Having been a student for 27 of the 32 years I have lived on this earth, I feel right at home at graduation ceremonies. With 10 brothers and sisters, 3 graduate degrees and some years teaching added in, I have sat through more graduation ceremonies than I can count. While I have listened… Continue reading John Paul II Prep Class of 2020 Graduation Homily
Commencement Address to the John Paul II Preparatory Class of 2020
Good afternoon, I want to begin by thanking the class of 2020 for inviting me to be here with you this afternoon. I am greatly honored to have this opportunity to offer one final lecture on behalf of the entire faculty, before you formally become graduates of John Paul II. Back in early… Continue reading Commencement Address to the John Paul II Preparatory Class of 2020
Villa Duchesne Class of 2020 Graduation Homily
7 years ago, I was assigned to the inner north city parish, St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist, to do internship work as a part of my preparation for the priesthood. One day, as I was in the school visiting the various classrooms, the students shared that they were excited to be going on… Continue reading Villa Duchesne Class of 2020 Graduation Homily
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A / Father’s Day
The more I learn about the human body, the more impressed I am by how it is able to operate without us even thinking about it. Our bodies have a unique ability to preserve our lives. When we place our hand on a hot stove, our brain quickly sends a signal through our… Continue reading 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A / Father’s Day
Corpus Christi 2020
I don’t know about you, but I take Jesus at His word and in today’s gospel, Jesus is very clear. He tells us “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”[1] Jesus could not be clearer in today’s Gospel, if we want eternal life, we must literally eat His body… Continue reading Corpus Christi 2020
Holy Trinity
Perhaps the hardest course I took in the seminary was the course on the Trinity. This course was filled with minute philosophical distinctions, complex Greek and Latin words for which there were no English translations and it required such precision that changing one letter on some of the words caused you to be… Continue reading Holy Trinity
Pentecost 2020
One of the largest oil fields in the United States is located in the Permian Basin of west Texas. Since its discovery in 1926, 2 billion barrels of oil have been pumped from it and it is estimated that there is still another billion barrels of oil remaining to be pumped. The so-called… Continue reading Pentecost 2020
Ascension Sunday 2020 / Memorial Day Homily
Yesterday, I celebrated my 5th anniversary as a priest. While in some ways it feels like just yesterday that I was ordained, when I look back over those 5 years, I am still in awe over how God can use someone like me to be His presence to people in the world. To… Continue reading Ascension Sunday 2020 / Memorial Day Homily
6th Sunday of Easter Year A
Earlier this year I was invited to speak at a university as a part of a panel of different religions. After we briefly introduced our faith traditions, the floor was opened for questions. It didn’t take long for someone to ask me, “if the Christian faith is all about having a personal relationship… Continue reading 6th Sunday of Easter Year A
5th Sunday of Easter Year A / Mother’s Day
There is no doubt, the coronavirus has brought death to the forefront of people’s minds. While nearly 75,000 people have died from the virus in the United States[1], over 2.8 million people died in the USA in 2018.[2] It shouldn’t take a pandemic like the coronavirus to make us think about death, because… Continue reading 5th Sunday of Easter Year A / Mother’s Day
Through The Cross To Light 