We were very happy to begin our mission by helping out at the Children’s Home today. Father Aaron mentioned to us that he has never had such a smooth first day of the mission as this one because we had the opportunity to “ease in” or “acclimatize” ourselves to our work here.
That being said, our work at the Children’s Home was not particularly “easy.” Continue reading
You will all be happy to hear that your loved ones made it safe and sound to the guesthouse today (with only a few flight delays for a few people). Tommy O., Mary, JP and Br. Kramer arrived on the early bird flight and were able to help organize a bit of our room situation here as well as have some time at the Children’s Home. Continue reading
The mission that God has invited us to do seems huge. He tells his disciples to go out in pairs to heal the sick without bringing anything. What God asks of us or what we are confronted with seems impossible. It can seem to not even make sense. However, Christ invites us into his salvific work through the daily joys and struggles. It is possible because He is with us. Christ wants us to put our life into his perspective, allowing our work bring us to Him. We can make it to heaven because he invites us. We can even help others because He has sent us. God has entered our life and has sent us to go to cure others by giving them the example with our life. We can help others encounter God, just by our example. This is what gives us confidence that it can be done. It must be done.
I’m just back from a family trip to Ireland. It was truly joyful, the marriage of this man’s only son to a young woman he completely approves of.
Some have asked whether I’m disappointed my son lives in Ireland and likely will indefinitely. No, to be disappointed would be selfish and would put my happiness at having him near above the happiness he finds with the woman he loves, her family that has accepted him with love and the happiness I see in the newly married couple.
This is a situation that makes a man (me) proud, grateful and happy. Continue reading
When Christ was preaching in the synagogue, no one recognized Him. The Jews weren’t expecting anything from this young man who got up to talk to them. They tried to fit him in their categories. They wanted him to be what they expected. We too can fall into this mistake. If it isn’t like we think, it can’t be God. We try to make God fit what we want, so instead of looking for God himself, the only time we turn to Him is when we want Him to fulfill one of our desires. We can even arrive to forget about God, and just look for what He can do for us. God wants to fulfill the deepest desires in our heart, but only He can fulfill that. We need to feel a desire for God, not just things we expect Him to do for us. God doesn’t work according to our criteria, but rather surprises us with the unexpected. The only way to be ready for this is to live by faith. The Jews weren’t ready to receive anything from Christ; are we ready to receive what He wants to give it and how He wants to give it? God acts when we least expect it; only a life guided by faith can help us recognize the amazing gifts He has prepared for us each day.
Not even a bite.
We had been fishing all afternoon – three of us priests – and we had caught nothing. Two other priests had been setting up our cookout, waiting for us to bring in our catch. We were on vacation together at Yellowstone Park, having a wonderful time, but just one little fish would have made it so much more wonderful.
The weather was gorgeous – sunny skies, perfect temperatures, just enough breeze to keep the bugs away. The air was sweet with the butterscotch scent of the Ponderosa pines. Huge cumulus clouds blazed picture-perfect purple as the sun set over the lake. Continue reading
We all have our sicknesses like this woman with the hemorrhages or the girl close to death. We may not be physically sick, but sin also is a sickness. We have to reach out in the crowd to touch Christ, or to have someone intercede for us so that Christ can cure us. God can cure everything, even the deepest-rooted sin. He wants us to turn to Him in faith, to meet his eyes, and know that even in our frailty He still loves us. The twelve long suffering years and a close to death experience for a little girl were the desperate measures that these people had to encounter his mercy and love. These sicknesses could have been a separation from God, but rather they we able to use them to encounter Him. Similarly, with sin, it is like a wall that we build between God and us. However, if we climb that wall and not build it more, it becomes a lift for us to God. God can convert it into an encounter with His mercy as He did for those in the gospel today. Trust in God’s mercy and may we take the time to recognize our sickness and turn to Him so He can cure us.
What’s the difference between a police officer in uniform, and an undercover FBI agent? They may look different externally, but, both have the same mission of defending and protecting and both are well trained and work hard in order to do that. And we need both of them to do their jobs well. Continue reading
Dear Grandpa Diff,
I have not written for quite some time, but the events of the last week suggest I need to say something, perhaps enough to stop you spinning in your grave.
Ah….where do I start? Well, to put things in perspective, you will recall that our Supreme Court way back in 1973, discovered the right to abortion hidden in the US Constitution. You and I know darn well it isn’t there, but the folks on the Supreme Court somehow fantasized its presence. (The abortion ruling didn’t work out so well for more than 55,000,000 babies who should have been born since 1973.) Continue reading
Today, as you may remember, was our outing day. Although it was difficult to say good-bye to our new friends in Nuevo Durango, we also enjoyed the time we had to see another side of Mexico in the ruins of Tulum, the beach and a cenote. We hope to share more of our pictures when we get home tomorrow, but here is a sneak peak: Continue reading