Take up the battle and claim the Victory of the Cross of Jesus Christ."June 24, 2019:"A new nugget I found from "Les Miserables": those silver candlesticks. At that life changing moment in Jean Valjean's life when he was shown free, undeserved mercy, he was given those set of silver candlesticks. As the bishop raised Jean Valjean to his feet, he handed him the candlesticks saying "Remember this my brother, see in this, some higher plan. You must use this precious silver to become an honest man. By the witness of the martyrs, by the passion and the blood, God has raised you out of darkness. I have saved your soul for God." Those words, he would never forget and furthermore, he never sold those candlesticks. At pivotal moments, at moments of decision, maybe every night before bed and in the final moments of his life, he prayed to God in front of those candlesticks. The point being: Remember. Never forget those moments in our life when God showed us He was there, when He really pulled us up out of darkness, revealed His power when we were helpless, changed our heart or changed our life forever. Carry those with you.Maybe we have something physical that we kept or was given to us, like thosecandlesticks. Maybe we simply remember that feeling, still real, as if it were yesterday. The experience was so tangible, that we can still hold it. These things...these moments...these treasures from God remind us of all He has done to get us here, that they were gifts undeserved and freely gifted from such a loving God.We are forgetful creatures. We tend to forget the good and only remember the bad. We so easily forget to trust the Lord when new battles come, when we have new marathons to run or times we are in the desert once more. When doubt, fear or despair creeps into our mind...remember. Take those memories and graces off the shelf and we will find trust, reassurance, hope and rightly thankfulness once again. God only knows what graces still lie ahead. He is just waiting to be there for you."June 31, 2019:"I took my car to the auto dealer for work recently. Actually I was meaning to do so for months. Once I had to reschedule. Once they mixed up the dates. Third time's the charm. I thought about canceling again. I had a busy Monday afternoon and it wasn't urgent, but I was resolved to get it done. I brought my calendar, laptop, pen and paper. I figured I would do all my work in the waiting room. Yeah...God had another plan. I recalled that the manager was Catholic, so I popped my head in to say hi. Two hours later, I left his office! I had a long conversation about the Church past and present, the Latin Mass versus the New Mass, and this modern crisis of faith. Even better, I had a long, genuine, vulnerable conversation with one of his employees. We talked about family struggles, trusting in God, how to witness to our faith in the workplace...everything...anything! I left thanking God for directing me exactly to where He wanted me! This was undeniably providential. Just think, my plans ended up becoming His. Give God the power of accomplishing His will within your daily life. Sometimes He redirects us.Sometimes He uses "our plans"...or are they? When we check off our "To-Do List", run our errands, do the things we've done a thousand times, happen upon a random circumstance or when things go "sideways", will we wonder "Where is God's Hand in this?" He already saw this whole day before I woke up this morning. What's His plan? Will I let my plans become His? Only He can take a busy day and make it fruitful. Only He can take an easy day and make it truly restful. Only He can doamazing things through this sinner. May Your will be done, Lord. Do Your thing today."July 8, 2019:"What do you do when you want to do something you know you can't do? Namely with sin, when just what you feel like doing is just the thing you can't do. As we grow in faith and holiness, sin becomes less of an option. Wouldn't it be a simpler, stronger mindset if we just didn't give our self that option: of saying that, doing that, indulging that feeling or going down that path? If this becomes the case, what do we do? We either wrestle with this conflict until we eventually give in, seek a distraction or seek help. Seek a distraction: reach out for something...anything that will at least steer you in the direction of God: peace, inspiration, love, wisdom, beauty or simply another person to draw you out from yourself. OR do we go right to the source and seek help? In the battle of wanting to do something and not given the option to do it, where else can we go but God? By this logic, our sinfulness should push us closer to Him, rather than farther away. Ooh...not what the devil had planned! So first acknowledge the struggle at hand or this urge that is pressing down upon you. Don't give yourself the option, so thus God is the only option in that moment. Only He can pull you out...pull you back...set you free...deliver us from that temptation. Maybe a quick and easy route: call upon your "guardian angel" to guard your mind, guard your heart and re-center you on the Lord. In any and all cases, God hears us and WILL answer our prayers, IF we truly trust and believe He will. He is always our best option."July 15, 2019:"There is this amazing Christian singer who seemed to come from nowhere: Lauren Daigle. I actually bought her whole album. Her song "This Girl" I tended to skip at first, since I'm a boy...but this one lyric keeps catching my attention: "Keep going back through the open door, but I'm still learning to be still. This "boy" aint going anywhere." I like that. Jesus's heart is an open door. It is us that move back and forth...in and out of His heart. When we have a great moment of joy, peace or consolation, we're already expecting it to fade. Our day may be inconsistent, but not His love. Whether we are busy or at rest, whether we're riding high or shot down, whether our day is laid out for us or all surprises...we can be at rest all day long, resting in His love. When we allow Jesus to draw us into His openheart, stay there. Be still. Remain there. Embrace the moment at hand, let your feet move, go about your day...buy stay there. If we do, trials may come, we may be shaken, but we will never fall. We will be at remain in the comfort of home and the peace of His friendship wherever we go. Step into the open door and don't move."July 22, 2019:"A while back, I mentioned a houseplant I was trying to nurse back to health. After months of care and diligence, it's still not there yet. Not much has changed. Maybe it's the lack of sun inside. Maybe I'm watering it too little or too much. One thing is for sure, it's no longer dying. It's stable and holding strong, but I've come to accept it will never be fully healed. The brown edges are greening, but they're not green. It will never be whole, the way it was when it first sprouted. Can we accept this about ourselves? Can we be at peace knowing that we will never be fully healed? We are being made whole but will never reach perfect wholeness...not in this life. Our journey to heaven: this walk of faith requires struggle. Otherwise there would be no reason for faith. The way God meets us is in our brokenness, our unworthiness, our sinfulness. His mercy meets our need for mercy. His strength fills our weakness. His grace envelops our sins. If we needed to be perfect or feel perfect to go to God, we never would. Instead faith is at its strongest when we throw ourselves before Him in our sinfulness. Know God loves what He has restored in us and loves the parts that still need His care. Place it all in His hands, both the leaves and the roots. He will trim what needs to die, cultivate what needs healing and strengthen you from the inside out. His grace will sustain us on our way until that one day when we become perfectly that son or daughter He had in mind long before He made us."July 29, 2019:"People occasionally tell me "I don't know how every time your Word of the Week is so wonderful." I just shrug and say "Thanks be to God." I used to feel, when I sat down Monday to write my weekly Word: Last week's was great and the one before that. This week's I'm sure will be "Meh...just something." Now I know better. I know God will always deliver, if I trust He will. His grace, His help, His inspiration and the newness He brings will never run out. He is God. The wise simply know how much we need Him, all the time, every second. When you do a great job, when you say just the right thing, when you really delivered this time orfor this person...never think it’s bound to run out. The juice, the fruit, the good stuff will never run out if you believe God alone provides it. It was GOD who delivered. If you believe this: in His ability to use you and believe He will continue to do so, He always will. In our self-reliance, the tank is bound to run empty. In our God- reliance, the tank will remain perpetually overflowing. I find and can attest with all confidence, any prayer we ask of God, IF it is for the good of others, He tends to answer! My frequent prayer: "Ok Jesus, I need you to be in this with me. Give me the right words. Show me what to think. Deliver, for their sake. You always deliver. I trust you."August 5, 2019:"In my time at St Sebastian's, I have become aware of "dog psychology" with Sebastian and Chester as case studies. The dogs thrive in some way when they are able to run free without the leash. They are free to sniff where they want and choose the precise spot they wish to "do their thing." However we're not alone in this neighborhood. Fr Valencheck and I have to be keen about distractions, passing people, other dogs or any temptations to get into trouble. There are times when the boys need a leash. Maybe it's not as fun, but I've noticed their behavior is notably better when they know they are on a leash. They are less abrasive towards neighbors. They are mindful of my direction and they trust me. They are also more aware of each other. They wait for one another. They sniff the same places and "do their thing" with a certain synergy. The walk becomes a shared journey. To feel this way about us humans would seem wrong, except with the knowledge that our leash is in the hands of God, Our loving Creator and Father. He is the Only One we can trust unreservedly to guide us and steer us away from danger, temptation and our own "stupidity" (As I like to say). God will never force His direction upon us but He is always there to offer it when we are headed in the wrong direction. This is how, where and when the Holy Spirit often moves.Furthermore, this guidance at the Hand of Our God actually brings us closer together. We are more aware of one another knowing the same loving Lord is directing us separately and together. His Law, His Commandments, His wisdom and His correction IS our freedom: our freedom to live how He created us to, freedom from our pride and self-reliance, and freedom in following His will which is for ourfreedom, happiness and salvation. If/when we feel God's hand holding us back or steering us in the opposite direction, don't resist...relinquish to His will and rejoice in His loving care."August 12, 2019:"Something happened recently that was too ironic to be a coincidence. Both seminarians Joe Mannarino and Michael Crookston advised Fr Valencheck and myself they have discerned out of the seminary, for a time or permanently. We ask you to please keep them in your prayers: not that they go back to discerning God's will, but rather as they go forward discerning God's will. A man or woman who truly discerns out of priesthood or religious life is a step-forward, not a step-back. These two men we love, leaving the seminary isn't a loss for the Church, but a gain for the Church. The Church has guided them one step further on their path and WE at St Sebastian's had some small part in that. We as a parish helped them find their way. Finding what is not right for us is a step towards what is right for us. So the "No's" in life are really a "Yes" to something else. Whether we are searching for our path, discerning the right decision or seeking our next step in holiness, if we seem to hit a roadblock, rather than being discouraged, be encouraged that God has allowed it for a reason. The "No's we realize are just as important as the "Yes's" we realize, because "No" means "Yes" to something else. Our vocation isn't as "black & white" as Marriage or Celibate. It is much simpler and far greater. We are called to love. We are called to holiness. We are called to sainthood. So, we are simply called to a life in Jesus Christ, to union with Him in order to BE Him for the world. Find Jesus within yourself, follow that relationship, whatever path that leads you closer to Him and rest assured brothers and sisters that sainthood awaits us."August 19, 2019:"One morning I was in my room, getting ready for the day. I was pacing around, rambling to the Lord as I often do, giving thanks for how good He is to me. Then as I walked into the bathroom to check my collar, I saw this small spider creeping down the wall! My first impulse was to grab a tissue and kill it. After all, I can't go sharing my bathroom with spiders! As I reached towards it I thought "What am I doing?" I was just thanking God for His mercy to me, then I squish a spider...one of His creatures. How can I kill this small seemingly ugly thing, while God is so good to me in my smallness, even ugliness as a sinner? I'm notsaying let the spiders take over your house...but I felt joy in that moment as I let this one live and go on its way. We would not be here in this moment, any moment if God wasn't keeping His eye upon us, holding us in existence, loving life into us.We're more beautiful than spiders, but that's how small we are to God Our Creator...much, much smaller even, but totally seen and uniquely loved. We're not creepy, unwelcome and unwanted to Him. He takes joy as we each take our place on the earth. May we never see another person: known or unknown, useful or not, convenient or not, "desirable" or "undesirable" as one not worthy to share our space. No person in God's eyes should be disdained, ignored, "shooed away" or squished because they don't seem to belong. We all belong because God Himself put us here, loves life into us each day and holds us each in every moment as precious and beloved to Him."August 26, 2019:"When I went to Rome a couple years ago, there were many, many people on the street begging for help. Someone said to me: "The ones who really need help are the ones who won't ask for it." That really rings true. A couple weeks ago I was pulling off the highway and there was a man sitting on the curb. I didn't have any money, but thought I would give him a bottle of water instead. I was in the far lane, so I called out to him holding out the bottle. He didn't seem to hear me, so I called out louder, several times. I know he must have heard me, but he just sat there and kept his head down. The ones who need help the most don't want to ask for it. That is the person we Christians need to keep an eye out for the most: the ones on the verge of giving up, who are hoping a hand will extend their way but don't have the will power to ask. This is true of the person laying on the sidewalk, the wealthy person passing us on the street or someone sitting right across from us. Yes, there are some seeking to take advantage, but we can't afford to assume the same of all. All we can do is SEE the PERSON in front of us and let the Spirit guide us in that moment. In many ways, it’s easier to see poverty in the "poor" who show their need in their appearance. The biggest challenge, with which we need the Lord's help the most, is seeing someone who needs love the most. It requires our attentiveness to the people around us and the Lord walking with us. If we're not looking, all we will see is bodies taking up space, easily identifiable categories and the preconceivedbiases we're already bringing with us. To see poverty of heart...poverty of spirit...we have to be prepared to really encounter a person and let them be part of our day. This means seeing their face, seeing their expressions, seeing how they carry themselves, looking in their eyes and hearing their heart by what they say. Many people, including our loved ones, don't want us to know their brokenness...their poverty.They don't want to ask for the care, attention, love or encouragement they need. The sad reality is that often the times we need love the most are the times we have the energy to ask. The answer to both the one who needs love and the one who gives love = Jesus: Priest and Victim; Lover and Beloved; Lowest and Highest; Poor and Exalted; Crucified and Risen. May we know his love when we are at our poorest and may we be His love for the poorest among us."September 2, 2019:I'm noticing a pattern lately: about the Last Person. It seems the very last person who rushes into Confession at the last minute or the last person I speak with just before I run out the door, I was especially thankful to have run into. The last person we encounter just before we go on our way is the person we feel most tempted to avoid or cut-off. We always have somewhere else to be. Yet they might be just the person God wanted us to meet most that day...the person who needed us to be there the most. Maybe somewhere in this irony is Jesus saying "the last is first." Not only do they need us, but we encounter the Lord in those moments. It takes a special love to stop for someone, just when we're ready to leave. It takes a special patience and presence to disregard our plans and choose to remain there. Jesus is very much in our midst in these moments. We choose to be present for that person the way He is always present to us. So whether it is the person at the grocery store when we're rushing out, the person at work when we are running from one thing to the next, a friend who will require our full attention when our mind is scattered or someone in our family who we assume doesn't really need us…will we let this be the case? Will we let coincidence become God-incidence? Will we let the last person be the most important person?"September 9, 2019:"Which do you think God sees more: the good we do or the good we don't do? Which does He know more: the faith we have or our lack of faith? I hope it's the first, rather than the latter! In our journey towardsperfection, God sees and uses whatever we do offer. We're always called to more, but the least we offer is loved by God. Which do we see more in others, what they are doing or what they are not doing? Do we appreciate whatever good God sees in them, rather than what they lack?Our Non-Catholic brothers and sisters do not have the fullness we have in The Church, but at least they know and worship Christ. Those who have no church, at least know to ask God's help when they need it. Those who aren't sure what they believe are at least open to being wrong. Even Catholics who "we deem" less committed, less faithful, less attentive, less reverent...at least they're here. They come, as we do, in our unworthiness and need before the Lord. It is the Lord who brings us to Himself, makes up what we lack, meets us the rest of the way and brings us closer step by step, using the little we bring Him. May we see others and ourselves as Christ sees us: Who loves how God made us, loves whatever good, whatever love, whatever faith, whatever few "loaves and fishes" we have to offer and loves to bless and multiply them. To You Jesus who have promised "All things are possible to one who believes", we cry out "Lord, I do believe. Help my unbelief." (Mark 9: 23-24)"September 16, 2019:"I've never been much of a crier. Yet as of late, I find myself much more emotional than I used to be. I was watching a movie about WWE wrestling lately and it got me ALL emotional! I've had several conversations with people about this recently. (Crying, not wrestling) Sometimes people become overwhelmed over something deep and spiritual or something random and trivial. It can be embarrassing...even laughable, but is there some correlation here? Crying in itself can be a huge gift. It means your heart is working! Feeling something real means your heart is natural, rather than stone. Granted, faith is not measured or quantified by feeling. Knowing the Lord is there, when you don't feel He is rock-solid faith. Regardless, if we find we feel nothing sometimes...if our heart feels numb or senseless, ask why. Are you remaining faithful and staying true to the Lord? If so, perhaps like many saints before us, He is allowing you to feel this emptiness, that you might cling to Him more. If this is the case, Amen! On the opposite end however, if we are not staying close to Him, if we are filling ourselves with what we need, we cannot deny that our heart knows it. A heart that is full of sin is empty. A heart thatcloses itself from the heart or Christ feels nothing. That is scary, yet unnecessary and very much treatable. Our hearts were made to be malleable, emotive, sensitive...alive. We're made to feel pain and joy. Our hearts are made to be touched, humbled, inspired, changed, overwhelmed and moved with compassion. For all of us, if Christ lives in us, there is a time when we finally recognize He is there. For a hardened heart to know love, it must be broken first...wounded by His aching love for us. He wants to wound our hearts, like His, tethered to His. He wants to stir in us a desire for love that can never be quenched, that seek love in others, in the most random things, anywhere it can be found.September 23, 2019:"Recycling...what's going on in Akron these days? Without knowing the reasons for their recent change in policy, the City of Akron is no long recycling any glass objects and only certain kinds of plastic. If it was your choice, what would you recycle? What would you throw away? Would you recycle things that were easy and cost efficient or recycle everything possible? The things we throw away, never really go away. They just sit there, pile up and waste space forever in some landfill. Thus with our sins, do we pick and choose what can be recycled, letting the rest just take up space? Do we pick and choose what is worth God's time? Do we pick and choose what He wants to take? God wastes nothing, even our perishables. No matter how much time, processing or painful digging they require, will we take each and every sin, near occasion or downright fall to Our Lord so He can use and recycle them? That which seems useless to us, is not so to the Him. That is the nature of His love, mercy and grace. Though it might not feel like it sometimes, we have to believe His promise: "Where sin abounds, grace abounds MORE." A habitual sin, confessed a thousand times can still bear slow, steady conversion. A big mistake can change us forever, if we face it and take it to the Lord. Saying we're sorry to Jesus over and over and over again, will open us up to growth as we refuse to stay away. Receiving His mercy the moment we return, no matter how many times we've fallen away, we will fall deeper and deeper in love with Him, for never turning away from us. Our faith and our identity in Christ will gain strength with every confessed sin and others will encounter Christ in us amidst our sinfulness. May the grace that abounds through our sins and our journey of conversion changethe world, from one thankful sinner to another. May our Recycling Bin overflow and our Landfill remain empty."September 30, 2019:"I witnessed a miracle last week. I'm still unpacking it. I can't fully explain what it means, but I know it is a gift worth sharing. I celebrated Mass with the students of Julie Billiart School last Thursday. This young boy, like the other students, is so sweet and friendly, but he has consistently had issues with attending Mass. With autism, he has heightened sensitivity to sounds. In the past, he would sit in the back pew with ear muffs on, running out of the chapel or at minimum yelling "No! No!" as music was being played. On this occasion...at this celebration, he voluntarily got up to bring the gifts forward, he took off his ear muffs (as music played) and as he approached me, he knelt down before the altar and with head down, reverently handed me the gold ciborium of hosts. Then he made the Sign of the Cross and walked quietly back to his place. I was humbled and amazed. I saw Jesus bringing forth our gifts for His sacrifice. What I didn't know before but learned afterwards is, often with autism, he has pitch-perfect hearing. So beyond his control, it was off-key music that disturbed him, not the Mass. I pray I will always remember what I witnessed that morning. Was this a testament to the relationship we share as One Body of Christ? Was this a sign of the beauty of the Liturgy? Was this a lesson in human understanding? Was this an image of Christ Himself in one of His little ones? Or was it simply a gift? Yes."October 7, 2019:""God is good...All the time! All the time...God is good!” as Bishop Perez so frequently prompts! If we can't say this from our heart, perhaps we're not letting God BE God enough in our life. If we see this assertion as more of a "bumper sticker" or a "tweet", rather than a reality, perhaps we need to believe more that God CAN BE God IN the world. God isn't only good to us when things are good, He is good to us ALL the time! His grace isn't there only when we are happy and life is easy, His grace is prevalent in the entire spectrum of our human experience. His goodness persists, prevails and triumphs consistently through the inconsistency of our life, the life of the Church and the changing state of the world. Believing "God is good all the time" rightly assumes He not only knows what is happening, but already knows how we will provide what we need, sustain us as wewalk forward and redeem what we as sinners screw up. Whatever is coming to your mind in this moment, God already knows. If/when we find ourselves despairing about anything in life, even if it makes sense, reason your way out of it. Reason your way UP from it. Don't presume the badness of the world, presume the goodness of Our God "Who SO loved the world, that He gave His Only Son." (John 3:16) In Him, God is good...All the time."October 14, 2019:This Week: "I was recalling something my mother said regarding someone she worked with: "God Bless them...for someone else!" It goes without saying, we can't get along with everyone. By nature of having a personality, we can only connect with so many people.So, can we love people for who they are, not for who they are to us? That can be a tough one, because we tend do like people who are good to us. Makes sense...but if no one had anything to offer us, does that mean we wouldn't love anyone? Sometimes we need to step back and remind ourselves that every person is loveable in their own way. Every person has something good about them. Every person has something to offer, to someone, even if not us. What do have to offer Jesus? What can we possibly offer, that He needs? Only a thankful response to His love...loving Him back or loving others because of how much He loves us! He loves us just for who we are, not what we can offer Him. So we like those who we get along with, but we're called and commanded to love every person that God loves, which is every person. Even those who we don't have relationship with, can't have a relationship with or even those who don't love us...can we love for who they are, not for who they are to us? If not for us, God Bless them for someone else."October 21, 2019:"I'm pretty good at photography. I'm pretty good at cooking. I make good coffee. I'm good at hackey sacking. I'm really good at picking paint colors. I'm also good at listening, but the thing I hope I'm best at and hope to get better at every day is Trusting in the Lord: Trusting Jesus. This is something I never imagined I would learn so fast, enjoy so much and depend on so often! What are you good at? Whatever it is, take these things as gifts. Are you good at Trusting the Lord? Do you practice this? How often? Do you believe you can be good at this? Yes. We just have to step out a little and try it, then step out a little deeper, thena little deeper. God willing, we will learn over time, there is nothing God has placed before us that we cannot do and do well with His help. There is no challenge, no uncertainty, no obstacle, or even tragedy that we cannot handle with His care. I often remind myself, God's grace is limited only by our trust. Trusting in Him...trusting Him in our weakness is the only thing we can rightly boast of. We boast in our weakness and the strength of the Cross of Christ that fills our weakness, by our Trust in Him."October 28, 2019:"I think I used to be more of a naive optimist, choosing the sunny side without seeing the shadows. Now, I can say I'm hopeful. I believe in seeing the full reality and then choosing hope, because you have faith. Hope is challenging! Clinging to hope is a constant inner-struggle. It's seeing all the signs and weighing all the pieces, then turning to the Lord and saying "I trust You." Hope is only operative when there is reason not to hope. Let's face it, it's more logical to assume the worst...even more comfortable sometimes. It takes less energy to say "These are the signs, so here is what's going to happen." Holding to our Christian hope opens our eyes to what God is doing, strengthens our prayers and enables Him more to carry out His plan. The struggle for hope takes different ground for each of us, through every stage of our life. Take your pick. What is the hand you are looking at in this time of your life? Is it your future, your next step forward? Is it the well- being of your family or someone you care for? Is it the future of our country, of our world, of our Church? How do we find our way to true hope? Look at the full situation, acknowledge all sides, face all you fears, bring them to the Lord and promise Him "I trust You." As Christians we remember the past, live in the present, yet keep our heart fixed on the future. Despair points to the short-game. Hope points to the long-game...and as promised by the Lord, "Hope does not disappoint."November 4, 2019:"I took this photo of our dog Chester a while back, it always makes me chuckle. After getting sprayed by a skunk, he was sitting in the laundry room sink...shamed, defeated and helpless as Fr Valencheck scrubbed him clean. When a dog chases a skunk, it seemed like a good idea at the time! They could have never imagined the repercussions. When they get skunked, they know they screwed up big time! They're helpless. They can't wash themselves, so theirmaster holds them still and thoroughly massages them clean. When we screw up...when we chase down that thing we should have avoided and get skunked, what do we do? Do we try to ignore what just happened, hoping after a while the shame will just fade...or do we sit there, acknowledge we're helpless, place ourselves in Our Master's hands and let Him do what we can't? It goes without saying we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation and this awesome grace of absolution, but forgiveness is more involved. God's grace is a guarantee but the conversion it prompts requires time, willingness and cooperation on our part. When we know we've sinned, it's not enough to wait to go to Confession. Do GO, but don't wait to go back to the Lord, run right back to Him every time...the moment after you stepped away. Whether it was some unplanned reaction to life, a small misstep, a moment of weakness, a big, ugly mistake or the same sin you fell to last time...it's all sin. They all cause pain and that's not what Our Lord wants for us. Whether it takes 30 seconds or the whole day, give Him whatever time He knows you need. Don't keep your heart from Him. Don't keep yourself from His Hands and His care. All needs is our need, our surrender, our trust. Acknowledge when we've been skunked and acknowledge we can't fix ourselves. Then, let Him massage you clean once again. He is always waiting to do so, every time, no matter how long it takes."November 11, 2019:"I feel moved to share a bit of my heart with you, because I trust my heart to you. Lately it seems all I hear is opposition, about the world but even within our own Church. It feels like two voices talking into opposite ears. It is overwhelming sometimes...the division among us. It's tempting to just cover our ears, stop looking, stop listening...stop caring, but that isn't what Our Lord Jesus does. He patiently listens to both sides, loving each and all. I was talking to someone recently, saying how this is always weighing on me. They said "There will always be this tension between sides, but Jesus will always rise up in the middle of it." This brought me a sigh of consolation. Out of love for our Church, our loving concern goes deep, for each of us, but I know Jesus would never want our differences to turn us against one another. We protect our Traditions but we reach out the world. We hold the Pope accountable as a person, but we love him as our shepherd. We celebrate the form of the Mass and the aspects of our spirituality that draw us to theLord, while we celebrate what draws others to him. We have a responsibility to voice our passions and our concerns, but if it points only to what to divides us, where is the pull for unity? If what we say only stirs up anger and despair, where is pull to hope? Can a loving concern be expressed in a way that causes sin...sin of the heart? I don't know. I just know the desolation I feel when I hear others despair. What I know is faith in Christ means faith in His Church. Trusting in Him, there is never a reason not to hope. Brothers and sisters, may we always seek what unites us and divisions will fade. May we cling to hope in all things, at all times and despair will pass. The victory of Christ will conquer all things and as God's plan unfolds, the devil's plan will fall apart before our eyes. Amen."November 18, 2019:"It was just another ordinary Tuesday. I went to my family's house on my day off. After a long day of doing nothing, I got in my car, headed back to Sebastian's. As I approached that first light in the turning lane, a car coming the opposite direction quickly swerved right in front of me to turn. They didn't see me. It happened all too quickly for me to react, but thankfully they quickly swerved back. In that moment, these words struck me: "Make me know the shortness of my life, that I may gain wisdom of heart." (Psalm 90) These words that I've prayed countless times finally rang true. Life could end in a multitude of ways, at any unforeseen moment. Rarely do we know how or when that time will come. In my 36 years, I've had quite a few close calls. Yet here I am, Thanks be to God. "Make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart." If today was all we had, we would soak in every bit of the beauty of this world. We would be thankful for any food we put in our mouth. The taste of wine would be a gift. We would look for any opportunity to do good for another person. We would be thankful for any person we encounter that day. We would love our loved ones and forget all their shortcomings. We cease hanging onto the past and cease worrying about the future. Sin would have absolutely no appeal, because all you have is today. We would try to reconcile everything with Our God: every sin, every wound, every doubt, every fear, any bit of bitterness we were hanging onto. We would surrender it all and rejoice in every moment we could spend with Him until the last moment. There is this prayer that priests pray before each Mass: "Pray this Mass as though it was yourFirst Mass, Your Last Mass, Your Only Mass." Live this day as though it was your First Day, your Last Day, your Only Day.November 25, 2019:"Good news is on the rise! We're always looking out for vocations within our parish. Rather, Jesus is calling them out. We just foster what He is doing. What has been happening more and more lately, young women are coming forward of all different ages and places to discern religious vocations and consecrated life. The love of Christ is drawing them forward, deeper into His Heart. At our last Theology on the Rocks, Sr. Lordes from the Mercidarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament spoke. She spoke of Mary's suffering love for Her children, which all Sisters emulate. She spoke of her total marriage and her espoused love to Christ. That love is her life and all those they love, serve and pray for are only expressions of their marriage to Jesus. I saw a young five foot nothing woman, radiant in Christ become a giant in front of my eyes. I am increasingly inspired by those consecrated virgins in our day and the multitude of saints who gave there whole being to Christ the Bridegroom: their burning love for Him and their courage in following that love. We continually need more men to answer the call to priesthood and religious life...we know you're out there! However, we give thanks that the love Christ in Our Church is bringing about an uprising of women ready to give their whole life...everything to Jesus who offers His whole self to them. Any of you ladies who have some inkling, some urge towards this life, but are afraid to see where it leads...I promise you these women are some the most joyful people I have ever met. They are "little balls of happiness" as I like to say! May we all follow that journey into His open heart that burns for us. Brothers and sisters, good news is on the rise!"December 2, 2019:"As we walk forward through Advent, making greater space for Christ in our life, expect opposition from the enemy. The devil is well aware of all God wants to give through this blessed season. Yet we are promised "It is He who will free you from the snare of the fowler, who seeks to destroy you." (Psalm 91) I will further say, He can also keep you free from the snare of the fowler. To keep free though, we have to look for the snares. We have to keep an eye out for them as we inch forward. Pray for a greater awareness of the enemy's strategy: the snares he has designed specifically for you, how, where and when he lays them alongyour path. Are they subtle invitations for lust? Are they occasions for gossip? Are they those pet peeves that stir up your anger? Is it a wrench thrown in your well laid plans? Scrupulosity? Perfectionism?Impatience? Anxiety? Fatigue?Whatever it is, be aware. Walk with anticipation of these snares and when the enemy thinks you won't be on your guard, be all the more on your guard. God willing indeed, Spirit leading and with Jesus, we will see the traps coming, stop in our tracks and side-step them. God wants our freedom, our wholeness, our peace and our joy.Hold to that desire and longing for what we are promised in Christ.May this desire feed our faith and sharpen our senses as we let God guide us safely forward in peace, love and holiness."December 9, 2019:"As one family, everything in Our Church affects us, though some things particularly hit closer to home. Fr. Bob McWilliams' recent arrest for child pornography hits as close to home as it can get. Many people have known and loved him. He's my classmate. I came up through the seminary and was ordained with him. He's my brother. To say the least, it is disheartening that all the while, he was struggling with this evil and double-life underneath the surface. This justice needed to happen and these sins needed to come to light. I tell people that knew him personally and parishioners of his, the good he did as a priest wasn't a lie. The homilies he gave, the songs he sang, the ministry he did were genuine fruits of the priesthood. We hate the devil for causing these priests to fall, but we hold each accountable for their sins and their weakness. Justice must always come before mercy.We all wonder in these cases, how did this happen??? I can only offer my own insights as I HAVE been praying much about this. Clericalism for one comes to mind. It is sad and dangerous when a priest thinks they deserve to be a priest or take for granted the love of their people. It's dangerous when priest thinks he is doing a job, rather than your whole life...a marriage. If so they think priesthood is clocking-in for ministry, clocking-out, then doing YOUR thing. Everything in us...everything we do affects our people, our family, our spouse, Jesus's beloved who have been entrusted to our care. Nothing, including our chastity belongs to us. Our sinfulness,if not surrendered to Christ, WILL harm His people and the world in one way or another. Secondly, addiction if not exposed to the Lord, only grows. Pornography is every bit as addicting and destructive as heroin. A very wise priest I know said "More marriages than I can count have been destroyed by pornography." Priesthood is no less affected and equally attacked by this master stroke of the devil. When one is locked into that screen, rationality and love are violently shoved aside. The cycle, if not confessed, only spirals deeper and deeper down until one loses themselves.Yet, by the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no depth that He cannot bring us back from.The reality of one of our own priests: my brother priest fallen from ministry and now in jail is a reality that is still sinking in and it is painful. Yet I already feel Christ at work through all of this. He is already bringing us closer together, finding strength and consoling one another. Healing will come. My sincere prayer is that every priest in the Diocese of Cleveland might take these events soberly to heart. I pray every priest and seminarian may take a deep, honest look at themselves. (Including myself) May they bring to light anything they have to hide and know their sins affect so many. Finally, from the bottom of my heart I beg you, do not let this or any failure of a priest stain the way you see priesthood itself or change the way you see your priests. Have confidence in our diocesan policies for protection, but trust in our love. I can speak for Fr Valencheck as well in saying "I love you and your children very much. I would die to protect any of your children. In Christ, Fr. Anthony"December 16, 2019:"I was having a conversation recently about the writings of the saints and this thought struck me. It stopped me, I repeated it several times in front of that person and said "I'm gonna write that one down!" The realization was this: If we want to grow in faith every day, that means we have to grow in love every day, for the rest of our lives. Faith is lived out in love. Faith is dead without love. Countless times in the writings of saints and scriptures, we hear this. Yes, this is common knowledge of faith, but can we truly accept this in our heart? If we do, it should rightly stop us and humble us. We have a lifetime of growth and growing pains ahead of us. The most challenging and fruitful growth we can ever undergo is growth in love. It's easier to grow in religious practices,knowledge of our faith, devotion to the Church and knowledge of Jesus Christ...without accepting this requirement it entails. Our faith in Jesus: our need and trust in Him is only active when it is aimed at loving others as He does. Embodying faith and holiness is being Christ. If we don't embrace our CONTINUING call to love, are we robbing ourselves of all Christ wants to accomplish in our life? The fact is if we're not willing to grow in love, mercy and charity towards others...we can only go so far in the Christian life...in our relationship with Him. It takes great courage and humility to look at ourselves and see where His love is not present yet. Where does our love still need to be stretched? This is a question we can afford to ask ourselves every week, every day of our life. Do I need to love those who I love more? Do I need to love those I don't love? Do I need to love those who don't love me? How? How do I need the love of Christ to bring about this change in me? As we seek to stretch our hearts open to welcome the Christ child into our life at Christmas, may we seek out the dark places in our heart that the light still needs to touch. To actively welcome the love of God in His Son, may we welcome the challenging call to let that love change us and change the world every day, for the rest of our lives."December 23, 2019:"The "word of the day" for me lately is "SURRENDER." I'm feeling like pretty much any lesson we have to learn is a lesson in surrender and indeed trust. A prayer I like throwing out right before I show up or start something: "I don't know what's going to happen, but I trust You Jesus." Countless things I recall, easy things I did and really hard things I went through were all fruitful and better than I could have imagined, because I surrendered what was going to happen before I even showed up. The hardest work we have to do each day is surrender and truly trust Him. It takes work, courage and prayer to surrender, but peace and fruit will always follow if we wholeheartedly let God be God as we inch forward.What are your plans for the New Year...2020? Are they things you know need to happen? Then surrender how they are going to happen. Are you walking into the New Year, with your arms up, without a clue? Then surrender what is going to happen. Presume in your heart God has a plan for this next year of your life. Heknows what will happen, what your choices will be, your victories and your failures. He knows how He is going to see you through each step, how He will help you with each task set before you, how He is going to use each accident and each mistake, how He will guide your feet along His path and accomplish each step of His design...If we trust Him to. Give Him that freedom. Surrender each thing before you begin.Surrender how things will go. Surrender this next year of your life before that ball drops on New Year’s Eve. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I trust You Jesus.""December 30, 2019:"We have heard it said, Christmas is to be lived year round, not just one day. Yes, we retire the Christmas music, take down the tree and box-up the decorations at the appropriate time, but Christmas isn't just a day on the calendar. The mysteries of His coming among us are a daily and lifelong reality. At Mass this past Christmas, I was standing at the altar looking down at the Body and Blood of Christ, just come alive in front of my eyes. I had this moment of awe and joy. I wanted so much to share this realization. I thought, we get to receive Jesus's Body on this day the world welcomed Him for the very first time! Wow! Every time we come, unworthily before Him, yet made worthy through Him, it's like Christmas every time. He is given to us out of unfathomable love from the Father. He comes to us so small and vulnerable that we may touch, hold and receive him. In that moment, all over the world, we gather around Him. The King comes to life right before our eyes in His Most Holy Body and Blood. May there be newness of our relationship with Jesus in this Heavenly embrace every time we approach the altar. Receiving Holy Communion is a moment of welcome to Our Lord Jesus, to let Him enter into the innermost room of our heart. It is a moment of reconciliation with the Son of God and Our Father who sent Him. It is a moment of "Peace on earth and mercy mild...God and sinners reconciled."January 6, 2020:"I've been finding myself more expressive and vocal in prayer lately. (I know, hard to imagine) I don't mean in what I pray, but how I pray. When we exercise, we can do so stoically, keeping our composure with controlled breaths, but we do so better when we breathe freely, loudly, letting it all hang out. Should it be much different when we pray, talk, share, and expose ourselves to theLord? When I plop down in my favorite chair or in our chapel, the first thing I do is let it let it all hang out. I breathe deeply and settle in. I let out my voice to the Lord and make whatever sound that just comes out. I wonder if Fr Valencheck or Ian hear me from the other room! I try to let the Lord's love sink in, before I utter a single word to Him. Our relationship with Him comes from our entire being: body, soul...everything. He loves hearing our voice, but He doesn't need to hear our words to already know and just BE in the moment with us. This scripture comes to mind: "In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings." (Romans 8:26) Yes, inexpressible groanings can be just the ticket for us sometimes. The more raw, the more real we are with the Lord, the more present we allow Him to be to us in our weakness and our need. The Holy Spirit is always moving. Move with it. Breathe as you let Jesus draw near to you. Moan to the Lord when you're exhausted. Grunt to the Lord when you're frustrated. Let yourself laugh to Him, when it's been a DAY! Blurt out whatever comes to you, what you need to say the most. Just say His Name, if that's you need to say. Shout to the Lord, if needed be, if that's what needs to happen. Let it all hang out. Let your prayer sink in. Let Him come to you, as you come to Him. Let Him make your prayer what you need it to be."January 13, 2020:"When I was fresh newly ordained priest, I was talking to another, older, wiser priest about when to wear our clerics and collar. (Priest clothes) I said something like "I know who I am. I wear the collar for others." He said "We also wear it for ourselves. It reminds us who we are." I get what he was saying now. I took a trip to NY recently to visit my family and see my second homeland again! It goes without saying I don't need to wear my clerics around my relatives. They know I'm a priest. I kind of felt though like I was a priest "flying under the radar." I did find their local parish however so I could concelebrate Mass. That morning, seeing my collar on in the mirror, praying the Mass, meeting the people at St Francis de Chantal, then passing people on the streets of Long Island and grabbing a Starbucks coffee...I was REMINDED "THIS is who I am." I realize priests and sisters are particularly visible in public, but none of us should ever be "Christians flying underthe radar." Wearing a Crucifix, a scapular or carrying a rosary isn't automatic holiness. These things primarily remind us of who we are and what we believe. Even if no one else sees visible signs of our faith, they will see our faith if we wear it...in our smile, in our eyes, our words, gestures, in our patience, understanding and any simple act of kindness. May no priest take for granted the collar he wears. May no Catholic take for granted the Crucifix they wear, the scapular, the rosary in their pocket, the prayer cards they keep or the Crucifix on their wall. Keep these things close to you. Be aware of them as you walk out the door and embrace each day.Sometimes finding who we are or being who we are is as simple as being reminded of who we are. May we allow the Lord to remind us as often as we need: "THIS is who I am."January 20, 2020:"My perfect morning: I get up promptly after my last alarm, make the coffee with ease and at the perfect strength, then have plenty of time to slowly pray my morning prayers and enjoy a little silence, starting off with the right foot with the Lord before I begin my day. This isn't always the case. Some mornings don't go so smoothly. I sleep in. The randomness of life happens. The coffee thing doesn't go right. I have to rush through my morning prayers or sometimes don't even have time, as I rush to get ready for Mass. On such a morning as this recently, I found a fresh sense of peace and comfort as I gave it up to Jesus thinking "You will make it a good morning. You will make it work. You will pick up the pieces and start the day right." On the days we start off on the wrong foot: we sleep in; we spill the coffee or skip the coffee; we get that early morning curveball we didn't expect, don't make time for prayer or simply wake up in the wrong side of the bed...do we think "Ughh, it's going to be one of those days!"? Or do we trust Jesus to put His best foot forward for us? Every day is different. Life is life, but He doesn't change, nor does His love or His help. Rather, He does more when we're at a loss. He is our constancy and our security especially when we're lacking in it. On those tough mornings or tough days, I say to each including me "Get over yourself. He's the master of your day, not you." As He assures us"My grace is enough for you." Trust your best has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with Him."January 27, 2020:"I think of the movie "Silence" once in a while: a tragic, stirring, moving story about true events in the life of our Church. It's about Jesuit priests ministering to the faithful of Japan in secret, amidst Christian persecution in the 17th Century. At some point Fr. Sebastian Rodriguez is captured. The brother priest he came with was killed. His mentor priest abandoned the faith and his flock was suffering torture because of his faithfulness. As his spirit was hanging on by a thread, the Japanese official places an image of Jesus on the ground. He says "Just step, just step on it” He continues "It's only a formality, only a formality." This is to say "Easy, no big deal. It doesn't mean anything." Isn't that how the devil negotiates our surrender? Satan the prince of lies doesn't tell us to abandon our faith entirely...abandon God. No, he subtly urges "Just step. Just step on your faith, only for a moment...really quick. You don't have to mean it." That's the first step. That's all he asks at first. If we don't run back immediately to reconcile with Our Lord and confess this misstep: this small betrayal, before you know it satan invites again. Now "Step again...Step again...a little longer...a little longer. Then, just don't look at what you're stepping on. Forget it. Give up the fight. Give it up. Leave it behind." It is scary, but this reality should scare us right into the arms of Our Lord, rather than away from Him. It is a tragic reality that there will be times we will step on our faith...step on our relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ...betray His love, but KNOW He came to take us back. He already carried the weight of all human betrayal, so it could be nailed to the Cross: the Instrument of God's Victory. The death of sin was put to death. New life was promised and delivered to all who seek The Son of God, The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We don't claim our perfection, we claim His! Yet, the more we fall in love with Him who always takes us back, the more it will hurt to betray His love. When we choose to sin...choose to step, let it hurt. Feel the pain. The second after we step, run back. Let the pain drive you helplessly into His arms, in the silence of your room and the safety of the confessional. Thank you Jesus for your love, first and always for me. I love You."February 3, 2020:"I was messaging a friend recently saying how I never want to seem or sound "holier than thou." They said "True, but you ARE holy." Standingthere in the kitchen, I stopped, breathed and said to myself "I am holy." I think that's the first time I ever thought to say this. Generally I feel "I'm just me, He's everything." True, but perhaps we should stop sometimes and own it...own His holiness within us. Can you look at yourself and say you're holy? To think "I'm holier than him/her/them/thou" is dangerous ground, but to acknowledge "I am holy" is blessed ground. To not acknowledge that you ARE holy is to deny the fruit of your faith in Him and dismiss His life in you. It takes faith to say this about yourself. It takes humility to own you've done nothing, but only allowed Him to do everything. It takes weakness, yet joy to acknowledge your holiness has nothing to do with you. It takes courage to take up your call and own it, live it and grow in it. To call yourself "holy" is a daily call to be holier."February 10, 2020:""Bless us O Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord." It's interesting, this prayer has been taking on new life for me lately. Lately when I have begun prayer with the Sign of the Cross, on quite a few occasions, this prayer of blessing wanted to come out. Even a couple times I chose to lead with this prayer before Mass. I enjoyed the servers' reactions! This prayer is not only a prayer of blessing, but of thankfulness for what we are about to receive. We pray by the gifts we receive, we may be thankful to the Giver of these gifts. The awareness of this prayer can help us see all the good things we have in this life for what they are: gifts, undeserved always given from a loving Father; food that He created just for us and our family; a drink to enjoy among friends; family and friends themselves that He brought into our life; books, music, movies and art inspired by Him to inspire us; the luxury of a hot, soothing shower that not everyone has; a comfortable home to rest in; a car to assist us on our journeys; technology to make work and communication more fruitful, etc. Most of all, this prayer of blessing and thanksgiving should ring in our heart as we walk through the door at Church, preparing to receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ who on His Last Supper, took bread and giving His Father thanks, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples saying "Take this, all of you and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you." Make us thankful O Lord, that our lives may be an offering of thanksgiving for allYou have given, through Your Son Our Lord Jesus Christ: Your greatest gift to us and the One worthy Gift we can offer You."February 17, 2020:"At Fr Jacques Philippe's talk last Sunday, he defined simple ways to "Open our Sails" to God's grace and the working of the Holy Spirit.One point naturally he emphasized was our trusting receptivity during prayer. I thought to myself, I know I'm good at asking. God hears me ramble to Him all day long! I'm pretty good at listening, trusting Him to give me the right words or right direction to take. Am I good however, at JUST receiving? That, I can work on: just trusting that He already knows what I need and doesn't need me to ask, but just sit there, shut up and receive. The next morning, sitting in my room, finishing my morning prayer with offering my intentions to Him, He gave me a brief and much better gift. It was straight, total silence. All at once, it seemed the room was filled with dense silence. The sounds of passing cars and birds outside, lulled to whispers. Suddenly, thinking and asking seemed less necessary. I felt inclined to just receive whatever He wanted to give: it felt like comfort and peace, but only He knows. I just breathed. When the moment passed and I got up, I realized the wind-up clock in my room just died. Coincidence? I think not. I hope I let this grace increase my faith moreSo often, we need to find comfort in just knowing "He already knows." He knows what we want to ask, what we need and He knows what we don't know we need, at any given moment. Giving God time, to just receive from Him without thought or question, is a precious gift to Him. It can be as easy as breathing. It can be as easy as a moment of silence. He delights in hearing our voice and anything we ask of Him, but may we also delight Him with seeking silence in His presence...with no other agenda, than being with Him. By our silence, we tell Our Lord "I trust You. I know, You know. "February 24, 2020:"I've been getting more selfish lately. At a certain point at night, I lay the phone down and tell myself "This is my time.” No matter what e-mail, text or call comes in (except emergencies), I tell myself "This is my time. I need this time with YOU." I need "My time with the Lord." Even Our Lord Jesus knew when He needed His quality time with the Father. He went away to adeserted place and spent time in quiet prayer. As short as it would be, He sought out that time. Sometimes we need to be selfish with the time we need: to rest with Him; to breathe in His peace; to collect and center ourselves; to vent and ramble to Jesus; to prepare ourselves for the next task; to surrender what's ahead of us; to talk about our day with Him; to stop and be a child for a moment, amidst all our grown up responsibilities; to start or end our day the right way...in His presence.In our various vocations, we do have to be creative with prayer, but there aren't any excuses on any given day, when we didn't let God into our day. Sometimes the best we can do is pray while we work, but praying as we rest is what He wants more.Jesus wants and is always waiting for this time with us: quality, heart to heart, down- time. Let us be as selfish as we need. Whether it is 60 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes or an hour, may we seek out "My time"...not "time with myself" but "time with Him." When we know we need it, tell ourselves "This is my time. I need this time with You."March 2, 2020:"God's grace is Amazing...but should we be amazed at this? One of many occasions lately when God blessed me far more than I deserve, I found myself saying "Lord, may I not be amazed at your grace, but thankful." Amazed implies surprised. God certainly surprises us all the time, but we shouldn't need constant reminding of how good He is to us! This doesn't mean we should selfishly expect or presume upon His grace, but not be surprised at His great, never-ending, never-withholding love for us.The greatest fruit we can offer from all He gives, comes from utter thankfulness and trust in His always being there: When He answers yet another prayer we offered to His hands; when He provides for a need we had to surrender; gives us just the right words when we didn't know what to say; smooths out a situation we thought would be rough; took care of someone we care about in ways we couldn't; brings us close again every time we fall away; raises us up when we feel beaten or burdened; forgives us as fast as we ask forgiveness; wipes away our sins over and over again; keeps us standing and strong through each and every storm; gives us the peace we need desperately every day; or simply the joy we didn't expect, don't deserve and are so thankful for.May we not be amazed at His amazing grace, but thankful...ever more thankful...more and more thankful every day. May we need not constant reminding of His promises to us, but ever-increasing trust. May we not be surprised that He is the God of our life...their life...all our lives, but thankful that He IS. "Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. Twas grace that brought safe thus far and grace will lead me home."March 9, 2020:"God's grace is always at work. In all things and at all times, His grace abounds. To measure it is needed, it is given. There was great need for grace over this past week. There was terrible pain felt in one of our families and certainly in our parish family. One of our own: Brenda Powell's life was tragically taken from us. We know that family is one of the greatest blessings God can bestow, therefore is a major target for the devil.The devil did his work, but what I saw in so many abundant ways was love and the victory of Christ abounding through all of this. I saw a husband set on celebrating his wife's life, rather than being consumed by her death. I saw the light of Christ in Him, through his unbreakable hope and trust in God. I saw a father forgiving absolutely anything of his children and wanting nothing more to embrace them and take care of them. I saw an entire parish with aching hearts, storming the heavens with prayers.At the calling hours, the line into the funeral home looked like an unending caravan of family from our parish, St Vincent's, teachers and students from our school, St Vincent-Mary's students and staff from Akron Children's Hospital, in addition to the crowd of family and friends.At the funeral Mass, the church packed full, you could feel every person loving each other and seeking healing together. Together, we were fed by Our Lord as we offered up her life with Him and all walked out in peace. Brenda's husband told me, from the very first moment, he and his family have been astounded and upheld by all the love from others and of Our God.When times are darkest, the light of Christ shines the most brightly. When the devil seeks to snuff out hope, we cling even harder to our faith. When he tries to divide, we draw closer together. When one of us finds themselves in trial and pain, the rest of us drop our worries and rally behind them. We are Church. We are the Church ofChrist. We are One Body...One Family in faith and love. May we trust that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and His love we share. Always, His grace abounds, more and more, overflowing and never-ending."March 16, 2020:"Last Sunday evening as Fr Valencheck and I walked the dog, we were talking about "What if's." "What if our Diocese actually cancels Masses?" Too many Dioceses have already done so due to the Corona virus. The following Monday morning, as I was making coffee, I noticed I heard nothing. There were no sounds of Mass coming from the church. I peered in through the window and saw nothing. I didn't see any cars parked in front on Mull Avenue. I thought "No. Is Mass canceled?" It felt like I was in the "Twilight Zone." Much to my relief, after Fr. Valencheck teased me a bit, Yes we had Mass!My sorrow and fatigue suddenly turned into relief and thankfulness.THEN not 8 hours later, we heard the crushing news that Masses have been canceled...not just tomorrow, but ALL Masses until after Easter Sunday. It actually happened! All of us are stunned. What can you say? What can we do, but attempt to react and try to grasp the reality? Maybe the only worthwhile question is "How God is going to take care of this through this time of dryness and isolation?" How is Jesus going to be in this with us and keep us close to Him? He will, but only He knows how...if we believe and trust He will.Maybe one grace we can take from this tragic climate of sickness and uncertainty is thankfulness for what we perhaps took for granted before. We get to come to Mass. We get to receive the source of our life, the healing of our soul and nourishment of our spirit in the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist every day. It breaks our hearts that this cursed virus has now prevented us from attending the Mass, but do not be deceived into thinking Jesus is any less close to us now, no matter where we go.Even though we can't come to Him at Communion, He will always come to us in communion. He promised "I will be with you always, even unto the end of time." Also know our belonging to each other in Christ is itself a gift that we share wherever we go. None of us are alone in the midst of this storm. As we hunker down in our homes, we are hunkering down together. As we pray alone in church or in the silence of our homes...we are praying together in solidarity. In the aching anticipation wenow feel: waiting to send our children back to school, waiting for PSR and RCIA to resume, waiting to resume our parish gatherings and waiting for this time of caution to lift so we can return to Mass again...let us yearn for these gifts, these blessings, not in despair but with hope. Let Jesus wait with you as you wait, that we might find grow in His friendship and know His yearning love as we yearn for Him. Let us also yearn to see each other's faces. Let us hunger to receive Our Lord Jesus in His Body and Blood and worship with one, full voice God Our Father. When we DO finally come together again for Mass, as we walk through those doors and into His presence, may we approach the altar with Our Family with full and thankful hearts."March 23, 2020:"Last Tuesday, which seems so long ago now, a handful of men from our Exodus 90 group met to discuss our journey and indeed this strange reality we are living these days. Out of 22, there were just 6 of us there that night. We gathered outside, bundled up, sitting-safely on picnic benches. I thought to myself, "This feels a bit like the Early Church."There was a time when living the Christian life was downright difficult. Public gatherings were outlawed. Church leadership was seldom available. The Apostles were spread thin and ordained presbyters were scarce. People met only in small groups in houses or private areas. They practiced their faith in whatever ways they were able, which was always enough. They simply gathered in His Name and shared their fellowship with Him. We can only imagine how discouraging it must have been for these Christians, with no churches to worship in and living under fear of persecution and death. Yet, when pressured to abandon the hardships of the way of faith, they only clung harder. They clung harder to this life they found in Christ.Nothing mattered more. They couldn't imagine going back or abandoning their Lord because they knew He would never abandon them.They also clung to each other. They remembered Jesus's promise that "where two or three gather in My Name, I am there in their midst." Do we trust this in our gatherings of family, friends or the few people scattered in the pews? Do we trust Jesus enough not to box in His presence among us? He is alive and present when just two or three gather in faith. He is present when we simply sit before the tabernacle and let Him love us. He is present when we call on His Name in prayer and certainlywhen we open the pages of Sacred Scripture. Lastly, may we cling to His presence within us. We are forever tabernacled by our Holy Baptism. Nothing could ever or can ever snuff out the life, faith and fellowship of the Church. Nothing can separate us from the love Christ. Once found, it can never be lost. Here the Church stands today and together the Church continues to march forward towards heaven together sustained by His grace, guided by the Holy Spirit and renewed each day through the prayers of the Mass and Eucharistic presence of Our Lord. As I find myself saying when things are difficult, "Jesus hasn't changed. Every else can, but He never will."March 30, 2020:"What's normal? Define normal. What's your normal? What constitutes a "normal" person? What constitutes a "normal" day? Generally speaking I would say, "normal" doesn't really exist. That being said, things as of lately are a BIT off-normal. On such a day last week when I essentially had the whole afternoon off, I was discerning how I should spend it. I could catch up on some work. I could enjoy some reading. I could clean the house! I could just sit on the porch or work on my coloring books. (a recently rediscovered hobby) Yet, for reasons I couldn't explain, I felt restless, scrambling around and not knowing what to do. It occurred to me "I need to pray for a minute here." So I plopped down in my comfortable chair and spend 5-10 minutes in the silence with Jesus. Suddenly, I found rest...I breathed...I smiled. Thankfully, I thought "THIS is my normal now." The best normal we can have is how and who we are when we're close to Our God...at home with Him...at peace with Him and at peace with ourselves.In this strange, odd, insecure, uncertain time...STAY NORMAL! As He is close to you everywhere you go...find and keep your normal everywhere you go. The peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always."April 6, 2020:"It's been said: in times of desolation, remember your times of consolation and in times of consolation, recall times of desolation you have had. I wonder, can we find consolation in desolation? Yes. We can find consolation in times of desolation that we realize we are under attack from the devil, that we are an active target because we trying to stay close to Christ. It's because there is something right, not wrong, with us. We are most certainly a target when we are bringing otherscloser to God. That should be a big consolation, even if we don't understand God's grace at work in us for the good of others. Just know it is.The devil tried to snuff out the flame of our faith and stomp on our hope through this globally pervasive epidemic. He tried to make us think only of ourselves and forget how united we are. He tried to make us feel Holy Week was just another week, because we couldn't gather at Church. The devil tried to fool us into thinking Christ was distant from us, because we couldn't receive Him in the Eucharist. Be consoled that Christ wins every battle we share with Him. His victory has been won and assured already. We consoled Jesus as we shared in His Passion and Death. We united our fears and despair with Him. We rejoiced in hearing His words at the Last Supper, that we have been called to the Supper of the Lamb. We celebrated His Resurrection in our own homes. The Sacred Triduum was celebrated across the world. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated here at our parish and every parish. Through your faith and the gift of technology we prayed all these sacred liturgies, united in faith as a Church as we watched them taking place. We each received communion with Our Lord as He came to us...as He always will come to us. From the moment the tomb was made empty and the stone rolled away, the overflowing spark of His Resurrection flooded the world for all of time, a light upon of all of creation that can never be dimmed or destroyed. What desolation can we possibly go through, that He will not console us all the more? Alleluia, He is risen!"April 13, 2020:"Officially, I hate wearing these masks! We are wearing them out for good reasons, to protect ourselves and others from further spread of this virus, but still I hate them! They make me feel a little claustrophobic. They're uncomfortable on your face and tug on your ears. Furthermore, they make others feel even more like strangers. The first day I wore the mask, I felt like I made others feel I was afraid of them. Maybe I'm being sensitive, but everyone wearing masks as we walk around each other adds to the climate of fear. That being said, wear the masks, but do it with an even greater sense of charity.One day at the grocery store, a woman and I had a funny moment together. Both wearing masks, she heard me chuckle when I saw the shelfs so barren in the cleaning aisle. I just wanted a little bottle of bleach! We grunted towards each other and as Iwalked away, she called out to me. We talked about this craziness and suggested other places to go that aren't cleared out so quickly. It made me smile.So, wear the mask, but don't see we are each on our own in this. See we are together in this. Care for their health, as much as your own. Look people in the eye and perhaps extend a friendly nod. Smile through your mask. Let people go ahead of you and be thankful when they let you go. Be extra friendly to the cashier and don't be afraid to talk to others. Don't let this pandemic strip our society of its humanity, but rather enhance it. Let solidarity, unity, charity and fellowship be the fruits of this unprecedented time of isolation. Let the grace God wants to bring through this happen and choose to be an instrument, rather than an obstacle. May others see our heart, not our mask."April 20, 2020:"Someone regaled me with a recent true life story that immediately inspired me. They were taking a leisurely drive on a nice day, passed by an interesting looking road and decided to take it. As it turned out, it was a little more off-road than they anticipated. Before long, they found themselves going down a steep and slippery path which led them powerlessly to the bottom. Before they knew it, the car was stuck deep in the mud. Imagine being stuck in the mud on a road you don't know, far away from anyone who could see or hear you. I know I would certainly be thinking "How did this just happen?" "How did I let thishappen?" "How am I going to out of this?"Obviously this person survived to tell the tale. Undoubtedly God provided a tow truck and a driver working during this pandemic and willing risk handling this "pickle." The driver patiently and meticulously extended 1,000 feet of wire to save this helpless driver. Slowly and steadily, he pulled the car up from the precipice it had fallen into. Though the scared, helpless driver couldn't see the truck over the hill, he was being pulled up nonetheless. Is this not a clear and awesome picture of God's mercy...God's grace?The times we are helpless are occasions for God to help, provide, deliver and saveus. The times we get ourselves into a "pickle" are occasions for God to show us He is God. God will extend His saving grace as far as He needs to, to rescue us. The more we need help, the farther we have sunk, the farther down we feel, the farther Godwillingly reaches to pull us out and back to safety. He likes being Our God! The more impossible it seems for Him to save us, the greater occasion for mercy and grace. Even if we can't see where His help is coming from, even if we can't see past the situation or over the top of the hill, nonetheless He will slowly and steadily pull us up. Even if it takes 1,000 feet or a million miles, is that too far for a God through whom nothing is impossible? Even if we have to call Our Help-Line a dozen times a day, He will never tire of hearing our voice...so long as we know Who to Call. Better yet, He was already waiting for our call."April 27, 2020:"Do you want to be careless or carefree? Being careless is detachment, indifference, irresponsibility: choosing not to care or bother taking interest. If we are living our life actively, embracing our day and our responsibilities, trying to be who God made us to be and taking up our call to faith and love...we will have many cares! So, how can we be carefree? By "casting all our cares onto Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)One of the most important moments of my day is spending it in prayer, before I begin the day. It's not always perfect and not often as long as I would like, but before I take up the day I try to offer all my cares and intentions up to Him so I can walk and work freely in the present, having unburdened myself of more than I need to carry. Each morning I offer up the people that are particularly on my mind by name, then I tell Him "Father, for all those I've promised to pray for, for those who have asked for my prayers, for all the people, needs and intentions I hold in my heart...You know them all, along with all your sons and daughters, and myself along with them in all my needs as your son, as I pray..." Then I pray the Lord Prayer to bring all these needs into the One Prayer. I've also been inspired lately to ask prayers of certain saints for certain needs or intentions. That's been fruitful!If we carried all the weight of all we care about, all day long, we would be exhausted before we begin, because we can't carry it. We should rightly find peace, comfort and freedom in knowing we can cast all these cares onto Him. We can take up the day with lightness of heart knowing God has got this. He will take care of them andus. We just show up, be there as best we can, do whatever we can and trust Him with EVERYTHING else, EVERYTHING we do and EVERYTHING can't do. No matterwhat we are called to carry, the cares we hold in our heart, we can begin every day and end every night in peace, having surrendered it all to Him. Do this every day and you will rise in hope and rest in peace.May we honor our loving God by trusting everything in His Hands and to His will. "Cast all your cares onto Him, because He cares for you."May 4, 2020:"I exercised this past Friday, then on Sunday. The last time before that...Holy Week. Wow, how time gets away from us! The only exercise I had since was running up the stairs, down the halls and cleaning the house. Along with Fr Valencheck and twenty other men, I did the Exodus 90 program which ended on Easter. In addition to prayer and fasting, we committed to frequent and rigorous exercise for those 90 days. My Exodus brothers are probably shaking their heads right now!After the Exodus ended on Easter, life quickly slowed down and it seemed so many things wanted to get in the way of my health. Every day, I promised myself I would "get back on that horse" and I lamented at the end of each day, it didn't happen. I felt my body becoming weaker. I was slowly running out of excuses. On that Friday I finally told myself "You're out of excuses. Today's the day!" I prayed away my anxiety and hesitation. I reminded myself as I did throughout Exodus 90, "I promised I would do this." As I prepared myself to finally begin, I asked the Holy Spirit to guide my exercise that I wouldn't push myself too far, but just enough to start back up. I told myself "You have to start somewhere."As with exercise, when it feels you haven't prayed in too long, "You just have to start somewhere." "You just have to start." No matter how long it's been: a couple days; a week; a month (hopefully not); all day; or just as long as you know you've needed to pray and can't seem to start; when your peace seems gone, when you're soul feels weak, when your heart feels numb, when you feel distant from God...Just Start. Just start somewhere. Start off easy. Reach out to the Lord in any way you can. Don't do more than you're able in that moment, so you don't feel inadequate, a failure, like you're falling short of what you had in mind and accept defeat before you begin. God wants all you can give Him in that moment, no matter what it is. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your heart and your prayer as you prepare to pray. Pick up the phone andcall Jesus, or call your Mother Mary. Calling out their name can be enough to get moving. Like the exercise we need, promise the Lord "I will do this, as often as I need" and when it seems it's been too long...long enough...maybe remember to tell yourself "I promised I would do this."May 11, 2020:"Anger and Sorrow: two honest reactions to an imperfect world and imperfect people. A while back, Fr. Valencheck and I were talking at dinner about conversion. (Light conversation) He brought up this distinction between anger and sorrow...sorrow being a step in the right direction. Suffering and evil weren't part of the original plan, but they are part of our reality. Consequently, anger and sorrow are feelings we all face, but which one will you accept more?Holding onto anger keeps us in control. Sorrow acknowledges things are beyond our control. Anger leads to misery. Sorrow leads to consolation. Anger keeps us imprisoned. Sorrow leads eventually to freedom. Anger leads to isolation. Sorrow invites friendship. Anger is the flame of rebellion. Sorrow is the pain ofacceptance. Anger is relying on our self. Sorrow yearns for help. Neither feeling is desirable, but only one is hopeful.It goes without saying, we can and should go to God with both. He meets us as we are, always, regardless. Keep neither from Him. Keep nothing from Jesus who understands everything we go through, as He chose to share in it all...perfectly without sin. He can take our anger, but He can work more with sorrow. Both anger and sorrow desire change, but only one leans towards trust.Family will annoy us, frustrate us, even hurt us at times. Friends will let us down, even betray us at times. We let our self down as we struggle to accept that we will always be sinners. Work will exhaust us and the uncertainties of life can fatigueus. The devil will do, try and use whatever he can to bring us down, snuff our peace, stifle our joy and discourage our faith. He will try to rouse our anger at relationships, at the world, even at the Church. He will try to make of us enemies, when he in fact is the enemy. Bringing all this home, our current climate is a difficult one, to say the least. There is much uncertainty, fear, frustration and division in the air. In addition, we are still waiting (Not much longer) to bring ourselves to the altar and receive the wonderful grace of the Eucharist. It's ok to feel anger or sorrow right now, but bringit to the Lord. Let Him bring you closer to Himself through these raw emotions. If you are angry, let Him hear your anger, embrace you in it and free you from it. Give Him greater freedom to love you in your sorrow instead. If you are sorrowing right now, for ANY reason, let Jesus be Jesus for you right now. Let Him love and console you in His gentle yet strong, ever present, overwhelming, merciful love and friendship just for you, as you wait on God's will to be done."May 18, 2020:"I was going to save this for my next Good Shepherd Sunday homily, but I can't wait a whole other year! Have you ever heard a word you needed to hear in your heart that felt like it was more than your ownthoughts? Maybe it's Jesus' voice you're hearing. These are great, graced moments. I don't know about you, but I talk to myself all the time. I'm always talking myself through things: calming myself down; finding encouragement; processing my thoughts to get clarity; affirming how I'm feeling; telling myself what I should do next; or working out stress, anxieties and frustrations. I tell myself: "It's ok, calm down." "Let it go." "Just start." "You'll be fine." "Breathe." I tell myself "I feel good!" or ask myself "Why are you freaking out?" I might tell myself "This was the best thing you did today" or "Remember this."What I realized recently was maybe it's been Jesus' voice all this time. As I've grown closer to Him, I've recognized His voice is far more familiar than I thought. He uses my tone of voice to talk to me. It's my own, but different. Jesus speaks our vernacular, so we can hear him, find comfort in His voice and take His words in trust. Our prayers to Him can be long, articulated and well formed, which isgood. Our prayers help us listen, but I believe the way He speaks to us is more simple, plain, direct to our heart, exactly what we need to hear, only what we need to hear and how we need to hear it. As Our Shepherd, He needs no introduction or ceremony to talk to us. He speaks with complete understanding of how we are and where we are. He speaks with the kind of love that is already listening and waiting for us to hear Him. His voice is always gentle and comforting, but strong and definitive. I've found Him saying things like: "Trust me." "Be at peace." "What are you worried about? Haven't I always delivered for you?" "I'll always help you, if you just come to Me." "Be who you are" OR "That wasn't you." "I'll take care ofthem." "Just be with Me." Sometime I feel He's just saying my name "Anthony, Anthony" in a way that meets me how I am in that moment. Let Him call your name. Let Him talk you through your day, through this, through that, through everything. Not every thought you have will be His, but be attentive that His voice sounds like yours. Listen to your thoughts and discern if it is your Jesus speaking to you. Our Jesus isn't a Lord, a Shepherd or a Friend who remains silent and watchesus go through our day. He is in it, every moment. Let Him. Let Him speak to you in your very own language."May 25, 2020:"I reminded myself recently "temptation istemporary." "Temporary" means "for a time." "Temptation" to "feel or try." Bouts with temptation feel like it's going to last forever, but we have to remind ourselves it's only temporary. Every storm passes. I think furthermore the devil wants us to "not feel" by pursuing the feelings he offers. He plants that feeling of fear, anxiety, anger, lust, shame or despair to prevent us from looking around and seeing the beauty, hope and love all around us. He doesn't want us to enter into this moment, this day, this grace and the love God has planned. Temptations aren't coincidental orrandom. They are strategic, because they aim at holding us back from something good in us or something good for us.There were two such occasions for me lately. For one, my 3rd anniversary of my priesthood. I just felt off that morning: anxious, excitable and angry, not knowing why. I remember slamming the cabinet door as I put away dishes and thought "What are you doing!" Not ten minutes later as I was getting ready for the day, I thought "Ahhh...it's your anniversary. Ok, that makes sense." After I named it, I clung even closer to the Lord in prayer and it turned out a very thankful, joyful day!Then just last Monday, what a gift: our first Mass together again! Amen! I sprung into church with a big smile on my face, ready to pray and grinning as I saw all the people in the pews! Not a minute later, a moment happened that quickly challenged my peace and my joy. It wasn't a stretch to see the devil didn't want me to feel the joy of this event or wholeheartedly enter into these prayers. So I clung even more desperately to Jesus' love and Mary's comfort. I turned my trust and surrender into overdrive! I trusted Him more than how I was feeling. From this attack, there wasfar greater victory. I sought and found the love of Christ in those praying the Mass with me. I prayed even more fervently and intently. We poured out our hearts in thankfulness to God and were consoled by Christ together in the Breaking of the Bread.When such occasions happen in our life, whether they turn out to be victories or failures, do we think to trust God when we feel alone in those moments? Do we automatically think we are at fault or does the devil want us to think that? Do we trust His grace will see us through any storm or raise us out of any depth? Do we trust the reality of His love more than how we feel? Will we let moments of attack and temptation become even greater victories when we trust and surrender even more to the Lord? Temptation is temporary but His love, His grace, His mercy are endless and unstoppable."June 1, 2020:""They're not the enemy." Someone said this recently about marriage: "When we're fighting, we need to remember they're not the enemy." We need remind ourselves of this constantly not just in marriage, but in family, between friends, among Christians, among Catholics and among our fellow citizens of the United States. Whether we believe it or not, we all have the same enemy...the same one enemy...our enemy from the beginning...who seeks the downfall of all humanity and of all that is good.I know we are all feeling and seeing the strife and division all around us. I know we are hurting for the loss of George Floyd, while worried for victims of riots that have followed. Is world falling apart? No, but our enemy wants us to feel that way. It is tempting to not say anything, so as to not add more oxygen to the fire that too many people are already fanning. There is much evil in the world. We hate how the devil has corrupted it, but not the people who have become corrupted by him. We protest, we rally, we work against evils, not persons. We protest police brutality, not the police themselves. Work against racism, not other races. We shouldn't reduce a person to Republican or Democrat, Pro-Trump or Anti-Trump, Good-Side or Bad- Side in this situation or that situation. We're all human, made in His image and likeness, needing to be saved. The task for each of us is realizing this and living assuch. As Catholics, we are blessed to have the fullness of the truth in Jesus Christ, gifted with the grace of the Sacraments as means for holiness and members of His Body and beloved Bride. Yet, in Christ we are called not to condemn the world but desire that it might be saved through Him. We work against corruption, ignorance, deception, violence and evil wherever it is found and love what can be loved on every side and each person. Let us not insult the Lord and make the enemy happy by losing hope ever, no matter what we see or hear, because hope in Him does notdisappoint. "Pray, Hope and don't worry." St Pio of Pietrelcina"June 8, 2020:"I found my personal motto for 2020: "Weird Grace." Maybe that's not what you would call it, but that's what came to me one day. It struck me, that over the last year especially the last few months, so much has happened in my life. While this has been a year for the books, with so many challenges and weird unprecedented times, there has been so much grace in my life. I say this only to boast of God's goodness.My journey through the Exodus 90 program, rooted out many of my fears, which produced greater freedom from attachments I could not gain before. Also not so ironically, the self-detachment of my Exodus softened the blow of the effects of the CoVid pandemic! It was sad and strange when we couldn't celebrate Mass together...very, but in a way I felt even more how connected we are. I was aware that so many people were praying the same Mass from all over and all their prayers were offered up with the Sacrifice even if they're weren't sitting there in the pews. Also with the extra time and quiet, I was more open to invitations from the Lord. I came to know a great, new, forever friend: St Therese of Lisieux. I fell in love with the Little Way to God's merciful love. Amen! Also in God's good timing, He planned a meeting with His Mother for me which has changed me forever. In a very personal and new way I never imagined, Mary became my Mother. This has changed my whole prayer life and I have become a wonderfully smaller son to Her.One perfect constant in life is God meeting us where we are, as we are. The greater suffering, the greater love. The greater need, the greater grace. In weird times, Godgives weird grace. Has there been weird grace in your life through the course of this very weird year? Do you believe in such weird grace? Have you allowed God to meet and love you in these sorts of times, rather than giving into temptations to doubt, despair or despise? If so, it's ok. Jesus knows we're are human and Heunderstands. It's not too late to look back and see what God was trying do and Let it be Done Now. Praise God for the weirdness of His grace!"June 15, 2020:""No one lives for themselves. No one dies for themselves. If we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14:7-8). This scripture has really come alive for me in these recent months. There's so much uncertainty, so much fear, so much frustration and anxiety. There is disagreement, division and dissention everywhere. All around us are threats of illness and violence, even death. We need stability, security and constancy amid these constantly changing conditions. We need freedom to live our life, not only survive it. We need to truly believe God truly has us, in the palm of His Hand, no matter what happens. If we belong to Him, He will take care of us and those we care for. "Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."Whether you are ready to gather with friends and parishioners, or aren't there yet, be at peace. Whether you are moving in for handshakes and hugs, or still giving elbows and air hugs, be at peace. If you aren't comfortable wearing masks to Church or aren't comfortable not-wearing masks to Church, be at peace. As I asserted when the pandemic began: Caution is necessary, Fear is not. We have a responsibility to nurture and protect the gift of our life and the lives of others, but not to a point that forgets love and faith. I'm going to say something bold that I've wanted to say all along: Jesus is worth living for. Isn't He also worth dying for? He died for us. We don't take risks the Lord isn't asking of us, but if we trust Him at all times, we have no room for fear...for His perfect love drives out all our fear. "If we live, we are the Lord's. If we die, we are the Lord's. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.""June 22, 2020:"Obedience is beautiful. Denying yourself in humble obedience is beautiful and inspiring. We see obedience the most when it is difficult, when it hurts. I remember Bishop Perez said something to this effect, when hepainfully accepted his new appointment in Philadelphia. There has been much beauty I've seen in your obedience: the faithful, throughout this pandemic and as we slowly move forward. I've seen parishioners who came to Church faithfully every day, even while Masses were suspended and they couldn't receive Communion. You have prayed faithfully from your homes as we livestreamed Masses for those two whole months. You kept the faith and kept your hope. Now that we are praying together, it's inspiring to see people's obedience to the Church's directives, stretching beyond their own preference: wearing masks for the sake of others; or receiving Communion on the hand when they prefer on the tongue. Obedience as Catholics has special significance and challenges.We have each promised by our Baptism obedience to Christ and His Church. We are obedient to Christ-in-His Church. This is not as simple as it sounds. It takes daily discernment, personal prayer, an informed conscience and no small amount of humility. Loving Christ while rebelling against the Church perhaps is doubting Christ's presence and the Holy Spirit's power in the Church. Or to make our faith only "Me and Jesus", not "Us and Jesus" defeats the purpose of being Church and can foster division. On the other hand, loving the Church while forgetting the love of Christ and love of neighbor can perhaps lead to a worship of Church over Christ, condemning the rest of the world. Finding the balance in living the Christian life in the Catholic Church takes our trust and surrender, and His guidance and grace, our humility and His sovereignty. If we hold first to our obedience to Christ and His Gospel, we will find obedience to His Church an easy task and a light burden. May our Christianity form our Catholicism and may our Catholicism feed ourChristianity. May we show the world the beauty of our obedience."June 29, 2020:"On the evening of March 7 this year, I watched a talk someone recommended, by Fr. Leon Pereira. He described his personal encounter with Mary, as his Mother and the most beautiful woman in the world. However, he concluded saying "I don't care if you believe me." He said "What you need to believe, what you need to know: She is YOUR Mother and She loves you. She loves you as if She gave birth to you. She loves YOU as if you are the only son, the onlydaughter She has in the world." Those words "She is your Mother and She loves you" stirred in me. This isn't just some lofty, theological truth...that ispersonal. Some of you might be thinking "Duh!", but this hadn't truly clicked in my mind or my heart before.As I walked outside afterward, I reached out and asked "Mary, show me in a deeper way, You ARE my Mother. Show me in a deeper way, I AM your son. Show me how much you love me." It didn't take Her long to answer me! My heart broke in a new way for the Mother of Our Lord...the Mother He gave at the foot of the Cross, to be Our Mother. Going to Mary your Mother doesn't distract you from Jesus Her Son. Rather She protects us, comforts us and brings us effortlessly closer to Jesus, just by letting Her love us and be with us. God has in mind for each of us a time for our own personal encounter with Mary Our Mother and many encounters to follow through life. If you haven't found yet that Mary is YOUR Mother and She loves you...Ask Her. She will let you know. If you know this already, then spend time with your Mother today!"July 6, 2020:"Someone told me something the other day that scared me. They said I was like an idol on Facebook. My only reaction was "NO...no, no, no, no!" They meant it in a good way, but it made me want to never post something again. Being a witness to the world is a tricky thing that requires a lot of balance, interiorly and exteriorly. The more we are seen, heard, respected, admired or loved, the greater humility and service are required of us. We are bridges, not the island.Our desire to be seen and heard should be that our faith, our life in Him and His love in us might be made known. God willing, others may feel a love and see a beauty far greater than us and be drawn beyond us. Naturally, we all care that our voice is heard and that people care to see us. We all watch how many tweets on our Twitter, watches on our YouTube and likes on our Facebook, but the "likes" aren't aboutus. The "Likes" are about what we are sharing with the world and what we have share is for their good, not ours. May we be His witnesses in all we do and say. Maythe Gospel been seen and heard everywhere we go. When someone gives thanks for us, we give thanks to God. Thanks be to God!"July 13, 2020:"Someone reminded me recently there are many of us still at home who aren't coming to Mass yet. Fr Valencheck and I rejoice in seeing people in the pews but those praying with us from home are no less loved or valued. You are not forgotten, our brothers and sisters. Our diocese has discerned in this continued uncertainty about Coronavirus to suspend the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. The Church is compassionate and understanding with those who have greater health risks or are truly not comfortable yet in public gatherings. The Church doesn't demand the faithful to face unnecessary risks or to pray in settings they feel fearful. I am thankful for the persevering patience and faith of those who still faithfully pray the Mass along with our livestreamed celebrations. It's a sign of how connected we all are, in our parish community and across the world.I do ask that each of you still worshipping at home to actively, prayerfully discern the moment you feel called to return to Mass among the people. Prepare for that moment. Desire that moment. Long for that moment! There is a perfect timing for everything, when we are at peace with taking the next step forward. Do not let yourself dwell in a posture of fear. Don't allow praying the Mass virtually become normal. Don't get content with the lack of the Eucharist. Nothing can fill this hunger except He Himself, in His Body and Blood. If we have faith in God, then we have no room for fear. As I like to pray, "Jesus, may Your perfect love drive out all ourfear." May we all look forward to the day that WILL come, when we at Sebastian's and every member of every parish gather together joyfully at the Altar of Our Lord."July 20, 2020:"Kids are funny. I happened upon a YouTube video of a girl lamenting to her mom about her "crush" at school, who only likes her"50/50." She screams "I dress nice! I smile at him! I even winked at him...two times...and all I get back is one, fun, fake, smile!!! Why is my life somiserable?!" She makes me smile! Her mom and we adults laugh at the gravity of kid's problems.Yet I was thinking, I wonder if the Father would laugh at His daughter's problems...which are very serious to her! No, He would want to hear about all of this, about her day at school and her desperate desire for this boy to like her. What is real and important to us isn't trivial and laughable to Our Father. What we care or scream about sometimes might not be utterly important, but that doesn't mean Our Father doesn't care or care to hear us. That is how personal of a relationship, how personal a love He has for each daughter, each son. There are deep, critical problems we lay in His Hands. There are also daily, moment to moment feelings and concerns we can go to Him with, all the same. You Father cares how you're doing and how you're feeling. He wants to hear how your day was and what's important to you now...right now. Whether serious or silly, bend your Father's ear today."July 27, 2020:"My plan for a family vacation this summer wasAruba. However due to the current pandemic, we decided going somewhere more local made more sense. Long story short, I discerned somewhat last minute that Aruba was the right thing to do...the vacation we all needed. Don't worry, I have been tested Negative for COVID-19...TWICE.The travel and the travel precautions were memorable, but the moment that will stick with me the most was the most simple: just floating on my back in the ocean. I could have done that all day: the hot sun and the breeze on my face; my body floating gently over every wave; hearing nothing except my own breath and the dense silence of the water. It was total surrender as I floated aimlessly on the water. The sea was gentle. I had no care about the direction I drifted, who was watching, anything around me, anyone I might bump into or any moment but that moment. I felt Jesus saying that first day "Let it go. Let it all go." I did and I'm still trying to, as I remember that moment.Floating aimlessly on the Caribbean was just a reminder to me of the peaceful surrender we can and should have every day, everywhere we go. Whether the waves are rocky or smooth, should that change our trust in God? He made us and the sea that surrounds us. We still have to breathe and swim to keep ourselves up, but He issuspending us all the while. The more we surrender our fears about the direction we're drifting or where others are drifting, the more we will move in the right direction without trying. Just feel the breeze, soak up the sun, see the beauty of the world God made for you, listen to your own breath and the silence of your interior heart where God dwells with you. Find freedom, peace and joy in surrendering it all constantly to God whose love, like an ocean, will keep you afloat and carry you in the way you need to go. Don't fight the currents. Open your arms, breathe, let the waves come and go with the flow."August 3, 2020:"Aruba is nicknamed "One Happy Island", which it is for those vacationing there. The local people, who I've encountered many times, are easy going and friendly but they weren't so happy this last visit. This COVID-19 pandemic has had many adverse effects on US jobs and the economy. Countries like Aruba run almost entirely on tourism. Let's just say they really felt these last few months. They are a colony of Holland, who has been slow and neglectful in supplementing their income, whereas our government has been very helpful to us.I could feel their thankfulness seeing us there. I usually don't buy many souvenirs, but I had some fun at the stores this time. I tried to shop outside the hotel at the local vendors. I found happiness and purpose buying those t-shirts, bracelets, bottle openers, hand carved crayons for my office, hot sauce for Fr Valencheck and a coffee mug for me. The day before we left I talked with an Aruban man in the elevator. He said "We're happy you're here. You always raise us back up." I could see the hope in his eyes. The next day as we waited in the lobby to leave for the airport, it made me smile as I saw new families arriving.It's amazing: every week places like Aruba, are filled with new crowds, new families, new life, and new hope for the locals with their own families. That is God actively providing through mutual charity: locals and guests helping one another. I hope I wasn't the only one there to see it. Maybe consumerism isn't such an evil afterall. Who knows where our dollars will go, here or abroad, what they will do, what job they will save or who they will feed?"August 10, 2020:"We have to accept the probable risk that the more faithful we become, the holier we become, the closer we become with Christ, the harder life will probably become. We will be more capable of suffering, suffering in faith that is. We will be more capable of love, which is suffering with those you love. As well, what I have become increasingly aware of, the closer we become with Christ, the bigger the target will be on our back. The closer we are with Him, in living our faith, making His love known and bringing others closer to Him, the more we will be a threat to the devil and will have to endure more frequent or more intense attacks. The devil has his own "modus operandi" for each of us faithful followers of Christ, so we can't be surprised when he does his work against us. It could be anything or at anytime, but we know in our heart when we are under attack. Naming it is the first step towards God's shelter.We are also all in this together. No Christian is an island. We love and are loved by others. We lead each other closer to God. Sometimes the devil will try to drag us down or put a dark cloud over us, when we don't even why. Perhaps he is trying to prevent us from the good we are or will do for someone else. As a fallen angel, he knows when we are bringing someone else closer towards the light...closer towards God. Another not-fun-fact is the devil might sometimes target others we love, care or pray for to discourage us, make us doubt our faith and give up the battle. None of this is appealing in the least...but if we know the love of God Our Father and the love of Jesus Our Lord, we know all this is more than worth it. The more we persevere in faith when things are difficult, the more we will see the promised victory of Christ in every battle. The more we know how loved we are, the more the devil's lies will roll off our shoulders in prayer. The devil's best shots will actually drive us closer to God.The sweet guarantee is the closer we are to Jesus and consequently more an enemy to His enemy, the more we will know, trust and receive His sweet, merciful, unending love. Moments of peace, consolation, joy, fulfillment and love will deepen and outweigh any suffering we had endure to get there. I read a quote in the book"Imitation of Mary" that I have carried with me ever since. The author asserted something like "I will be happy, happier than I can ever imagine if I resolve to face every evil rather than losing Your grace." I like that. Let's run this race."August 17, 2020:"I made a new friend lately: a little kid with a big personality, around 8 years old! I've been having random conversations with him and his mom around church. They even stopped by the office on my birthday to drop off his handmade card to me! For reasons I can't recall, as we talked, he started to tell me all his dark secrets: things like stealing a piece of gum from his mom's bag or sneaking down to the basement at night to shoot Nerf guns. The funniest thing is that he told me all of this right in front of his mom! It seemed he couldn't help it, "spilling the beans" in front of this priest. This wasn't a "Fr. Anthony Effect", this was the "Jesus Effect."We can't hide anything from Jesus. Rather it should be our impulse to share everything with Him, the good and especially the bad. Hiding from Jesus is like trying to lie to someone who already knows everything. It's painful, awkward, distressing and pointless. Like this courageously transparent boy, the second we do something we regret, we should run to Jesus to acknowledge it and tell Him we're sorry, so we don't have to hide. Better yet, we should trust His response: tender love that He receives us with, that He forgave us even before we asked for forgiveness and loves us the same no matter what we do. Tell Him everything and tell Him in the presence of His Mother, Your Mother. She already knows. She looks at you with loving eyes, and all she wants to do is His hold you close to Her Heart, with Jesus, safe in Her arms."August 24, 2020:"One sunny afternoon recently, on my 37th Birthday, I pulled up a chair in the yard to relax. Interesting, I found myself thinking about all the best friends I've had in my life, starting with Robbie in Howell, NJ. We played a lot of soccer and ninja turtles together. Then I played out my history of friends from one town to the next, from one stage to the next, up to the present. The notion of "best friends" is Interesting, because it seems they change as we go throughlife. Someone used to be my "best friend" but not anymore. That's life.Often one friend likes the other more than they are liked in return. Often one is trusted and confided in more than in return. Sometimes friends misunderstand one another. Sometimes friendships are more based on a phase, or what they need, or liking each other until one of them changes. Sadly, even sometimes we find out someone wasn't our friend from the start. Often, people are just meant to be friends for a time in their life. There is a storyline of friendships we find and God knows how He weaves them together.Where I'm going with this is I realized looking back on my birthday, Jesus has always been the ONE, who has always been there. He has always and will always be my BFF. More than my own brothers, who know me best, Jesus is infinitely closer and better! Since the day we were sealed in Baptism, our friendship was sealed with Jesus. As we grew, He saw us growing and was with us through all the growing pains. We never needed to explain anything or worried about whether we could trust Him. He loves us more than anyone else ever did and loves us so much more than we deserve. We never had anything to offer Him and yet He gives us everything He has to offer, which is everything we need. Yet unlike many of us, He doesn't force His friendship. He waits patiently for us to need and want to know Him more. He waits to reveal His love to us one step a time and every step we take forward with Him, we can't lose. Wherever we are at Him, be there, want to go deeper and trust Him to lead the way. If we can imagine, we spend our entire lifetime growing closer to Jesus Our Lord, Savior, Shepherd and Friend...and we will find its fullness until we see Him face to face."August 31, 2020:""God Bless you." Something so good, heard so many times, can sound old. Perhaps in my limited mind, this greeting always felt like more of a customary well-wish as you said goodbye or concluded a letter. It is rightly a gracious word to offer someone, but I think the majority of us would just say "Thank you" and go about our day.Once again proven wrong, I feel differently now. One Sunday recently, I talkedbriefly with someone in the gathering area before Mass. It was a pleasant conversation. As we walked away, he looked me straight in the eye and said "God Bless you." It stopped me. I took a deeper look into his eyes. He meant it. When I said "Thank you", I really was thankful and I was humbled. As I walked away, I felt blessed. I still feel blessed by that not so customary encounter.Now when someone says "God Bless you" to me, I try to take their words to my heart. When I conclude a message, I can't think of better words to say than "God Bless you." A cultural Catholic would say "God Bless you" when someone sneezes (Say it though) or as a pleasant farewell. Someone who knows what faith really means, who knows God, knows how good He is and how much we need His blessing. When we say "God Bless you" to another person, we are saying: May Our all loving God take care of you today; May God protect you from harm; May He bless you with his peace, His grace, His Mercy, His love today; May He bless you on your next step towards Heaven; May you know His love for you today. So, maybe saying "God Bless you" to another person, if we mean it, is really saying "I love you" because His love is best. God Bless you!"September 7, 2020:"I believe Fr Valencheck already knows this, so I think I can tell you that clocks drive me crazy! It wasn't always so, but in a rectory with a clock in every room and every hallway, I've become increasingly sensitive to those chimes. What I also know to be true is the devil also knows this. I cannot help hearing every clock taking their turn chiming every quarter hour, just seconds apart from one another. Their timing is always impeccable: as I'm just beginning prayer; just as I have a moment of consolation or joy on a crazy day; the moment I escape a noisy office for some peace and quiet; just as I have a good thought for a homily; or just as my eyes are closing for a nap. I used to lash out at these clocks who can't hear me...they're clocks. Now I recognize more the devil will always be a constant nag, in one way or another with strategic timing to disturb my peace or disrupt myprayer. Now, when that chime hammers at my head, I stop and face it. I ride it out. I stop what I'm doing, breathe and wait for the silence to return. Other times I'll pray through the noise, slow down and persevere through the distraction, not letting it ruinwhat I was doing. This is one of my silly struggles, but a struggle nonetheless.Don't let distractions distract you from God, distract you from prayer, distract you from your peace or from the present. I have a great and true admiration for families who faithfully attend Mass knowing their small children will be a noisy distraction for them and others. I enjoy that joyful noise as we pray during Mass, but I'm sure their parents would disagree. Children can't help being children any more than clocks can help being clocks. Although children are far more loveable and worth the trouble. In addition, let us not give too much power to a cotton mask...they're just masks. This weirdness will end, but regardless, Jesus is as close to us as our labored breath. The greater challenge, the greater grace to meet it. Through all these things, may our prayer, patience and perseverance become stronger in our refusing to be disrupted or discouraged. May distractions strengthen our patience. May challenges strengthen our hope. May obstacles to faith strengthen our faith. Finally,may our clocks serve us well and keep us on time, but without the chime."September 14, 2020:"I visited saw my goddaughter recently. She is a little over a year old and becoming quite the lady! She paces back and forth, glancing discreetly over me to make sure I'm paying attention! Her parents were describing how life itself has changed since they became parents. The dad said "It's like watching my own heart looking at me, running around the room." Imagine watching your own heart look you back in the face, walking around and growing up. You want more than anything to see its happiness, to avoid any moment of sadness, to be strong, healthy and beautiful. You would give up your happiness for theirs and do anything to protect them from harm. I suppose you parents out there can understand this.As I remembered those chubby cheeks, that V clever smile and the way her parents looked at her, I thought: "Can you imagine Mary's love for Jesus?" Imagine the way Her ears were always listening and Her eyes were always following Jesus as He learned to crawl, learned to walk, when we awake and go to sleep, watching Him help His father with work, begin to say things that astounded Her and began the ministryShe knew all along would lead to His death. She saw her heart nailed to the Cross and felt Her own heart pierced by that lance.Can we imagine these Motherly eyes watching us step by step, day by day, year by year? When we're joyful like a child, She also beams with joy. When we share a moment with Jesus, She is content. When we're burdened, our eyes are sunken and our heart is full of pain, she feels it in Her’s. She is right there waiting for us to come to Her, a reach away. She fully knowing, can Mother us in any way we need: to protect us from danger, distress, temptation and any malicious attack from the serpent. She can settle and calm us in just a moment, letting Her embrace us. Finally in grasping that Rosary, murmuring those prayers, as we place ourselves close to Jesus, we settle into Her lap, safe and secure. As Her heart, let's make Mary, Star of the Sea, Our Mother happy as often as we can, as often as She wants.”September 21, 2020:"Fr. Valencheck and I are continually reminded of how blessed we are at St Sebastian's! We are so blessed in how we have waded the waters together through this persistent pandemic. So much has happened and by Holy Spirit we have rolled with things one week at a time and grown as weevolved. At times when extremes are the immediate default, I keep saying "It's all about balance." I feel, we have maintained a healthy balance here. We have been cautious but not consumed, safe but not paranoid, charitable and not divisive in our differences of opinion. We are blessed to be a community that loves theEucharist. We are blessed to have a pastor that is simply obedient to the Church with instructions and direction rather than deciding for himself, while also being pastoral to our changing needs. We have a staff here who are the most loyal and dedicated crew we could have ever hoped for, who keep this ship afloat and sailingsmoothly. Both our parish and school aren't just surviving, we're still thriving. I'm thankful to say I believe ALL of us in this community are trying to foster a culture of faith, rather than a culture of fear amidst these turbulent times.Now I say with a heavy heart, not every parish is so fortunate and blessed. At some parishes they don't have sufficient staff or volunteers to navigate these times well andare struggling to stay afloat. Some pastors don't have a parochial vicar to lighten their load. Some parishes have taken that extreme and foster more of a culture of fear: not cautious, but paranoid. Some pastors are letting their own fears and opinions guide the course. Some parishes keep their doors closed all week and simply unlock them for Mass. Some turn you away or persecute people without masks. Some enforce the health standards rather than trusting the faithful themselves to do so. What is the absolute worst is the danger that all of us, at every parish, face is Sin. Something so invasive as a global pandemic can produce much confusion, anxiety, frustration and dissension, but faith calls us to meet them with faith. No matter what occurs in the world or what the devil throws at us, fear, despair, anger, hatred and division are not welcome in this culture of faith. Too many people are sinning across the world because of these things. Pandemics don't cause sin, the devil does. Don't fall for his lies no matter what you hear. Don't give into darkness and despair no matter what you see. May we keep each other in check and pointed in the right direction: towards the tabernacle, towards Christ. May we hold each other up as brothers and sisters, showing the world what a culture of faith and true charity look like."September 28, 2020:"I imagine all of the Catholic faithful across the country are waiting for their priests to speak about our upcoming Presidential Campaign. Maybe you already know what we are going to say and are just waiting to hear us say it. I hear you. Trust me, we priests are also discerning our moments to speak and what to say. I was inspired today.We are citizens of the United States of America, but it feels often like we are the divided States of America. Politics are and will always be polarizing. So what are we? Are we Democrat? Are we Republican? OR are we Christian? Are we Catholic? YES. We should always start at the heart, the core of who we are and go from there. The Catholic Church, rightly so, does not advise the faithful to vote for one party or another, one candidate or another. However, the Catholic Church does and should advise the faithful on matters of our faith and morality to guide them in living daily life and carrying out their civic duties.There have been priests, not just in the news, who have asserted that voting for Joe Biden is a mortal sin. Some have asserted that a Democrat cannot be a true Catholic. Other priests have asserted the contrary. Some say Catholics can still vote for Joe Biden, despite some issues he endorses. Some say vote for "the good Christian, rather than a bad Catholic" which is Donald Trump. We all know the major, dividing issue is abortion. It is. I say this: I don't care what anyone says, neither of these two Presidential candidates are perfect human beings, immaculate heroes of patriotism, savior of the nation or pre-canonized saints. Both democratic and republican candidates bring positive incentives and propose initiatives that will benefit our country and its citizens. Both have biases and political agendas. As a bi- partisan government, it's impossible for any one party to accomplish all that is good, pleasing everyone, all at the same time. No matter what the candidate looks like, sounds like, acts like or is like behind closed doors, it's not about them. It's about what their administration accomplishes over the course of the term.As Catholics we must approach politics as Catholics first and at the moment before we cast our vote. The party we align with perfectly is the Company of Christ. So we shouldn't be ashamed to like something about both parties or both candidates. We can have a side we lean towards or a candidate we support more. However, we have to measure the importance of each moral issue as we discern our vote. Therefore as Catholics, obedient to Christ and His Church, we cannot ignore the singular importance of protecting human life. We love all lives, but no issue is so crucial than protecting the unborn child from being murdered in the womb. Abortion above any other civil laws is a certain means of killing a life, not for just cause but for convenience, not a couple times a week but millions of children daily. We must choose life for every child that cannot choose life for themselves yet. We have to exercise our care for every child who isn't born yet or isn't even conceived yet, yet is already known by God their Father. It is a sad, depressing reality that we even have to vote pro-life or pro-choice. As a nation united under God, this shouldn't even be an issue. In a better world, where both parties Republican and Democratic were pro-life and anti-abortion, then we can just look at which person we feel like voting for. Then, whoever won, we would all be fine. Would that be wonderful!"October 5, 2020:"I visited the "City of Brotherly Love" last week: Philadelphia. There is so much to see and experience there. The Philly cheesesteaks measured up to their reputation! The Rocky steps were fun but not quite as dramatic as in the movie. The cathedral at the Archdiocese was so beautiful! There are also many historical events that took place there in our nation that helped shape our nation. I had the chance to visit the museum of the Liberty Bell.Generally I felt unenthused as I walked in, but as I saw those historical photos, read stories and saw commemorative items, light bulbs started coming on in myhead. People, genders and races over the generations who have experienced any liberation were drawn to the Liberty Bell. What really sparked my contemplation though was the famous crack in the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell the nation venerates is the "Cracked Liberty Bell." Beautiful artwork, plate ware and furnishings all mirror perfectly the design of the crack going up the bell. In this bell, we honor and remember that there is no freedom without sacrifice. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness require work, wear, tear and love. One person can serve the good of many.The Cracked Liberty Bell drew my mind to Christ, Our Crucified Lord. The Crosses we gaze at aren't empty. They aren't "Resurrectifixes" with Jesus coming off the Cross. Our Crosses show Jesus' body wounded and broken upon the Cross. We seek to never forget His Crucified and sacrificial love for us. It reminds us that our salvation is free and unmerited, only because Jesus paid the price once for all. His love is passionate and suffering, bearing the wounds that mercifully pour out to save us daily. To know His suffering and merciful love, we have to share in it. We find our way to holiness by carrying the suffering of Christ in our flesh for the good of the world and His desire for souls. His love for us that we see in the Cross is what keeps us selfless. It's that thankfulness that feeds our love for His Church, for strangers and enemies. With thankfulness to Him, we choose to forgive others as many times asthey offend us. We choose to do more than others without seeking credit. We are at peace with being judged, insulted or persecuted. We choose to be charitable when no one is asking and when it's not deserved. There is one beautiful Liberty Bell in the world, but there are glorious Crucifixes everywhere, across the world, in our homes, above tabernacles and enshrined in our heart."October 12, 2020:"Chiming Clocks Continued: I received some further wisdom regarding those chiming clocks that so easily get under my skin. On one such moment recently, I just stopped, stood still and prayed a Hail Mary...just one Hail Mary. It was just enough to calm me in that passing moment. I sighed with relief and kept moving. If our relationship with Mary was either a whole rosary or nothing, we might lose out on a million in between, every day occasions for her love, comfort, and protection.Think of those random Hail Mary's as a million "Hail Mary plays." When life is on the line, we're feeling the fatigue, feeling the opposition and have to keep moving, throw up a Hail Mary. It’s a simple, easy, effortless, yet powerful prayer. It is an opportunity to throw up your cares in the air and be suspended in prayer just long enough for the moment, the distraction, the frustration, the temptation to pass. After all, She is Our Mother. At that "Amen", we can only be in a better place than we were before we threw up that "Hail Mary.""October 19, 2020:"Why isn't everyone attracted, devoted, consumed by the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ? Is there lack of awareness or hesitancy? Is it a lack of readiness or resistance? Why isn't the whole Church, the Body, the Bride of Christ in love with His Merciful Love? Maybe they are and my question is unnecessary. If not, then why?Maybe, similar to myself in the past, the Divine Mercy devotion almost seemed just too simple: that image of Jesus you see all over the place with that simple phrase "Jesus, I trust in you." My, how dense I was in my former days! Secondly, is it easier for us to cling to justice, rather than mercy? Justice just makes more sense in our head. What you get should be what you deserve. True, were it not for the justiceof the Cross of Jesus Christ, which is now mercy. Lastly, maybe the biggest challenge for people to truly and fully embrace His Divine Mercy requires a change of heart towards others. His mercy must make us more merciful. There it is, I think. The saints who allowed Jesus to lavish His merciful love upon them committed to being an offering of His merciful love to the world. Mercy requires sacrifice and a sacrificial love. In our case as His disciples, we must willingly share what we humbly allow Him to give us.We all know as we are told by the scriptures, our faith and Our Lord that justice is required to heal, purify and ready us for heaven. However He always offers His mercy first. If one trusts His mercy first, then justice would be fully embraced. No one would ever avoid going to a merciful God and facing their sins out of love for Him. I was made aware lately, which I can't forget now, is that Jesus told US: SAY "Jesus, I trust in you." We didn't make up this prayer. He gave it to us as He told St Faustina "Write this down!" If Jesus tells us to tell Him we trust in Him, let's take Him at His word. Ok Jesus, I trust in You!"October 26, 2020:"The whole Church right now is buzzing with confusion and/or frustration about Pope Francis' recent comment on "civil unions" for homosexuals. To clarify, his words were actually "civil coexistence" rather than "civil unions." I wanted to share Bishop Malesic's remarks about this. Second, I would like to share a personal reflection on our Holy Father Pope ments made by the Holy Father in documentaries or interviews do not, in and ofthemselves, constitute a change in universal or particular law.I have not received any official notification that the Church’s understanding on this matter has changed.The quotes attributed to the Holy Father in the recently-released documentary film “Francesco” do not alter or realign church doctrine, but actually reaffirm the traditional definition of Marriage as a lifelong, life-giving, committed union between one man and one woman.The Holy Father’s remarks remind us that we all have the right to belong to a family and that even persons who have homosexual attractions should not be excluded from their families of origin, nor from the Church.Consistent with prior remarks, it appears that the Holy Father is addressing the matter within the framework of Church teaching: the objective truth of the definition of Marriage; respect for the dignity of every person at all times, regardless of sexual orientation; and safeguarding the civil rights of peoples by legal authority, even if they are living in situations that we do not condone.It is always important to go to the Pope’s actual words in the proper context rather than relying on reports about them.I always cling to a hopeful perspective for the Church, because of Christ. Though I like most priests were not given the grace of apostleship, so always listen to your bishop first. Here are MY insights about Pope Francis. You are free to disagree and approach me in dialogue if you like.Precursor: I don't think the Pope is trying to change or uproot the foundations of the Church. I don't believe the Church itself makes mistakes regarding the papacy, via the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis is however a "shaker." I think would all agree on that. He looks between the lines. He often speaks passionately and spontaneously, saying things that make us scratch our heads. He challenges and at times makes us uncomfortable. Is this some characteristic from his background? Is it a charism of his spirituality, or just something about who he is? Is his challenging, off‐color mannerisms more intentional or unconscious? I don't know. He may fail perhaps at choosing concise enough words in a position where the whole world hears every word you say. Thankfully, we have learned on many occasions that his words are taken out of proportion or context.I do think/know our Holy Father has a heart for mercy and unity. He wants the Church and the whole world to know that God through His Son is above all merciful. So much of his teaching and preaching is undergirded by mercy. I thinkPope Francis has a heart for unity...worldwide unity. His message of evangelization often reaches out to the secular world to draw them closer to the Church. As a result, perhaps he has neglected his message towards the already faithful in theChurch. Perhaps he bends a little too far pastorally. I will say though, every time I have heard the Holy Father preach a homily, his love for Christ, for the poor and for souls is evident. Though a sinner, he is a priest of Christ. He is the Vicar of Christ and he is being used as such by Christ. He is the successor of St Peter to keep the Church united and so is our Holy Father. Fr Valencheck said something the other night which made much sense: What is God preparing through Pope Francis for the future of the Church...the next Pope...the next step in salvation history? God alone knows. God knows what He is doing and He will always get His way. So, St Pio says "Pray, Hope and Don't Worry." Let us pray for our Holy Father, for his needs as a son, a sinner, a priest, apostle and the Vicar of Christ. Pray for him as he strives to bear this heavy burden of being head Shepherd, yoked to Christ in his humanity. In the good he indeed has done and good he has yet to do, let us love our PopeFrancis. I love my Pope Francis."November 2, 2020:"I have mentioned several times a small houseplant that I've been taking care of. I initially rescued it from my mother's house. (She tried her best) That was about two years ago. I replanted it in a bigger pot since then. It is still surviving in my room. I've become quite attached! I would love for this small, homely, resilient plant to survive everywhere I go in my priesthood. We had a very close call however lately.As the soil sunk down over time, I thought I would top it off with some moredirt. Lazily I walked around the sidewalks of the parish with plant and spoon in hand, scooping a spoon here and there from outdoor plants. I rustled up just enough dirt to fill the pot. I noticed the dirt was different than the soil in the pot. It was more muddy and clay like, which was fine at first. Before long, it started having aneffect. It eventually created a thick, almost impenetrable layer on top. When I would water the plant, the water would just slowly trickle down as air bubbled up from underneath. The dirt was suffocating the plant, choking off the water from itsroots. At some point, water was no longer soaking in at all. Parasites were growing on the surface thriving in the cool water as the plant itself was losing itslife. Disgusted and distressed, I resolved to fix this ASAP and re-pot the plant entirely, hopefully before it’s too late. When I finally cleared the pot and watered the plant clean, I saw almost all of its roots had died and disappeared. Only the strongest roots had survived. It seems that little bit of dirt took over the entire pot of soil. I meticulously scrubbed the pot clean and filled it with the "good stuff" aka "potting soil" to save my failing plant. A week later, today, I think he's gonna makeit! Lesson learned.The world has a lot of dirt to offer. It looks and feels good, but we can't fake what we truly need. Settling for substitutes will not only be insufficient, but will hurtus. Margarine tastes like butter, but without the fat, and with all the additives to clog our arteries. Diet soda tastes sweet, but without the sugar, and dangerous substitutes instead. Sin is always appealing and constantly available, but as soon as we let it in, it starts poisoning us. We forget reality by indulging or overindulging pleasures. We distract ourselves with noise, technology, distractions or work to pass the time, rather than being present. We find control in politics, scandal, despair, anger andgossip. We find security in outcomes we can control, approval we earn and respect we can win. There are countless things to do that are more productive than spending time with Our Lord. Yet, all these things like clay choking off our roots, are like those many thorns that choke the seed from bearing fruit. No matter the grace God offers, the love He lavishes upon us, the beauty that surrounds us, the warmth of the sun, the fresh air, the cool water...unless we let Him wash away the dirt, nothing will soak in. In a world covered with dirt and thorns, stay rooted in the soil: the rich soil of His love, His grace, His mercy, His peace, His friendship. We will not only survive, but thrive for many years, no matter the conditions, weather orseason. "Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of Our God, still bearing fruit when they are old, still full of sap, still green, to proclaim that the Lord is just; in Him, my rock, there is no wrong." (Psalm 92)"November 9, 2020:"I'm writing this for myself and anyone who loved our Dc. Terry Peacock. When we lose someone we love, I think we search for this perfect moment when we feel resolve in saying "Farewell" and moving forward in peace. I don't think that moment really exists. Maybe the only answer is peace itself, prayers and thankfulness, rather than resolution. We did have these things as we prayed Vespers together as a community with our wonderful bishop. We took turns recalling Dc. Terry's smile, his voice, his humor and his unique words to us as we visited him. We gathered together for Mass to celebrate his life and to offer Jesus' Holy Sacrifice for his eternal repose. Yet, I felt he was with us all the while as we did these things. I felt an emotional loss, but not a total loss. So here are a couple graces that I would like to share to remind you our brother Dc. Terry isn't far.I visited him towards the end to talk, pray and embrace. That Friday was the Halloween Parade for the school, an event Dc Terry never missed! As the kids were waiting on the sidewalk to begin, one of them exclaimed "It's Dc Terry!" Right under her feet was the brick: "Dc. Terry. I will always remember you." He WAS there.At the Vespers and Visiting Hours, I recalled a Psalm he recited that gave him some peace as his health began to decline: "Our life is over like a sigh. Our span is seventy years or eighty for those who are strong." This man went eighty years strong, but 81 was his number. For the life of me, I couldn't remember which Psalm and forgot to look it up beforehand. Guess what Psalm was the very Psalm I read the next morning in my Morning Prayer. Just guess! It all but slapped me in the face. It was Psalm90. I smiled and thought of Dc Terry.Finally, after the funeral Monday I was talking with a young man who has served many Masses with Dc. Terry. He shared something Dc. Terry told him once, verbatim: "You know what I love about God. What? That I can take my family and friends for granted, because I know I will see them again."November 16, 2020:"I just have a question to ponder and take to prayer: What are the potential fruits of a pandemic? I don't mean physically, politically oreconomically, because this thing stinks. I mean spiritually, which mattersmost. What spiritual fruits do you see God wanting to bring through this? I don't think the COVID-19 days are ending tomorrow, so as we wait for clarity, resolutions and stability to slowly return, let us look to God first and let His work guide us through these turbulent waters of uncertainty.These are the fruits I have seen and hope to see: Surrender and Trust; Hope; Perseverance of Faith; Many more Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets prayed; Greater Charity and Unity. What do you think? Pray about it. All these things grow only when they are challenged. These are indeed challenging times, so why not the power out of the devil's hands and give all the power to Christ, that His work might shine through the darkness. Let there be fruit."November 23, 2020:"In my much needed vacation to Aruba this summer, there was a perfect, providential moment that I have tried to hang onto. It was a moment of total surrender, floating helplessly and aimlessly on the ocean. It was like a symphony around me: the cool water beneath me, feeling the waves carrying me, the hot sun like a blanket over me and the silence, hearing nothing but my own breathing. It was a moment of total release and surrender. I felt Jesus saying "Let it go. Let it all go."In some way, I brought that moment back with me and found it here. Yes, in Akron, Ohio! Something I do at least once a day now is walk outside in the yard, on the grass, aimlessly with my cup of coffee or water in hand. I don't walk far, but usually find one spot to stand. Then I just take it in, like I did on the ocean. I feel the sun and the breeze on my face. I observe how the trees and sky look at that very moment. I watch the wind blow over the grass and appreciate the color of any given leaf that crosses my eye.I'm not trying to lead you through some guided mediation. I'm just talking about being alive and being thankful to God, with God for being alive. Creation is always moving around us and no matter how it looks, it is beautiful. It is a gift and we arepart of it, if we would just stop and be still. It is so easy to get consumed by the problems in the world and worries of the future. Yes, they are many! Indeed, but isn't the world still spinning? Isn't God, Creator or heaven and earth still as we speak holding all creation in existence? No matter how complicated things get or how bleak things look, we should praise God nonetheless for being God, giving us the life we have and this world to enjoy. It doesn't take long each day to stop, look around, be still and do Jesus the favor of trusting Him and letting it go."November 30, 2020:"By the time you read this, my quarantine will be over! It was a challenge. It was an experience. It was a "staycation" and a time to catch up. It was a retreat...at least I tried to make it so. I journaled many thoughts and insights as I embraced each day in isolation. Here is one.The only one in the house who didn't know how weird things were, was Chester the dog. Fr Valencheck and I avoided one another like it was our job. It was tedious and a bit awkward. However, Chester knew nothing of this. He would waltz carelessly into the room for a bit of attention, then prance back into Fr Valencheck'sroom. Chester was like the middle brother, the mutual friend who was impartial, careless and friendly to all parties. This dog like other dogs are seemingly immune to this virus that spreads like wildfire among us. Chester the dog represented normalcy when things felt quite the opposite and more importantly, he kept us connected when we felt disconnected. Ah Jesus, I thought of you.No matter how strong we are, none of us are immune to this virus called sin. We are all susceptible. It is carried and manifests differently in each one of us. Some are more contagious than others. Some show clear and obvious symptoms, while others appear asymptomatic, but don't be fooled. When you least expect it, sin could find its way in. This affliction also isolates us...not only from God in that moment, but from one another. In shame, fear or pride, we avoid one another. We quarantine. We can even go to great lengths to hide from one another. Cue Jesus! Jesus will have none of this. He goes fearlessly, unaffected, without hindrance into our room andtheirs. He goes from person to person, from place to place to bring us comfort, bewith us and see how we are doing. He is our normalcy, our constancy and our security. He is the friendship and love that keeps us connected, even when nothing else does. He keeps together when sickness and sin drive us apart. He is our health, our wealth and our happiness. Jesus is our remedy, our cure, our levity, freedom and our life. This Relationship alone is NO risk and ALL reward. Don't ever quarantine from Him. Open your door and let Him come in. Then know He loves your neighbor, your brother, your sister, your enemy just the same. We're not so far apart after all."December 7, 2020:"Are we preparing for a "COVID Christmas" or just Christmas? Will we be slave to the conditions that surround us or slave to Christ as we journey through Advent?Rather than rambling about COVID conditions that are prevalent everywhere, let's talk about Jesus. "Let's bring it home to Jesus." The words that have been ringing in my heart, my head and from my mouth lately are Obedience, Charity and Unity. Our Obedience to the Church only makes sense in light of our obedience to Christ. Our obedience to the Church isn't to a hierarchy of men above us. It is about belonging to Universal Church united by faith in Christ. Our obedience to our local apostles and our successor of Peter is what holds us together. It is a gift and grace our Protestant brothers and sisters do not have.CHARITY: this is word I feel we can never explore or dig too deep into. Charity is in our actions and how we act. It is in every word we speak, how we speak and in the tone of our voice. It is in our eyes and our expressions. Charity is what is in our mind, behind our smile and in the inner room of our heart that no one can see orhear. Everything we do and in every way we react in this culture of fear, anxiety and frustration can either foster charity or kill it. Why do we have to be charitable all the time, to everyone, no matter what? Because of His charity to us...because of Jesus' unconditional, unwitholding, self-sacrificing charity to us.Lastly Jesus came that we might ALL be ONE in Him. True unity is only found andfed in the Son of God. He is a gift for all humankind, for all time. Our journey towards Christmas should end as one family, gathered together around the Nativity Scene, in breathless, joyful awe at the birth of Jesus Christ...at the sight of the Word become flesh before our eyes. No matter what our nativity scene looks like, as long as He is there, that's all we need to see. Let nothing strip us of our Charity, our Obedience and our Unity, that nothing may strip us of our Peace and our Joy at that sight."December 13, 2020:"Our Lady of Fatima has found Her way into my life. That is, Mary as she revealed Herself to three small shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal as The Lady of the Rosary advocating as Our Mother for peace in the world and conversion for all sinners.There is a way of praying that millions before me have discovered: offering your prayers, penance, suffering and sacrifices up for sinners in greater need than us. Of course we don't know who that may be, but Mary knows, Jesus knows, God Our Father knows. We're accustomed to always asking specific intentions of God for people we know or promised to pray for. Yes, we should, but Our Mother Mary mourns that so many helpless sinners go to hell because no one prays for them: sinners who don't pray for themselves and don't know how to find God's mercy.In a book I'm reading, the writer urges, "Pray a Rosary for the intentions of Our Lady of Fatima." I have found freedom in offering a Rosary to Mary for whatever sinners need the graces most. The writer also asks frequently "What sacrifice can you offer up for sinners?" So I ponder, if I should offer: getting out of bed right when my alarm goes off, rather than taking my sweet time getting out of bed. I'm working on that one! Even better, those cursed chiming clocks that rob my peace so often...YES, that will work! Now I face the noise and listen intently to every last chime across the house, offering up my discomfort for sinners. Suddenly, suffering can become charity.Why say all this the week before Christmas? Why not? Jesus came and was bornamong us to save people from their sins. Also, I bet there will be plenty of sacrifices this week. There will plenty of distractions, anxiety, last minute preparations, too many loose ends, too many emails and texts, craziness in the stores and on the street, overwhelming work, irritated people, family being less than perfect, loud children, moody spouse, stupid clocks and a shortage of peace, quiet and prayer time. Take you pick! Whatever moments of suffering, sacrifice, temptations or flat-out attack from the devil we face leading up to the Celebration of the Incarnation...why not offer it up, rather than hating it or wasting it. If we know to pray in times like this, than offer it up to Our Mother for poor sinners who don't know to pray. Let's make Our Mother happy as we prepare to adore Her Son."December 20, 2020:"One of my favorite Christmas movies is one of my favorite movies of all time: "It's a Wonderful Life" directed by Frank Capra, starring Jimmy Stewart. If you haven't seen this movie yet, please amend your ways! In my opinion, it’s one of the best stories ever told on film. The story begins in heaven, as St Joseph reports to God there are a lot of prayers going up for this man named George Bailey. They summon Clarence: Guardian Angel 2nd Class, looking for his big chance to earn his wings! As they show Clarence George's childhood, they soon introduce the bad guy, the villain, George's eventual arch nemesis. A beautiful, shiny black carriage pulls up on the street. Clarence asks "Who is that? A king?" Joseph explains "No, that's Henry F. Potter, the richest and MEANEST man in Bedford Falls."What I wondered for the first time the other day "Would St Joseph, or God really say that?" Every good story worth telling needs a bad guy, a villain who in the end gets outsmarted, outdone, overthrown, defeated. In the true story of the real world though, would God see it that way? Are there real Henry F Potters in our story? We could say so, but I don't think God would label them the "bad guy." There are Potter types out there, many perhaps, but our happy ending when we smile, sigh and wipe a tear from our eye shouldn't be about the defeat of old man Potter. No, the ultimate ending would be God helping his lost son Henry change his ways, see the light, join the party and become part of the happy ending. YES, that would have made the movie endingeven more wonderful!Who are the "Henry Potters" or "Henrietta Potters" in your life right now? Who are the mean characters that show up on scene in black carriages, bringing trouble with them and dampening the mood? It’s true we don't want evil schemes to succeed, or the bad guy to beat the good guy, but seeing them cross over is what we should want most. We should want to see a "bad guy" become a "good guy", an enemy become a friend, a nemesis become an advocate, to see the light and join the party. Remember, no matter how dark a character gets or the evil they have done, there is only one true enemy. You know the one. Any evil scheme shows the devil's hand, not the person he directed. May God then save that sinner from the devil's work. I recall when George Bailey found his redemption, he held nothing against his old enemy. On Christmas Eve, covered in snow, full of joy, George runs by Henry Potters office and banging on the window exclaims "HEY...Merry Christmas Mr. Potter!" Jesus will always help the George Baileys, but He came especially for the Henry Potters."December 27, 2020:"A couple Sundays ago, I was setting up for a baptism at Noon. As I scurried back and forth across the sanctuary, I noticed a little girl I know. She was praying, kneeling at the altar rail. I know her well. I've joked around with her on many occasions. This wasn't one of them. I've noticed over the past year, she has become more sincere, more thoughtful and more serious.As I walked by, I held my gaze at her, smiling. She didn't take notice. I passed her again, I glanced over and smiled, right in front of her. She took no notice. She was really at prayer. Her eyes were closed at times. She leaned completely over the altar rail at times. The last time I saw her, her eyes were raised up towards God, as if giving thanks as she closed her conversation with him. I thought perhaps, after she finished praying and stood up to leave, she would flash me that smile or a little wave...but No. She made the Sign of the Cross, genuflected and walked away. It brings me so much joy not only to witness this sight, but even more so, that I didn't matter. She didn't even know I was there! Friendly, funny Fr. Anthony was just in the background. I am so happy that even though I tried, I wasn't a distraction for her,from her time with God.Isn't this the faith we should strive for everyday? Isn't this why Jesus sought out children and childlike as often as He could? A child has no confusion about what they want or who they love and nothing can distract them from it. When a child loves someone, they are fearless in showing their love. Their simple, sincere love is precious. They don't remember their troubles yesterday. They don't count the minutes that pass until the next thing. They start fresh every moment and that moment is all that matters. A truly childlike love for God is just for His sake, to make God happy by just loving Him.”I wish you could have seen that encounter I saw between a child and God. I will remember her face well. Maybe you have seen something like this. Point being: let's want this for ourselves. At the dawn of this New Year of 2021, (Implying 2020 is over) let's keep our faith simple and childlike. Let's forget the troubles of yesterday and keep our eyes on the hope of the present. Chances are all the problems of last year won't be resolved with the beginning of this year. May the new year simply remind us to refocus our eyes on the Lord, the light, the prize, the way, the truth, our love and our life...as a child would fixate and gaze on the object on their love. Let distractions from His love, good or bad, move past your eyes. Let Him fix all that you can't, as you simply fix your eyes and your heart on Him. Jesus loves His little ones. May we be little for Jesus as we trust Him and let Him do His work, the real work."January 4, 2021:"I got to witness a miracle, a grand show of God's grace at the start of this year. During Mass last Saturday, as I sat in my chair, in the corner of my eye, I saw someone walking out the side door. After Mass, we were all talking in the sacristy, the sacristan said "Where's my phone?" We all looked around theroom. One of the seminarians recalled hearing someone's footsteps in the sacristy during Mass. It all made sense now. That someone snuck into the sacristy during Mass. Someone maliciously stole in church, while Mass was being prayed! What was worse was my friend's ID and credit cards were attached to her phone. She said"My phone is gone" as she welled up in tears. We all stood around shocked and speechless. As it turns out, even Fr Valencheck saw this woman outside afterwards. He said good morning and wished her Happy New Year. I assured my friend, this wasn't just a bad start to a day, this was diabolic. The devil is always trying to drag down those who are close to Christ.The sacristan, myself and the seminarians proceeded together outside, searching around the parish grounds hoping the woman would have just taken the cards and left the phone. As I passed parishioners after Mass, I told them what happened and they quickly joined the search party. It was nowhere to be found. As my friend went home, shaken up, she started making the necessary phone calls. Meanwhile I, Fr Valencheck, staff and friends were rallying for support. We sent out word publicly for people to keep an eye out for this woman. By 10 am, we had an army of people praying for this cause. Fr Valencheck and a friend decided to walk the dog around the neighborhood, where the woman had been spotted. Cue Holy Spirit. As they walked the street, they noticed little piles of discarded items, like a trail of bread crumbs. As they came to the end of street, they didn't know which way toturn. However coming from one side, a person was also walking their dog, so naturally Fr Valencheck steered Chester the other way. Low and behold, before long, there was the woman's cart, with all of our friend’s belongings: phone, ID and credit cards. All she missing was a bit of cash. Fr Valencheck confidently reports "This was a guardian angel moment!"However more than just a miracle of finding what was stolen, was the graces that came through the whole event. Our friend who felt weak and defeated received an outpouring of prayers, love and support. The parish, the community and even strangers came together in solidarity. What seemed like a terrible start of the year, ended up a hopeful start. A day that began dark ended bright. A sin of one person gave way to God's greater grace. The devil's work gave way to God's glory. Truly, light shines in the darkness.Furthermore, none of us including the sacristan feel any hate for this woman. Fr Valencheck at meeting her, it was apparent she had deep rooted problems. Who knows what evil she has gone through to drive her to this level. NOW this woman, a stranger who one came into our House as an enemy has many people praying for her. With faith, with hope, with love...with Christ...light will always shine in the darkness. "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)"January 11, 2021:"Exodus has begun, again for me. I, Fr Valencheck and around fifteen other men have entered or reentered into Exodus 90. It involves a 90 day journey along with the people of Israel, with increased prayer, discipline and fasting, from slavery to freedom. It's not about becoming stronger, leaner and tougher. It's about becoming fearless. In stepping back from comforts, crutches and control, we find more and more that we can survive anything, leaning on God. We find God can provide through anything if we only trust Him to. The hardest part of God providing is believing He can.As we step into this new year, we still have plenty of uncertainty and plenty of problems without clear solutions. All we have is a direction: Forward in Faith. That's pretty much all the Israelites had: a Promise of Deliverance and Faith in God. They didn't want to stay put, but the way out seemed even harder. They were facing wilderness, uncertainty and danger all around. If they needed a step by step plan, they would have given up before they started.We are a people still in Exodus. We head every day closer, forward in faith towards our Heavenly Homeland and God gives us everything to survive the entire journey: His own Son. Until the day we finally arrive, He promises His grace is sufficient for us. His grace is enough. Let's place this year, all our problems, all our worries and ALL our fears in His hands. God will always provide. That's what God does. He already knows how He will, why He allows this or that to happen, and how He will bring us closer through it. He only asks for our trust and hope in Him as we move our feet forward in faith. Journey well my friends."January 18, 2021:""Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His love endures forever." (Psalm 118) I felt moved to simply share my favorite Psalm. Every time it is referenced somewhere or even see the number 118, I feel joy and reassurance. Every time it comes up in the cycle of Psalms, when I see it, my heart stops. I take a breath and prepare myself to pray each word slowly and intentionally, letting this prayer lift my soul towards God. I hope it speaks to you as much as it does me.Psalm 118: "Song of Joy for Salvation"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures forever.Let the sons of Israel say “His love endures forever.” Let the sons of Aaron say “His love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”I called to the Lord in my distress; he answered and freed me. The Lord is at my side; I do not fear. What can man do against me? The Lord is at my side as my helper: I shall look down on my foes.It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in men: it is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in princes.The nations all encompassed me; in the Lord’s name I crushed them. They compassed me, compassed me about; in the Lord’s name I crushed them. They compassed me about like bees; they blazed like a fire among thorns. In the Lord’s name I crushed them.I was hard-pressed and was falling, but the Lord came to help me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he is my savior. There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the just.The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; I shall not die, I shall live, and recount his deeds. I was punished, I was punished by the Lord, but not doomed to die.Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my savior.The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad.O Lord, grant us salvation; O Lord, grant success. Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes. We bless you from the house of the Lord; the Lord God is our light.Go forward in procession with branches, even to the altar. You are my God, I thank you. My God, I praise you.Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures forever.January 25, 2021:"God is always looking for an "in" with us. He is always looking for an "in" in our life, in their life, in the world for Him to do His work and accomplish His will. Any door, window or crack we give Him, He takes to work in His grace and bring about conversion and redemption. All He really needs is our faith. Any faith at all we give Him, He will use.Faith always starts at the seams, with honesty, set in reality. The honest reality for all the faithful in this great nation, as we journey into 2021, is we have a newpresident. Whether we voted for Joseph Biden or not, he is now our president. I found the USCCB's letter regarding President Biden purposeful and well written. TheUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed a hopeful recognition that our new president professes the Catholic faith with us. He is not currently in good standing with the Church, because of certain moral agendas, but he is forever a baptized member of this Body of Christ. After this recognition, the bishops brought clear attention to what cannot be ignored: Joseph Biden has publicly advocated for widespread access to abortion. As the bishops said, this is an issue of preeminent importance in the Church and its ongoing mission for the sanctity of life. Now, I do believe anyone who would willingly accept the burden of the president of the United States must have some good intentions for its citizens. So may any good and positive endeavors President Biden seeks, find fruition.My word of hope (which is what you will always hear from this priest) is that our president's Catholic faith is an "in" for God. Jesus Christ lives within all His baptized, always present to them, so that is an ultimate "IN." If our president dialogues with our Conference of Bishops, that is an "in." If he looks to the saints for inspiration and for intercession, that is an "in." If he picks up a Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary and fervently prays it, that is a great "in." If he comes to the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a humble and contrite heart, that is a great "in." With all these "in's" and our prayers, how can there not be hope? Not out of hate, but out of love, let us pray fervently for Joseph Biden as he undertakes his presidency in this Nation under God. Let us pray for his well-being and protection from the devil. Let us pray that God draws out in His son a greater love for the unborn child. Let us pray for his conversion of heart, however needed, trusting that with God, all things arepossible. Let us ask the saints our friends to pray for him. Let us give God the "in" of our faith, hope and charity that His will may be done in President Joseph Biden."February 1, 2021:""Praising God must be your strength." I have come across this message in the readings of the Liturgy of the Hours and it always stuck withme. However for the life of me, I couldn't find which prayer or scripture it is. If you find it, let me know! "Praising God must be your strength" is to say we are made to praise Him, we are strengthened when we praise Him and we cannot praise Him enough. We have this logical tendency to praise God only when it makes sense orwhen we feel like it. We have a tendency to praise God only when things are going well or only when we feel worthy of praising Him. We have to outsmart this tendency. We might never be worthy to praise Him but He is always worthy of praise.This has been on my heart lately. I haven't fully wrapped my head around it yet, but there is something there. I feel myself being reduced lately, often with nothing to offer Him but my praise. At times when I have feel unworthy, weak, fatigued and sinful, I have tried to push beyond myself and praise God nonetheless. It is like praising him from the ground. It is like telling God, no matter how I am doing, I just praise You for who You are. You are my God and I praise you. It is like saying "Give thanks to the Lord, for HE is GOOD, for HIS love endures FOREVER!" (Psalm 118)When are we strongest? We are strongest when we let God be God. We are at our best when He does everything, when we are reduced to simply offering thanks and praise to Our God for His goodness. His goodness doesn't depend on ours. Our goodness depends on His. When it feels like the world is falling apart, praise God nonetheless. When the Church seems wounded, praise God nonetheless. When you are left with nothing but uncertainty, praise God nonetheless. When it feels like you are fighting the currents, moving upstream without a paddle, praise God nonetheless. When you are reduced to the ground with nothing to offer but your unworthiness, praise God nonetheless. Praise God for who He is, for praising God must be your strength."February 8, 2021:"Why does Mary, the Mother of God, Our Mother tell us to pray the rosary every day? For Her good? No, for ours. For most of my life, I considered the rosary just something good that Catholics do...in their sparetime. Then I came to know more explicitly that Mary Herself tells us "Pray the rosary every day." At first, when I tested these waters, I promised myself I would at least pray one decade of the rosary every day: just something. Then it grew into a daily prerogative, to pray the whole rosary each day: to make it work. Some days I havethe time to pray the whole rosary in one sitting, which is best. Other days, I pray one decade here or two decades there, but especially enjoy sitting quietly for the last decade at night. I have come to especially relish the powerful moment when I finish the rosary. There are many of you far greater than myself in your devotion to the rosary. I have however joined the ranks of loving and needing the rosary everyday now.Getting back to my original question: Why? We don't just run through the mysteries of the life of Christ. We enter into them. We enter into these scenes, look around and dwell there with Jesus in those moments of His life. We receive insights about our Jesus that we might have never found otherwise. We also know in a tangible way the consoling love of Mary as Our Mother when we grasp and pray Her Rosary. Even when we are not praying it, we can find comfort in just grasping those rosary beads.We are promised and it is true, that the rosary is one of the most powerful weapons we have against the enemy. The comfort of Mary as Mother to us very much involves Her Motherly protection. Maybe the devil has some footing in our lives, but he has nothing against this Immaculate Virgin. Demons fear Mary more than anyone, after Christ Himself. There is GRACE in praying the rosary: grace that lifts burdens off of you, binds up evil that oppresses us and brings to life the grace of Jesus Himself within us, which scatters temptation and pushes the devil away. It’s a grace that centers us, quiets our soul, gives us peace and heals our heart. It’s justgrace! The rosary is a simple gift from Mary of relating our whole self to God. It's a little like resting with one hand in Jesus' and one in Mary's.Lastly, when we say the rosary is for OUR good, that implies others. We can offer a singular intention for someone or for a situation beyond our control, which Mary takes right to Her Son. Also we can just offer our prayers to Mary Herself for Her intentions: for whoever needs those graces most in that very moment; for sinners who do not pray and do not confess; or we can offer any graces from our prayers in reparation for the multitude of sins in the world committed against the ImmaculateHeart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is another treasure for this purpose) It also goes without saying, to offer our prayers for Mary's intentions, She certainly doesn't forget our needs. So why pray the rosary every day? Take your pick. Ah, thank you Mary Our Mother!"February 15, 2021:"In my weekly musings I thought of the distinction between "helpless" and "hopeless." Feeling helpless is a very natural feeling and it can even be a good one, only if brought to God. Of course we feel helpless before so many things, nearly everything, beyond our control. Feeling helpless, relying on our power, inevitably leads to feeling hopeless. Helplessness tethered to self-reliance leads down that dark vacuum of hopelessness and sin. Helplessness tethered to faith, clinging to surrender, leads to raw, refined hope...reduced to hope in God alone. Life changes and the world changes, but as I like to say, "Jesus hasn't changed." Yes, Jesus hasn't changed. So how can our faith or hope change, if it depends on Him?Are we allowed to feel helpless as just one person with one voice, among so many? Yes. Can we feel helpless before the problems in the world, the nation, the Church, or in our own family? Yes. Should we feel helpless before our ownsinfulness? YES. Yes, but what we do with it makes all the difference. Sitting in our helplessness alone is the devil's playground. Embracing our helplessness and looking to God, we place ourselves in His almighty care. Our smallness gets taken up into His divine power. Our weakness is absorbed into His mercy. Our worries become prayers and our fears become songs of faith.Changing the world around us starts with changing our heart first. If are hopeful, then we can do our small part in peace, patience, persevering love and humble charity. The best decisions and right words come from there. Then more importantly, we let God do the rest of work...the real work. We let God do all the work only He can do: change hearts, bring us together, bring good out of evil, and bring greater grace out of any sin. As we take our first strides into our own Lenten journey, let's embrace our helplessness with trust and abandonment to Our Lord Jesus. Helpless before God, be hopeful in Him."February 22, 2021:"I am about to tell you something I heard in a Confession! Calm down...I am in no way breaking the seal of Confession. I'm notsharing a sin and you would never know who this person was. It is just something too good not to share. I remember a time I was hearing a child's confession. ME) "What would you like to confess to God today?" Them) (Pause) "That I love Him." My heart melted! I smiled and said "Amen!"YES...Amen. Isn't that the point? That is the perfect place to start when we ask for God's forgiveness or confess our sins to Him. Our starting point in going to God as sinners isn't "I hate myself. Forgive me." It's "I love you. Forgive me." If we thought shaming ourselves or punishing ourselves was the way to God's mercy, what does that say about God or His Son? God is indeed all justice, but He is all mercy first. He made us to be loved by Him, then love Him in return. Our posture before God as sinners who need Him must be rooted in our trust in His love. The way we run to Him the second after we sin or our posture as we open the door to the confessional should be like that adorable, loving child. In our acknowledgement of sin and plea for forgiveness, what our heart should really say is: "Lord, my God, I love you. I know how much you love me. I trust YOUR love. I trust YOURmercy. Please forgive my rejecting your love, my ignoring your love, my not relying on your love, not trusting your love, not sharing your love in these ways. I'm here to let you love me and be changed by your love." Confess to God at all times, maybe especially when you feel most unworthy, "My God, I love you." Confess you love Him."March 1, 2021:"I took or re-took to running this past year. Let's just say I'm a little rusty, but you have to start somewhere. My running philosophy these days is "Just do the best you can today." I have a bit of Rocky Balboa in me, so I tend to push myself to the limit, especially at that final stretch. I remember one cold day, when I thought I was alone, some people witnessed my self-mantra. As I pushed my feet forward, I huffed and puffed to myself "Just...do...the best...youcan...TODAY!" Good thing I don't get easily embarrassed. Isn't that life? Just do the best you can TODAY.Now a second running philosophy. I was talking with someone recently about running. They are far better at it than I am. They said, instead, they run for a stretch, then slow down for a stint, then pick up running again. Consequently, you can go much farther if you pace yourself, rather than running yourself into the ground as I often do. Maybe that's how marathons are run. I think both philosophies bear truth: "Just do the best you can today" and "Pace yourself."Saying "yes" to each day God gives us, implies there is also tomorrow. We tend to chase our perpetual To-Do List and pack every second with work, errands and housekeeping. However we have to find peace with just doing as much as we can, without falling into fatigue and getting burnt out, which so often leads to self- indulging and sin. We have to maintain balance and peace with our limits each day, and stop running when our body and soul say so. On the other hand, we're not made to be machines or work horses that run until we run out. We are made for both work and rest. God demands it. If maintain that balance, we will glorify God in both. We have an obligation to God and ourselves to know our fruitful limits and to pace ourselves as we do our best. Without rest, how can truly know peace? We should give of ourselves in work, time and attention as far as we don't lose ourselves. Love and charity don't really count if we hate or regret it. I think the heart of Rocky says something, that we should push and stretch ourselves, to become stronger, more virtuous, more charitable, more prayerful, more persevering...but we need to make it through the whole fight. In this life, our goal is the finish line: the veil of heavenly life. So let's just do the best we can today, but pace ourselves so we go the whole distance and run this race well, in Christ Our Lord."March 8, 2021:"Praying the Mass livestreamed is a reality I never saw coming, but it is the "new normal" here and around the world. I have become well aware that the faithful wherever they may be hear many sounds that the faithful in the pews would never pick up. That microphone on my ear picks up every littlething! It's a little like those who are listening are in my head. That's intimacy! I know you can hear every sigh I make (quite often), every time I clear my throat, theMass prayers that I whisper to myself and every "Mmm" or "Ahh" I make when some thought strikes me. I'm comfortable with this. Furthermore, I can't help it!What I was thinking one morning at Mass, God is that close to us and much closer. He is as attentive to us as the thoughts in our head or the sounds wemake. This is both a reassuring and sobering thought, most of all reassuring. Our prayer can be as simple and easy as just being aware He is there, with us in each passing moment, day and night, while we are awake and while we are asleep. He is sharing in our thoughts and our feelings. He shares in our delights and ourstruggles. He is rolling with us as we roll with our day. Each sound, sigh and prayer we extend towards Him, He is already watching and listening. If prayer is a conversation, which it is, His ear is already listening on the other end of thephone. He is just waiting for us to pick up, to talk and LISTEN.The sobering, yet reassuring thought is that we can't hide our thoughts from Him. We only think we can hide. He knows when we are being tempted, plagued or oppressed by the thoughts of the enemy. That we can't help and He doesn't condemn us for, but He also knows the thoughts we embrace and take in. In our struggles with sin and spiritual battle, He looks on us with loving eyes, an open ear, an encouraging voice and outstretched hand to reassure us He is there and will help us if only we turn to Him. There is no mute or off-button for our relationship with God. It is impossible to lose this connection with Our all knowing, all powerful God who holds us in existence and loves us so much that He gave up His Only Son for us. May we seek to please, honor and glorify Him in all we do, say and think. His eyes, ears and heart are the ones that matter most. If no one else was watching or listening, He is. If no one else cared, He does. He is both directing and livestreaming our life."March 15, 2021:"Have you ever said "Yes" and "No" in the same sentence? I don't know where it came from, but I used to be one of those people thatwould occasionally respond "Yeah, no, yeah." It just came out that way! It was only when people started picking up on it, found it funny and pointed it out to me, that I started catching myself. Slowly I became a simple "Yeah" or "No" person. I use tosay "Right" a lot in my homilies. I would propose a thought and say "Right?" I didn't even know of this habit until a friend said "You say that a lot in your homilies." Then every time I blurted out "Right", I would catch myself and think "You said Right- again." These are silly habits, but it does say something about habits.Habits tend to be more unconscious...hence they are habits. It's often when someone points them out, that we become more aware and start catching ourselves. Of course I'm speaking of bad or unnecessary habits, the kind that are unhealthy, inappropriate, pointless, or sinful, or sins. So therefore becoming more aware that it is a habit, is actually a grace. It's a grace of self-awareness. We step back and think, "I do this. I shouldn't do this. I don't want to do this." Then hopefully we start catching ourselves and grumble "I did it again." It is more conscious at first, then becomes more unconscious...an immediate, knee-jerk reaction when we catch ourselves again.What kind of things are we talking about? It's different for each of us and we all have them. A bad word that pops out of our mouth?Unnecessary conversation or toxic conversation we engage in? A judgment we keep entertaining, against others or ourselves? Wasting too much time on that darn phone? A pleasure we like too much? An addiction of some sort or a habitualsin? Simply a compulsion for control? What fears hold us back from being open to change, or believing we can change? In what ways are we more susceptible to this habit or more susceptible to temptation? If the devil knows it, we might as well name it ourselves.Let's trust that little voice within our conscience that nudges at us. Let's be open when others point things out to us and more importantly, when God is so good as to point something out. Let's embrace our lifelong, daily call to growth, freedom, wholeness and holiness. The more self-aware we become, the more aware we will become of God's presence within us and around us. The more we see of ourselves, the less playground the devil has to work with. We will always be works in progress. Let's progress and let Him do His work."March 22, 2021:""Jesus, Mary and Joseph." I've heard this household phrase said in old movies. If it was in movies, clearly it was part of the culture in those good old days. People would exclaim "Jesus, Mary and Joseph" at either amazing, or troubling moments. What I thought recently was "They wereright! Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" For obvious reasons, we look to and pray to Jesus and Mary next to one another. What has lost its awareness, but is seems to be emerging everywhere is a rediscovery of devotion to St Joseph. It is so perfect and providential that Pope Francis was inspired to announce this year as the Year of St Joseph.Most of what I have to share is inspired by Fr Donald Calloway's book "Consecration to St Joseph." I feel compelled to share first that many in the Church and many saints believe St Joseph was not the old man so often portrayed in artwork. I am also convinced St Joseph, husband of Mary was a strong, young man. Perhaps Joseph was older than Mary, but must have young to do and be all God had chosen him for. If God was so intentional in His choosing Mary, don't you think he would also be intentional about the man He chose to be the foster-father to His Son and spouse to His Mother? As Fr Donald Calloway states so factually, "Old men don't walk to Egypt!" Wouldn't God also want a man in the prime of his youth to guard and protect His only begotten Son through infancy, childhood and adolescence? AND St Joseph's virtue, unassailable chastity and celibate marriage to Mary make most sense, if he had all the virility of a young man. He loved Mary's virginity and embraced his own.Knowing St Joseph brings a whole new awe and reverence for the HolyFamily. Holding the loving union of the Jesus, Mary and Joseph in our heart changes everything: the way we see ourselves; the way we see our family and other families; the way we see others as sons, daughters, husbands and wives; the way wePRAY. Jesus took Mary's humanity, but Joseph greatly nurtured it. He taught Jesus about manhood. The Rosary has a greater fullness and dynamic as we meditate on the events of Jesus' life and of His dear, sweet Mother Mary. Imagine the looks andmoments Joseph and Mary shared. It occurred to me, God did say it's not good for us to be alone. It makes perfect sense that He willed that Mary never be alone. He didn't intend Her to be the Single-Mother of God. He wanted a husband for Her to love, lean on and share everything with...to love and give their lives together for Jesus. If we look at St Joseph and his heart, we see more clearly how to love Jesus and Mary. Along with his wife Mary, Joseph spent all day, every day in watchful adoration and loving conversation with Jesus, until the day he died looking upon their faces. No one ever loved Jesus and Mary the way Joseph did, but if we go to him, he will show us how we can love them more. If we inherited Mary as Our Mother through baptism, we also inherited St Joseph as our spiritual father. "St Joseph, reveal yourself to me. Jesus, draw out my love for St Joseph, the father you took and loved on earth, who has become my spiritual father."March 29, 2021:"I've been wanting to say something to many people for a while, but I was hesitant, because saying it could invoke varying reactions. I discerned today, I'm just going to say it. Humbly, I want to just offer myopinion. Are you ready?! Don't want too much news. Please don't watch too much news.I don't mean don't watch the news. We were given the world to cultivate and care for. We are stewards of God's peace and justice for the world. We coexist together and we need to be aware of what is going on around us, but I say, just don't watch too much news. There is a never-ending output of news and noise that bombard our eyes, ears, mind, email and all media. What about silence? What about just our own thoughts? What about God's voice in our thoughts? What about the sound of the wind, or birds outside, or the sounds of our friends and family around us?Furthermore, doesn't it seem the vast majority of news we hear is all bad? When I see Fr Valencheck reading the paper at the table, I like asking "What bad news is happening today?" After all, the news that gets people talking the most is badnews. Granted, a good portion of news is truthful. Most news bears some aspect of the truth. Some news is more political, to stir up division or further one positionagainst the other. The problem with over-watching the news is that we would spend all day hearing only problems. If we get consumed by all the problems of the world, walking around perplexed all day, we might miss the beauty, the goodness, the truth, the graces right in front of our face.The conditions of the world in every age change, conditions in which God provides. The virtue of Christian hope is based upon the reality that God doesn't change. His faithfulness and providence don't change. Christian joy comes from a state of knowing God's love. Peace is in a soul that trusts God. We believe in and live in the Paschal Mystery: that the death of Christ brings us life, if we embracedeath with faith. There is death in the world: moral death, spiritual death or physical death, but death in faith gives way to life in Christ. Bad things happen every day, but we have to believe bad news always gives way to GOOD NEWS, the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The headline that rings true every day, is always new and affects every other story: "Alleluia, Jesus Christ is Risen from the Dead!"April 5, 2021:"One day recently, when I was burdened with my own sinfulness, as always I prayed through it. On that particular day, I received a particularly beautiful moment of consolation and conversion. As I was sitting outside, as Ioften do, I felt Jesus saying within me "Focus on Me. Stay focused on Me." So I persevered in doing as He said. I reached out beyond myself and just focused on Him. Much grace and renewed joy happened that day. Praise God!We live this daily battle to stay focused on Him. We have this constant pull within us: called concupiscence, to draw inward and get trapped within ourselves, within our control, our pride, our shame and despair in our helplessness and sinfulness...but Jesus is always calling us out, drawing us out towards Him, towards God andothers. That is how we were made to live: the perfect freedom of "Garden Life" that our first parents had in the Beginning. That is what Jesus came, died and rose to give us.If so, who decides when we should go to Him?Who decides when is a good time tolet ourselves be loved by Him? Who decides when is a good time to come to Him for mercy and forgiveness? Who decides when are we ready enough or worthy enough to go Him? Us or Him? We have a call and responsibility to let Him decide, notus. He has commanded us to trust Him and furthermore tell Him "Jesus, I trust in you." His trustworthiness, His love and His mercy doesn't depend on us. Trust Him more than yourself. Trust Him more than your life. Trust His merciful love more than your sins, no matter how many they are or how dark they may be. Never give up on Him not giving up on you!If we do, we will honor Him by letting Him be Lord and Savior. If we refuse to stay away, no matter how many times we fall down or fall away, He will strengthen our faith and love for Him with every return we make. Then the devil will lose his hold and grip on us. Our sinfulness will slowly, but increasingly lose its power overus. We will need those things we don't need less and we will come to desire them less. We will have no fear of our sins or any justice they require because we trust His Mercy MORE. Like the blood and water flowing from His side, His mercy will never cease flowing out into our souls, as much as we allow. Let's stay little, weak and empty for Our Jesus. May we hear His call within our heart each day, each moment "Focus on Me. Stay focused on Me."April 12, 2021:"We have "bad days" and we have "good days." Does God? No. So let's start with every day God gives us is good. Yes.On a "bad day" for us, we can say to God at the end of the day "All I did today was sin: That one sin I chose or that moment(s) of sin I had. The rest was ALL You. All the good that happened and all the good I did was all You...it was all Your grace." So regardless, we can look back on all God did that day and still give thanks, despite our feeble failures, next to His abundant graces.On a "good day" for us, can look back and say at the end of the day "I didn't choose sin today. (Maybe we were still sinful, but we didn't choose sin) Thank You Lord for that. The rest was ALL You. Today was all You! It was all your grace: The gifts I had, the good I did and the way I handled the bad. It was ALL You. Thank you MyGod. Thank you my Jesus."Every day then is good day, because He gave us that day, because of who He is, because of His goodness to us, because of His abundant and merciful grace. It's ALL Him. Have a good day!"April 19, 2021:"Remember Nathaniel, sitting under the fig tree? Have you ever wondered what was going on in his life that placed him there? What was he thinking or praying about, sitting alone under that tree? Why is it that simply at Jesus' word "I saw you under that tree", that he immediately followed Him?What was Simon's (Not yet Peter) life like, leading up to his call by Jesus? What were the circumstances of his life that at encountering Jesus on that shore, after he cast his net that one last time...he cried out "Depart from me...I am a sinful man!"What if the parable Jesus told of the "Good Samaritan" really happened, but only He knew it? What if Jesus sought out one of the robbers, offering him kindness and compassion, knowing fully what he did? Let's suppose, maybe he was full of grief, ruined in shame, remembering that man he left for dead, naked and bleeding there on the road. Imagine Jesus assuring him, he did not die. There was someone there who helped that man, showed him kindness and took care of him. If so, imagine the change in that man's life!If you've ever pondered these things or would like to imagine these scenes of the Gospel. I would say watch the television series "The Chosen." I describe this, I don't want to call it, "show" as the "Gospels Imagined." The creators draw upon biblical exegesis and historical methods, as well as insights from priests and rabbis, to imagine life in 1st Century Israel and life-stories around the people Jesus encountered and chose for His disciples. Whenever I watch an episode, I walk away stopped and affected. Then I sit in silence thinking about my own chosennees: my relationship with Jesus, who knew me before I knew Him and called me to follow Him. Many good things we see and hear are in some way inspired by God. Some things are justclearly inspired by Jesus Himself. I strongly believe this is one of them! I think the whole world could benefit in their relationship with God from this inspired work: these "Gospels imagined." It's certainly inspired my prayers. I'm so thankful someone suggested watching this to me. So I'm passing along the word. This is worth sharing!"April 26, 2021:"An obvious thought occurred to me recently: Only Jesus could manage His emotions perfectly. Only He can. We can grow in this aptitude, to the extent of our relationship with Him, but we are never done needing Him in this way. No matter how far we've come emotionally, psychologically, spiritually...none of us are perfect at being human. I am no exception.I'm speaking particularly about is how we handle negative situations, negative feelings or negative reactions. I think we can perceive these moments by how fast we react...how fast we want to respond. You know those conversations, either with the person in front of you or someone on the other end of the screen: when we hear or read something and we want to jump immediately back at them. If so, things can "go south" or get ugly quickly. Whether we name it or not, we all have this prideful tendency to want to force someone to know how wrong they are. Yuck! The question isn't necessarily who is right or wrong, but how we respond in either situation.Have you ever allowed your sensitivity to run away in wrong direction? Have you regretted something you said or often just how you said it? I have. Do you take these regrets to prayer, to Jesus, to Mary Our Mother...or do we suppress and ignore that we screwed up in some way? Even when we know we were right, do we own our fault in an argument? Do we step away and ponder what the other person may have been trying to convey or where they were coming from? Do we honestly desire mutual dialogue in challenging conversations, rather than one-sided arguments? Can two people with opposite perspectives, walk away better people, even if nothing is resolved? Good question. Maybe if humility and charity are held by both, and love is the mutual aim.Holiness comes through humanity. Humanity requires humility. True humility starts with honesty. Continual conversion is rooted in self-awareness and fearlessness about our continuing need to grow and change. I guess all of the above is summed up in Him: All in our relationship with Jesus. In our need for Him, may we allow Him to save us from ourselves at times. May we allow Him to steer our conversations and arguments, that they may be fruitful. May we rejoice in the times we stepped away and resisted the impulse to respond immediately with fiery emotion. May we rejoice in finding the right words to say afterward, because we went to Him first. May we rejoice also in the times, we realized we were the wrong one. Jesus, may it bedone. Help us manage our emotions as you did. By your grace, may your humility and charity grow within us. Help us to be good and holy human beings."May 3, 2021:"I have always been careful with handling the Eucharist, for obvious reasons. However I've found unconsciously, I've become ever more conscious about every particle of the Eucharist that touches my fingers. I take as much time as I need at the altar, to tediously brush every speck of Jesus I see into the chalice or ciborium. Thank you for your patience as I do so.I saw something recently that I can't unsee...in a good way. I saw a moment in a livestreamed Mass where a priest had some profound revelation from God. He was bent over, unaware of anything around him. He was crying quietly. When he finally stood up and collected himself, he approached the ambo and said "From now on, Communion will only be distributed on the tongue and if you are kneeling." Still emotional, he talked about the care and reverence we must have for Our Lord in His Eucharistic Body, lamenting that so many people do not. Whatever he saw or heard, by the way he spoke, it was clear it was from the Lord. I was awed. However trusting in the Church’s discernment regarding reception of the Eucharist, we should trust that receiving Jesus on the hand is not an insult to Him, if our reception reflects the reverence of one kneeling humbly before Him in our heart. "A humble and contrite heart", thankful in our unworthiness, "He does not spurn."St Therese said receiving Communion was like Jesus' kiss on her soul. How would you describe your experience of the act of receiving Communion? I'll have to think about how I would articulate that myself. I want to affirm I see so much love and devotion on so many of your faces as you approach Jesus in Communion, but the more aware we become of Who we are receiving, the more we will become What we receive. May our reverence and sensitivity grow with every Communion we receive. May we be conscious of His Body as it moves through the air towardsus. May we be conscious of His intimate touch on our tongue or the palm of our hand. May we be sober and aware of every speck of the Body of Our Crucified Lord, aware that the tiniest particle holds the entirety of His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. May each time we receive Communion, be like our first. There is no "same old" encounter with Christ. It is always new and always needed...not deserved but thankfully received. Let Him meet you by the way you meet Him. "Lord, I am not worth that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." ................
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