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Crisis can easily be managed when it threatens only the present, but when it threatens the future, it becomes an existential crisis. That happens when you seem to be lost about the future and the next steps to take. That is exactly the time to take a walk with God. Read more ...

Have you ever walked past a sign that might keep you safe and healthy without noticing it? Like a STOP sign on the road, or an “Out of Order” sign on a restroom door? Psychological studies show that we naturally tune things out sometimes to keep from being overwhelmed with new decisions to make. But we also see from these examples that this can lead to bad consequences. This can also be true in the spiritual life. Read more ...

The rhetorical question asked by Jesus at the beginning of today’s gospel requires more of reflection than an answer. Imagine if the blind man being led is completely oblivious of the impeded sight of the one who leads him, or if the one leading is unperceptive of the visual impediment of the man he leads. Read more ...

As y’all will remember, the diocesan Synod Assembly was held a few months ago to discuss and prepare for the future of the local Church. Some appointed delegates from our parish joined with others from across the Diocese of Dallas prayerfully to consider a set of resolutions. Here's an update. Read more ...

Let us begin our reflection on the gospel text of this Sunday by asking ourselves; who are the beatitudes for? According to Luke, Jesus was addressing only the disciples, not the crowd. Read more ...

As Deacon Paul and I mentioned at Masses last Sunday, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal is underway, as Bishop Burns seeks to raise $9 million to help fund several important ministries in our Diocese. I contribute each year to support the Bishop’s Appeal, and I humbly request that you consider supporting it as well. Read more ...

In 1997, Pope John Paul II called for the promotion of Consecrated Life throughout the Church by declaring February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, World Day for Consecrated Life (WDCL). The celebration, therefore, becomes an opportunity to thank God for the gift of the Consecrated Life, to reflect on the role of Consecrated persons within the Church and to pray for an increase in vocations to the Consecrated Life. Read more ...

This year is a year of Jubilee, as y’all have probably heard. Although this is my second Jubilee year as a priest, I must admit I’m still coming to understand what a Jubilee is and why we celebrate it. I’m writing to y’all with a beginning of an answer, in hopes that we’ll all come to a greater understanding of it as the year progresses. Read more ...

Today's gospel narrative of the wedding feast at Cana is a good example of God's love for humanity. Wedding feast is a symbol of the feast that God has prepared for his elects. The wedding at Cana is peculiar in the sense that wine which is the symbol of merriment was lacking. How can people make merry without wine? Read more ...

This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Of course, His baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River is a bit different from the sacrament of baptism in the Church, as John himself alludes: Jesus Himself, in the person of the Church’s minister, baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on the effects of the sacrament of baptism, and how we might live this gift well. Read more ...

Today is the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. It is the manifestation of the child Jesus to the gentile world. The Magi from the east saw a star and through their knowledge in astrology recognized that a King was born in Jerusalem. There are two points in my reflection today. Read more ...

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I’m writing to y’all, therefore, with three practical ways that I hope you and your family household will be blessed in the new year. Read more ...

Merry Christmas! I hope you’re not tired of hearing that already. For many people, the Christmas season seems to end on Christmas Day, but for us as Christians (rather than consumers) it is only just beginning. Learn more ...

Christmas is here; it is important you visit or reach out to your relatives and rekindle the fires of family links. Be a source of joy to those who encounter you beginning with your family members. God has visited his people. His people must visit themselves. Read more ...

As we blow past the half-way point of Advent and speed on to the celebration of the Nativity, I want to draw your attention to a very ancient way that the Church has marked with anticipation the final days before Christmas. These are the “O Antiphons” which have their roots in Sacred Scripture and early monastic communal prayer, and are still found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours in the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve. Read more ...

I wrote to y’all a few weeks ago about our Synod, and let me tell you: it did not disappoint! Bishop Burns called the Synod to consult the Faithful (that’s all of us) on the direction of the Diocese in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and how to make our local Church thrive. Read more ...

Advent is a time of hope and joyful expectations. The first reading of this Sunday begins by inviting Jerusalem to take off her robe of sadness and put on the splendor and glory of God. The prophet Baruch assures the people that God will do something new and favorable for them. The gospel shows the realization of that prophecy. God intervened in human history and invited human beings to a partnership for salvation. But how? Read more ...

I’ll be away from the parish for a few days this week to participate in the Dallas Diocesan Synod Assembly. You might remember that Bishop Burns announced this Synod in 2020, and since that time a lot of work has gone into gathering ideas and feedback from all the faithful in our area, and then compiling those thoughts into nearly 400 resolutions. Read more ...

With the embrace of modern nationalism and democracy in the West, sovereignty now belongs to the people, often represented by the state and its officials. So, how can we speak to a modern audience about the idea of God as king? Read more ...

A few weeks ago, I wrote to y’all about funerals and how we might live out well our responsibility to bury the dead. Today I’d like to re-visit that topic from a slightly different angle, namely: what should be done with our mortal remains after we die? Read more ...