Today is Gaudete Sunday, a word that means “Rejoice!“  As we enter the third week of Advent, we change the colors on the advent wreath and our vestments as we move  from the penitential purple to a more joyful rose.  This always reminds me of Fr. Howard, God bless his soul, he always said, “It’s…

We are blessed, in our modern age, to have at our fingertips modern video content fromBishop Baron, Fr Mike Schmitz, and others. But today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of OurLord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, I want to go back in time and discuss a book, written inthe 1600s, by Brother Lawrence, a…

“Life” and “Love” are two similar words in our language. The quality of our life is directlyrelated to the amount of love in our relationships. When Jesus is asked which are the greatestcommandments, he tells us, love your God and love your neighbor. Our love for God helps usto love others, because God knows our…

Today I want to focus on a key word from today’s gospel and shed some light on its translation.  Jesus, embraces a child and says, “Whoever RECEIVES one child such as this in MY name RECEIVES ME…”   THIS biblical translation uses the word “receives,” a word that is pivotal to the core message of…

After 20 years at St. James, I’ve developed a keen sense for how we are known as a parish.  I believe we have a warm and welcoming community and that we are very active in our outreach ministries.  We also have a unique church architecture that requires study to fully understand.  The scallop shell is…

Over the past several weeks, we have experienced the high points of the Liturgical Calendar.  We’ve walked with Jesus through His Passion and death, Resurrection and Ascension into heaven.  We’ve received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and celebrated the birthday of the Church at the feast of Corpus Cristi.  In all of…

As students complete another school year, we celebrate Pentecost, a time to reflect on the Holy Spirit, a kind of graduation gift given by Jesus to his disciples and to all of us.  The disciples have travelled with Jesus many, many miles and have overcome countless obstacles, healed the sick, and spread the gospel.  They…

We have many tools to help us navigate our spiritual journeys.  We have books, videos, classes, bible studies, prayer groups, and finally retreats.   The retreat is unique in that it takes us away from daily life to gain a new perspective on the journey itself.  Last weekend two friends and I drove to the Jesuit…

On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we read the very end of John’s gospel and receive an offer of mercy from Christ.  It says, “Now Jesus did many other signs that are not written in this book.  But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,…

As we navigate Christian life we fluctuate between two extremes, seeking God’s direction in our lives and seeking to reduce the load His direction requires.”  We either seek purpose, engagement, and joy or we feel overwhelmed and ask for relief, help, and support.  It is like when I used to play water polo, I always…