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…

Today’s homily is entitled, “How to be real” with God. Our Old Testament reading is from Job, a 42-chapter book about suffering and how it tests ourfriendships and beliefs. It is considered the finest expression of Hebrew poetic genius in thebible. Job is a man that has everything, a wife and ten children, an abundance…

Merry Christmas! On this vigil of the birth of our Lord, we take time to appreciate St.Joseph and his role as the stepfather of Jesus. We look at how a carpenter’s lifebecomes extraordinary as he accepts God’s will and becomes the father of the King ofthe Universe. Joseph is a man of faith. Today’s gospel…

The title of my homily is, “The Lord be with you,” We say some form of this phrase at thebeginning, middle, and end of every mass. I just said it again before I read the gospel. Today’s4th Sunday of Advent readings focus on this very phrase. In the Old Testament we see God theFather using…