Pleasing Sacrifice Today is my 31st birthday and though I still believe I am young in my mind, my body is certainly feeling every year I add to my life. Gray hairs start sprouting from my beard, weird aches and pains come out of nowhere, and general forgetfulness or fatigue are all signs of growing another year older. Birthdays are [...]
During the week, I walked to the construction site and met some men from Ameren who were working to connect the gas line from the main pipe to our new parish hall. They were checking whether the pressure was sufficient. One of them, who was Catholic, asked me if I was the pastor. When I said yes, we began talking [...]
Give Thanks to the Lord With All Your Heart It’s hard to believe, but summer is winding down already. It seems like just yesterday that the snow was finally behind us and my kids were actually ASKING to go outside, instead of us telling them to. It was as if the higher temperatures and sunshine beckoned us out to take [...]
The readings of this Sunday deal with the way people treat foreigners and strangers. We are always surrounded by foreigners, as they were at the time when the prophet Isaiah was writing. The question before him was whether foreigners should also share in God’s salvation. Isaiah gave a clear answer: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for [...]
When You Want to Shout at Jesus Have you ever shouted at Jesus? If you have, it was probably in the secret of your room, quietly in your heart, or in your car with the windows rolled up. More than likely none of us would want to be found running down the road screaming at Jesus, even if we were [...]
Today’s readings remind us that the Kingdom of God is revealed not only in moments of great miracles but also in the quiet and ordinary moments of life. Although the first reading, the second reading, and the Gospel present different situations, they all teach us the same lesson: God is always present with his people, especially in times of fear, [...]
Awe and Wonder Ever since I was a little kid I have always enjoyed magic shows. I remember going to some shows with my dad and getting hooked on the idea of something happening right before your eyes that you can't really see. My obsession turned into a hobby of learning magic tricks and performing shows for area Catholic schools. [...]
The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is much more than a story about feeding a hungry crowd. While we cannot explain exactly how the miracle happened, we can understand what it meant for Matthew and for the early Church. This miracle recalls God's gift of the manna in the desert (Exodus 16). Just as Moses, through [...]
Surprised by the Kingdom of Heaven Every few years or so the discovery of lost treasure troves makes the news. As technology has improved it has become more common that gold coins, gemstones and priceless jewels worth millions of dollars are found in sunken ships that sailed the seas hundreds of years ago. Finding lost treasure requires a lot of [...]
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Every human heart is searching for a treasure. Throughout history, people have searched for hidden riches in fields, mountains, and beneath the sea, hoping to discover gold, diamonds, or pearls. As someone who comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a land rich in gold, diamonds, and copper, I have seen many [...]