Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, “Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare.” Our Lord Jesus invites us to come to Him for nourishment. We could look to many sources for satisfaction, but only the infinite and almighty God can truly satisfy the infinite yearnings of our deepest selves. We, the Body of Christ on Earth, the Church, have the only real source of joy and hope, and our world desperately needs Him. The Eucharist is this hope—the foretaste and promise of the heavenly banquet. If you are anxious, if you have troubles, if you need to feel God’s presence in your life, c
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And [Jesus] replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” Our Lord Jesus gives us four beautiful parables in this week’s Gospel passage, and I would like to focus on the fourth. It is only one sentence long, quoted above. The “scribes” that Jesus describes are those disciples who understand the Scriptures that came before Jesus, what we call the Old Testament, and the new teachings that Jesus is giving them. We do not cast off the old because it is old, nor do we reject
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, “For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all…And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” I have always struggled with the principle that “might makes right,” but there is an inescapable truth to it. Our ability to enforce justice is limited by the prowess of the enforcer. This is why our law enforcement professionals are armed; this is why we learn to defend ourselves. This does not, however, give us license to use our strength for our own purposes. We can justl
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” A life of virtue is its own reward, and there is great confidence in being where God has called you to be and doing what God has called you to do. These two truths combine in the peace of the soul that comes from embracing your vocation from God. As I reflect on ten years of priesthood, this has been my experience. The greatest causes of stress in my life have all been the result of my own pride, jealousy, selfishness, and other sins. The greatest sources of joy in my life have been the fr
