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A few years back, I was travelling to a bishops meeting, dressed in clerical attire, seated next to a very nice young lady who engaged me in conversation. (Usually I avoid talking to people on …
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3/19/20
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I have great love for St. Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table I have an image of St. Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church. Yes! We …
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3/12/20
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It was the headline I never expected to see: “Beware of Falling Iguanas.” And yet that was the local, even national, news story that appeared while I was on a brief vacation in Florida at …
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3/5/20
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There’s a parable about a man and his young son who set out from their tiny village to go into town to buy provisions. When they started their journey, accompanied by their little donkey, the …
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2/25/20
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Recently I came across a survey sponsored by psychologists from Cornell University that reported on the biggest regrets that people have in life. The survey said, “It’s not the things you …
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2/20/20
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After a ceremony in one of our parishes, I went to the social hall to meet people, moving table to table to do so. Some of the folks very respectfully stood up to greet me, a gesture sincerely …
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2/13/20
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May the God of peace make you perfectly holy, and may you entirely, spirit, soul and body, be reserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and …
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2/6/20
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February 2nd marks a beautiful Feast Day in the Catholic Church, the Presentation of the Lord. When Mary and Joseph, in fulfillment of the law, presented Jesus in the Temple, it was a very special …
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1/30/20
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It seems that lots of people avoid having their picture taken, in either formal or informal settings. They’ll do almost anything to avoid posing, even with family and friends – feign …
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1/23/20
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A couple times a year I visit the ACI, our state prison. I always welcome the opportunity to do so, although the visits are as emotionally challenging as they are spiritually rewarding.During one of …
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1/16/20
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It’s a routine we go through every year as one year ends and another begins – the discarding of old calendars and the display of the new. I suppose it’s a little different for the …
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1/9/20
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Pope Francis has often spoken out against the use of superstitious, magical remedies to guide our lives. For example, in one of his addresses, he pointed to the example of St. Peter whose faith in …
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12/19/19
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Advent is such a special season, a beautiful, grace-filled time in which the Church prepares for the Coming of the Lord — both at the end of time and in the present Christmas Season. And one of the …
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12/12/19
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I don’t listen to classical music all the time, but sometimes I do, and while driving home recently I heard on the radio a Bach cantata that was inspired by the biblical account of Mary’s …
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12/5/19
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. (Eph 1: 3)These words of St. Paul to the Ephesians encourage us, too, to be …
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11/28/19
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Two recent experiences illustrate the power of words.
The first. While walking through the church after a Funeral Mass a lady stopped me to ask: “Bishop, are you feeling okay?” “Yep, I’m …
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11/21/19
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Q. Who made you? A. God made me.
Q. Why did God make you? A. God made me to know him, love him and serve him in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next.
Many readers will …
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11/14/19
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You’ve probably heard about the fitness regimen that challenges you to walk 10,000 steps each and every day. The practice is the key to better health and a long life, the experts …
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11/7/19
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In the fall, we celebrate the harvest of the summer season, but we also begin moving toward that season of dying. The plants give up their abundant life. The days grow shorter, and it is a time of …
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10/31/19
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My little dog Annie is a great companion and a constant source of joy. And she’s always very happy to see me. When I return home from the office or from running some errands, she’s always at the …
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10/24/19
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