trust

Seeking a sign? Seek the sign of Jonah, repentance, and the one who is greater, Jesus, our savior.

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah” (Lk 11:29).

To understand what Jesus means, we need to understand the sign of Jonah. Jonah was sent by God to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, to call them to repent from their wicked ways. The Jews not only considered Nineveh to be a place of decadence, wickedness, and godlessness, they also recognized it as the heart, the capital city of Assyria. Its military which had invaded Israel and conquered the northern kingdom around 721 BC.

We can understand Jonah’s initial refusal to follow God’s lead. Not only did he not want to go to Nineveh, but Jonah also did not want them to receive mercy. He wanted God to punish and destroy the nation who he considered an enemy. Those who have read the Book of Jonah, know that Jonah finally acquiesced, and within hours of his proclamation to the citizens, including the king, they repented and God showed them mercy.

Jesus draws a parallel between the people of Nineveh and his listeners. The people of Nineveh heard and repented to a reluctant messenger. The Ninevites, Gentiles, the sworn enemies of Israel, received God’s mercy when they repented. Now, in their midst was one greater than Jonah, the Son of God, and they were demanding of him a sign. The sign of Jonah was repentance. Jesus, from the beginning of his public ministry, preached the same: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15).

Many did not listen to Jesus. We would do well to listen to Jesus’ message. Repentance is a foundational spiritual discipline. We are called to consistently and daily examine our conscience and to come to accept that we live in a fallen world. This is not a pessimistic view. This is an awareness of the reality of our present condition.

By accepting that we live in a fallen world, that there is only so much that we can do by ourselves and on our own power alone, we will begin to recognize that we need a savior. The next step that we can make is to acknowledge that we need to repent, to identify and turn away from our sins, and turn back to him who can save us. For apart from him, we can do nothing, yet with God, all things are possible.

St Mother Teresa recognized the need for Jesus and stressed this when she taught her novices that she was not interested in numbers and she was not interested in having a branch of social workers. She and those who followed Jesus were to be missionaries of God’s charity. They were to serve Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor. To do so they participated in daily Mass for an hour so they could bring Jesus and see Jesus to those they encountered each day. After returning from their time of service they participated in adoring Christ in the Blessed Sacrament for an hour. Empowered and renewed by Jesus, blessed by his mercy and love, they could serve Jesus in those they met in the harshest of conditions.

Jesus calls us, as he did his listeners, to resist seeking signs as did the Jews and wisdom as did the Greeks, but repent and give our lives to him. By emptying ourselves of our preconceived notions and opening our hearts and minds to follow his lead and be conformed to his life, we can be about doing God’s work. As long as we stay connected to Jesus, he will guide and give us the means to accomplish that which he sends us to do.

We stay connected to Jesus by allowing his light to shine in our hearts and minds so that we can better identify our sins. Not to be condemned or shamed, but convicted of them so that we, like the Ninevites, will repent and turn our focus back to God. Our goal is to enter a daily rhythm of thanking God for our blessings, acknowledging where we have said yes to his will, while also resisting temptations and when we fall, repent and ask for forgiveness and help to do better.

With a daily examen, we will learn and grow with God’s grace, slowly our selfish and disordered pursuits will cease to be our priority, we will no longer put our own interests at the center. Instead, we will accept Jesus as the core of our lives, that he may be the guiding light of our thoughts, words, and actions. For we are “called for freedom,” to be freed from our sins so that we can “use this freedom” to “serve one another through love” (Galatians 5:13 ).

Photo: Jesus calls us to repent from anything that separates us from him and his Father so that we can experience the love of the Holy Spirit. Are we willing to repent?

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, October 12, 2026

God loves us, hears our prayers, and guides us to healing and wholeness.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Lk 11:9).

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to teach his disciples and us about prayer. The key point he is emphasizing is to be persistent in our prayer and to trust in God. He is our Father who cares for us more than any human can. He cares and will provide for us more than our own earthly parents or friends.

Yet, we can be frustrated in prayer because when we do make the time to pray, we may feel or think that nothing is happening or has happened. We may pray for a specific petition for our self, or for a particular intention for another and felt, or thought, that there was not an answer from God. One may pray a sincere, seemingly selfless prayer for a loved one, a child, a spouse, a friend, to be healed from a particular painful emotional situation, a conflict to be resolved, or someone ill and dying, and yet, the situation continues, the conflict may not get better but may worsen, and/or the person still dies.

The one petitioning may feel deeply hurt because they did what Jesus said; they asked, they pleaded and begged, but felt they did not receive the ending of pain, the resolution, or healing they sought for themselves or others; that which they pleaded, was not given and, instead what they found was nothing but pain and heartache; they knocked until their knuckles were raw and experienced no one on the other side.

Our attitude and orientation to prayer matters. When we sincerely turn our hearts and minds to God in prayer, something happens between us and God, though it may be beyond our cognitive grasp to understand or our sensory awareness to experience. There may indeed be emotional highs and consolations experienced in prayer, but if seeking those is the primary motivation for prayer we will find ourselves more frustrated than not. There may also be lows in prayer, dryness, even desolations, and even feeling God’s absence. Emotions are fleeting and not a good barometer when measuring the effectiveness of prayer.

Another big misconception is that we pray to God as if he were a gumball machine. It may seem a silly analogy but how many of us really do pray and worse, only pray that way, and when we do not receive the specific thing we asked for, at the time specified, when we wanted and as we wanted, we brood and think God doesn’t care or does not, in fact, even exist. We may even slip into the barter posture. God if you grant me this, I will do that. If we are only open to receive what we want on our terms, again we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.

The very desire to pray is the beginning of our awareness, for God is the one who reaches out and invites us to pray. The answer to what or who we ask, seek, and knock is found at the end of the Gospel reading for today: “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Lk 11:13)?

God knows what is best for us, he sees our potential, he wants us to experience joy and be fulfilled. How can we best live our lives in this world to attain that reality? We do so by asking for the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? The infinite, communal love expressed between God the Father and God the Son. Our goal in prayer is to enter into God’s reality, the infinite communion of Love.

We pray first and foremost to help us to grow in relationship with God. This happens through our participation and conformation to the life of Jesus. When we take time to learn, meditate, pray with, and put into practice Jesus’ teachings as his disciples did, we will start to see as he sees, we will come to see the truth of empty promises, apparent goods, substitutes to fill our emptiness and faulty defense and coping mechanisms that we have been utilizing as guideposts to merely survive and get through life.

When we stay consistent in an authentic life of prayer, God won’t bend to our will, but we will change. Instead of God becoming smaller to our demands, he expands our hearts and minds to be capable to receive his love. As we mature, we will begin to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (cf. Galatians 5:22-23)?

Why may God not appear to answer prayers for healing of a relationships, resolutions to conflicts, physical healings for a loved one with a chronic condition or one who is dying? I do not know. God though does not wave a magic wand and poof all is wonderful. If we genuinely seek healing for ourselves and others, that will take time, for God seeks healing for the long term, and that means helping us to build firmer foundations through trusting him and receiving his love.

When we trust God there is less disappointment, because we can be more patient to receive God’s outcome, than grasp for our intended outcome. We trust that God knows better than us. Sometimes what we ask for we receive in the way we asked, and sometimes we receive what we asked for in a different way than we expected.

We need to resist running from the pain and be willing to trust that God has not abandoned us but is with us. The tears that arise from our suffering can then become a healing salve, a doorway into the open arms and embrace of Jesus who awaits us in the depths of our frustration, grief, and pain. Even our loved ones who have died have not come to an end but have experienced a new beginning. JoAnn often would say in her last few weeks that she was just changing her address. God answered our prayers for JoAnn’s healing, just not the way we had intended.

Ultimately, what we ask, what we seek, and what we knock for when we pray is to be loved, to belong, to be a part of someone and something greater than ourselves. We have been created as a living, craving hunger, and desire to be one with God and each other. This is true for the atheist and the mystic alike. We have been created to be loved and to love. God’s love is present to us no matter the internal or external turmoil within ourselves or those we love.

The Holy Spirit is the gift of prayer that is open to us all. He is the love shared between the Father and the Son, that we too can experience. This is why he is the answer to our prayer, though sometimes to be aware of his presence takes perseverance. It may not be that God is not answering, but that we are not patient enough to receive the answer. We need to be patient enough to be still and know God. Prayer is about building a relationship and like any other relationship, that takes consistent time and work.

To mature in our relationship with God not only takes perseverance, we also need to trust him. One of the enemy’s chief tactics is to sow the seeds of doubt and mistrust. Trust in God’s love for you. Trust that he hears every prayer. Continue to show up each day and pray. Even if you feel nothing is happening, God is working within you, fighting for you, helping you to feel safe, to heal and grow in trust. It is also important to spend regular time in quiet, for God’s primary language is silence.

God provides an answer to every prayer. May we be willing to seek his truth, trust in him that he knows best and will guide us well so that we may follow the path that he lights before us. “Leave it all to God and leave your interests in His hands. He knows what is fitting for us… No matter: tell Him honestly, candidly, and ask Him to help you trust Him.” – St. Teresa of Avila

Photo: No matter how dark, and even when there appears to be no way, trust in Jesus, he will hear our prayer and show us the way.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, October 8, 2026

When making friends with silence, we will begin to experience God’s love and presence more.

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples and said to them, “Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals”(Lk 10:3-4).

The opening of today’s Gospel continues the same theme of the past few days and that is the call of a radical dependence on God. Jesus sent his disciples out with no money, no credit cards, no sack, no luggage, no sandals, no Crocs. They were to rely solely on divine providence. They were taught by Jesus to believe and trust in the Father, and now they would put both to the test.

How well could we fare today? Are we even willing to leave the house or go to the next room without our cell phones?

Jesus meets us and accepts as we are and where we are but calls us to go deeper, to invite us to expand beyond our present understanding and practices. We may say to ourselves that we are not capable of being a great saint like the Apostles, or even the seventy-two disciples, but that would miss the point of who a saint is. A saint is not necessarily one who sought to be great but one who was willing to surrender all to God, and most did so, step by step. They accepted and put into practice what God invited them to do.

We are given the same invitation that the saints received but we may still be allowing ourselves to be lured away by distractions, diversions, demands, material enticements, and emotional twists and turns. It is good to assess often, if not daily, where and how we expend our energy. How much of what we are thinking about and spending our time doing is aligned with God’s will? The material things we have accumulated, are there things we can let go of? Can we allow ourselves a breath or two or three and a prayerful pause before entertaining any thought, before speaking any word, or choosing to put into action any deed.

Feeling overwhelmed? Feeling like you would like to have some more time with God, St. Mother Teresa offers us some good advice. “God speaks in the silence of the heart.” Making some time for silence is a good place to start. Find a comfortable place to sit, take some deep slow breaths, and then ask God to reveal to you what he would like you to bring into your life and by doing so what you would need to let go of to make the space. Who better to guide us than the one who gave and continues to sustain our life?

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Photo: Quiet moments to walk outside and look up provide nice moments to be still, breathe, and appreciate the wonder of God’s handiwork.

Mass readings for Thursday, October 1, 2026

Let us like Mary, hear and embrace God’s word “with a generous and good heart”.

A person can go on a walk and hear the beautiful sound of a bird and think to themselves, that is a very nice sound, enjoy it, and keep walking on. Another person may hear the bird song, actually stop, and listen for a time and then move on. Still, another person may not only hear the sound, stop, and listen, but also look in the tree to see what type of bird is making that sound, identify it as a cardinal and then walk on.

Each person experienced the bird on different levels. Even the one who stopped to appreciate its song and take the time to identify it as a cardinal, still limited him or herself from experiencing the deeper wonder and uniqueness of this particular cardinal. God knows though. He knows this bird intimately, as he does with the entirety of his creation, including knowing each of us better than we know ourselves.

We may hear or read Jesus begin with these words of his parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:5), and then our eyes glaze over and our minds may go immediately to, “Oh, I know this parable well,” identify it like the person identifying the cardinal, and may even appreciate the parable, but then tune out because we have heard it before or many times before. We too would then miss the greater depth and wonder of what God wants to share with us.

Jesus helps his disciples to understand the parable when he tells them, “The seed is the word of God,” and then identifies how different people hear, and then act or don’t act on the word they have received. Those on the path of hard, traveled ground, the word is stolen by the devil; those representing rocky ground which has some soil “receive the word with joy” but since there is no depth in which to root, “they believe for only a time and fall away”; and the seed that fell among thorns was choked by the anxieties, riches, and pleasures of life. The final resting place was the best, the “rich soil” symbolizing “those who embrace the word with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance” (See Luke 8:4-15).

God knows each of us, knows our deepest and authentic desires, our deepest wounds, our sins, and our greatest promise. He loves us, wants the best for us, and so shares his seed, his word, with us in many ways.

Are we willing to open our hearts and minds to receiving the wonder of Jesus’ guiding and leading, or are we hardened and allow the devil to steal our Father’s word away for us? Are we willing to be patient to not only receive and savor his word, but also put it into practice? Are we willing to place his word in a place of prominence within our minds and hearts so that the many diversions, anxieties, stresses, and strains don’t choke its life? Are we willing to be persistent and daily call to mind this wonderful gift God has given to us, the gift of his living word, and allow it to take firm root, to nourish and water it, allow it to grow and flourish in our lives?

More than anything else, one of the most important practices that we can engage in each day is meditation and prayer upon the seed of God’s word. Not just saying prayerful words and moving on, not just a functional practice that we check off our list, but receiving God’s word as he wants to give it and allowing it to germinate in our hearts and minds so that we may be transformed. The enemy will seek to steal, distract, divert, and dissuade us from receiving and nourishing the gift of his word.

We need to resist these temptations, renounce them, pull them out as we would weeds and repeat the word or phrase we have received. We can meditate upon the words, “A sower went out to sow his seed” for some time and imagine what kind of soil God finds in us. Not in condemnation, but in gentle honesty. When we find areas where the soil is anything but rich, we attend to it. Tilling to soil of our soul with the hoe of a simple phrase like, “Jesus, I Trust in You” can do wonders. Turning this phrase over regularly in our minds breaks through hardened soil. Our hearts soften, our minds are more open, and there the seed of God’s word can begin to germinate and take root.

When we regularly identify and turn over those areas of hardened soil, more and more what we think, speak, and do is nourished by the eternal spring of the Holy Spirit. Even when temptation arises, trials and tribulations threaten, any thorns will remain undeveloped, they will have no bite or choking strength. We will doubt less and no longer choked by anxiety when we anchor our trust in Jesus and his love for us. We will persevere through challenging times, as well as be grateful in tranquil times when we allow God’s word to be rooted more firmly and to stretch more deeply into the depth of our souls.

Photo: Mary through her practice of pondering and trusting in God provided the rich soil needed such that through the power of the Holy Spirit conceived the Word in her womb and he took on flesh.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, September 19, 2026

May we trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit when he is inviting us to embrace change.

“To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit In the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep'” (Lk 7:31-32).

Jesus convicted those who held a narrow view of who was a true follower of God by sharing the image of a flute being played and no one was dancing, thus in times of joy, there was no celebration. When the funeral dirge was sung, they did not weep, they did not mourn. Jesus then tied the analogy to his present condition regarding those who did not accept the ascetical practices of fasting and the call to repentance from John the Baptist, nor did they accept the inclusive and festive table fellowship of Jesus.

In our own time, we have encountered those that are not pleased beyond their own narrow focus and who suffer from a hypersensitive, tunnel vision. Anything that hints at even a slight variation of change sends tremors of discontent. If we are honest, we all have some resistance to change, but if we are to authentically live the Gospel, St. John Henry Cardinal Newman’s quote is an apt barometer: “To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often.”

My wife, JoAnn, embraced change much more easily than I. She consistently helped me, even when I didn’t feel it was helpful in the moment, to resist getting too comfortable. She did so again in “changing her address” seven years ago already to a heavenly zip code. Working through the reality of her death, the adventure of two years of seminary, and adjusting to the blessings of completing now two years as a priest, have continued to present opportunities to embrace change.

It would have been easier to seek an early retirement and live a quieter life, which was what I thought was the prudent move at the time, but God had another plan. When most my age are thinking of or beginning an early retirement, I instead trusted in the Father’s guidance and embraced the invitation to change again and embark on a new adventure. Though not easy, I am very happy that I did.

I have enjoyed very much my time serving at Holy Cross. I have been blessed by a wonderful community. I have learned a lot and continue to adjust. And before I could get too settled, Bishop Manuel has invited me to be the director of vocations, seminarians and our new discernment house, while remaining here as parochial vicar. Change continues!

The Church, at her best, is a balance between the rock, solid foundation of our core beliefs, such as is outlined in the Nicene Creed, which provides stability, assuredness, and identity. While at the same time, she is open to the life-giving inspiration of each nudge from the Holy Spirit. When we in each generation follow the lead of the Holy Spirit the Gospel will continue to be relevant.

As we remain grounded in what we believe, it is important that, at the same time, we allow ourselves to be flexible and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. In this way, we can avoid molding the Church into our image, and instead be conformed and transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus, who is the embodiment of Love, the Trinitarian communion of which we profess in the Creed.

We can live a life of joy when we resist the temptation to hold on too tightly. Nothing and no one in this world lasts because all is finite. When it is time to mourn, let us weep, and if we do so well, when it is time to embrace life we can do so with the fullness of joy and we can dance and live again. What lasts, even eternally, as St. Paul wrote, is love. God is love and God created us out of an abundance of his love. When we are willing to surrender our wills to the Father, our hearts and minds to the Son, and allow our souls to be led by the Holy Spirit, we will better embrace change and live a life of inner freedom and joy!

Photo: Rosary walk at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. Here for a week for the NCDVD, National Conference for Diocesan Vocation Directors. Learning a lot! Recommitting to the priority of prayer.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Along with Mary, we belong to a rich genealogy and heritage.

The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Mt 1:1).

Many may gloss over the long genealogy of names that follows verse one. In fact, there is an option in the lectionary to skip this genealogy from the reading in the Mass and to go to the short version that follows. Matthew certainly had a reason, Luke also had his, as did other ancient writers for compiling genealogical lists, “for the ancient Jews, a genealogy was not merely a catalogue of old names. Each name told a story and recalled key events in salvation history. Biblical genealogies also conferred identity and privileges on members of a family, bestowing a sense  of mission and responsibility” (Mitch and Sri, 33).

Matthew placed the context of the incarnation of the Son of God in history, in time, and in a place. Jesus belonged to a people. All of us, as human beings, have the same desire and yearning for belonging. Knowing where we come from, sharing stories of our families, of our culture, ethnicity, race, language, customs, celebrations, rituals, and religion, provide a place for us, provide stability and security. On the flip side, the more we lose the connectedness to our roots, the more we may feel adrift. The need to belong is primal.

Matthew penned for his community the roots of Jesus’ genealogy. Matthew invites us to hear them again, to recognize our place in the same saga of salvation history, for this is our genealogy too. The Church chose this Gospel today as we remember and celebrate the nativity of Mary. The whole of the Bible is a rich library of faith as well as, a part of, not separate from, but an integral part of sacred Tradition. The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is a compilation from those like Mary and our ancestors who encountered God and shared their stories. These accounts have been passed on, generation after generation. They provide for us a foundation, a history, so we can know that we are never alone, that we have a place, that we are a people, we stand in solidarity with one another, that we belong. We are a part of something greater than ourselves.

That rings out from the very first line of this genealogy and continues through each person. The announcement that Jesus is connected to Abraham the father of faith and David the prototype of the King who unified the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew also adds, Christ. This is not Jesus’ surname, but the Greek title of “Anointed One” from the Hebrew, Messiah. Jesus is no mere teacher. He is the Christ the Son of the living God.

One thing that can weaken the richness of our roots and identity is when it is corrupted by a lack of integrity. We see this time and again in the pages of the Bible continuing up to our present day. Those who not only turn their back on but usurp their faith, tradition, and God’s message for their own selfish means and purposes. Yet, even in the darkest of times, in those same pages there have been those judges, prophets, and people of faith who have stood up to speak truth to power, to give voice and access to those on the peripheries, as well as know and follow God’s will.

Even today when we may feel like our country, world, or even our own lives are spinning out of control sometimes, let us remain faithful, seek courage and strength from our ancestors in the faith, those people who remained true, remained faithful, and did not turn and flee, but drew closer to God in times of trial. Through our ancestors in faith like Mary and Joseph, we are given rich models who because of their trust and faithfulness, brought to us the gift of Jesus.

Jesus is more than a model and teacher. Calling upon his name is a prayer in itself. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Proclaiming the name of Jesus places us in the very presence of the Son of God. Where the Son is, so is the Father and the Holy Spirit. We can also find refuge in the Son who became one with us in our humanity as the Son of Mary because he intimately understands each of us and our needs and challenges. He is present to us when we call upon him through the power of his name. Our lives are transformed by trusting in him. When we call on Jesus and keep our eyes on him, no matter the winds and waves that rise around us, we will experience his peace.

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Icon: Mary, Mother of God, as we celebrate your birthday, we thank you for your greatest gift to us, Jesus. Virgin of the Passion by Emmanuel Tzanfournais early 1600s.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Walking with Jesus with an open heart and mind, every day is a new beginning!

And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good'” (Lk 5:39).

Jesus is most likely referring to those who do not see him as the promised Messiah because they are holding onto the Old Covenant and so not able to receive the wine of the fulfillment of the law, the New Covenant. Many of us can relate to holding on to the old. The old can be more comfortable, the old is proven to be tried and true. A favorite wine, a pair of broken-in jeans or shoes, a favorite book read time and again, these are all part of the simple pleasures of life.

In Jesus’ parable, he is challenging us to go deeper. He is inviting us to recognize those things that we are holding onto that may be preventing us from more than just a mere existence or survival mode of living to instead engaging in the freedom for which we have been created. He is also challenging us to discern the difference between apparent goods and the real good. Even more of a challenge is the competition of goods between two actual goods. What will help us is that the good to be chosen is God’s will. The wonderful gift is that deep down, God’s will matches our’s. We are often blocked from seeing that.

We have created patterns in our lives that may appear and feel safe, but in actuality may be holding us back from a deeper and fuller experience. We may be influenced by cultural or social tremors that may dictate to us that we are too old, that we are too young, that to do this or that is too much of a risk… Each of these examples can be challenging on the material plane of existence, yet while Jesus seeks the best for us in our every day activities, at the same time, he is calling us to go even deeper spiritually.

God the Father is infinite and inexhaustible. Though the Gospel remains the same, there are always new ways, new means to hear the message, to go deeper, so to better be able to practice and share what we have learned. Each generation has to claim the deposit of faith offered and share it as God leads. Our faith is not some inanimate artifact passed on but an organic relationship that matures and deepens age after age.

Not knowing the first thing about Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or WordPress, about ten years ago, I felt led to share these daily reflections. I was quite happy reading, learning, and sharing within the four walls of my classroom. That was safer and what I knew, but I felt Jesus urging me to reach out to those of my students that graduated, to parishioners and anyone else who might be interested. The idea was a risk to try some new wine.

My biggest fear was adding one more thing to my already full schedule. That initial fear of having less time with JoAnn was unfounded because writing these reflections opened up more time together each evening. We began to pray and read the daily Mass readings together, and I would then share my reflection. JoAnn critiqued them and we would discuss what we learned together. In resisting the fear, I trusted the lead of Jesus, and we were blessed to received more intimate time with Jesus and each other.

In what way is God calling you to take a step out of your comfort zone? In what way can you share your faith journey with others? As you take a look at the horizon, whatever time of day you can, and whatever it may look like in your corner of the world, take some deep breaths, as God to reveal in what unique way Jesus is inviting you to participate in building up his kingdom. A life surrendered to Jesus, lived in collaboration with him, is ever new, ever better, in a way we haven’t experienced before, and an opportunity to taste some new wine from a fresh wineskin!

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Photo: With the hand of Jesus in one and Mary’s hand in another, we will receive the support and guidance we need as we grow in God’s love and will.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, September 4, 2026

When we trust Jesus and do whatever he tells us, even when we don’t understand, we will be blessed.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply,” Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets” (Lk 5:4-5).

Faith is to believe in God and that what he tells us is true. On our own initiative and will power we are limited as finite beings regarding what we can understand and do. Today’s Gospel reading provides an example. Simon had been fishing all night with no results. Simon Peter follows Jesus’ command to go back out and put into the deep, and Simon not only accomplishes what he originally set out to do, but he also did so beyond anything he had ever imagined!

When we follow God’s direction and initiative all things are possible for us as well.

God’s initiative and grace enter our lives daily just like Jesus entered Simon’s boat. Do we allow Jesus to come that close and follow his commands, even when we don’t understand or want to? Remember the rich man who had followed all the commandments, but when Jesus invited him to sell all and come and follow him, he could not do it. All he was asking for was right in front of him, and yet, the man did not believe in or trust Jesus.

Rejecting the offer is one way to miss the mark. We can also miss the mark as Simon the magician did. When he saw the works of Philip, Peter, and John, he wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit to heal. His goal was not to help others, but he sought his own aggrandizement and was rebuked. Turning away from Jesus’ invitation or seeking to manipulate Jesus for our own personal gain will not bring us the fulfillment that we seek. Discipleship with Jesus is about relationship with him.

A better example to follow is that of Mary, who when the archangel Gabriel shared God’s message with her that she was to bear a child, even though she did not understand how this could be, Mary entrusted herself to God. She conceived in her womb, through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the God-Man, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Joseph also trusted. After hearing the news from Mary, he had decided to quietly divorce her. Gabriel spoke to him in a dream. Joseph trusted.

Peter, James, and John, although less adept in their faith, are maybe even better examples for us. They followed Jesus’ request and lowered their nets, even though they did not see the point. They followed through and were amazed. Then led by Peter’s humility and contrition, they “left everything” and followed Jesus. They went on to announce the Gospel of the Lord and caught people for the Kingdom of heaven.

Where are we today in our faith journey? Are we walking away from Jesus, are we seeking to gain access to the power of Jesus on our own terms, for our own self interests, or do we have the humility to follow Jesus, on his terms, even when we may feel or see no point in his request? God has a plan, as he did for Mary, Joseph, and the Apostles. In a quiet place in our soul, in the stillness of our hearts, Jesus is inviting us to trust and follow him. What we may hear may seem unbelievable, or insignificant, we may even experience anxiety, fear, and/or trepidation. Yet, let us trust, risk, and follow Jesus where he leads and do whatever he tells us.

I did just that a few years ago. After following JoAnn’s guidance to put everything on the table regarding my options of how to live my life without her, I whittled down eight options to two, and then asked God, “What do you want me to do?” In the silence of my heart, I heard quietly, but clearly, “priesthood.” The two years returning to seminary were not easy, and about two months in, when I told Jesus that, “I can’t do this.” He said, “Your right. But I can.” I trusted and followed his lead, and I am thankful everyday.

When we allow our hearts and minds to be open to where God is leading us, we will not only be happy, but we will find fulfillment and meaning in our lives, such that it overflows to others. As Pope Benedict put it during his first homily as Pope, “There is nothing more beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with him” (Gadenz, 111). I agree.

Photo: Blessed to have followed Jesus’ invitation to lead a 30 day silent retreat in the Ignatian Exercises this past July at Grand Coteau Retreat Center, LA. Greeted by St. Ignatius when I arrived!

The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, September 3, 2026

Even with a little faith, when we trust in Jesus and allow him to love us our faith will grow.

Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith.” (Mt 17:19-20).

How do the disciples get from this recurring theme of having little faith in the Gospel accounts to Peter healing a crippled beggar by saying with boldness, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk” (Acts 3:6)? And the man did just that!

A helpful definition “is to say that faith always entails a relationship between persons which stands or falls with the credibility of the person who is believed” (Rahner and Vorgrimler 1965, 164). Faith is not just an intellectual exercise, it is a lived experience. Christian faith is not an impressive idea or ideology, philosophy, or theology. Christian faith is the conviction, belief, and relationship experienced with Jesus the Christ.

The disciples learned from Jesus but more importantly developed an intimate relationship with him, such that the love they received and shared became so strong that there was no more room for doubt, distraction and/or fear, such that they would align themselves with the will of God and do what Jesus did. Jesus referred to the disciples as having “little faith” which is different than them having no faith at all. This faith would grow as the disciples continued to be faithful to Jesus and continued to follow him, even when others walked away.

The disciples did have some moments of doing as Jesus had done, but it was not until Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost that everything changed. Jesus had tilled the soil, he helped to unearth the rocks of the hardness of their hearts, he forgave them, and healed them. But it was not until they let him go after his Ascension that they were able to receive the Holy Spirit and by his power working through them they would do even greater deeds than he (cf. Jn 14:12-14)!

We are invited to do the same. If we only read the Gospels or hear them read we may know something about Jesus, but our life will for the most part remain unchanged. When we read, meditate, and pray with the Gospels and put into practice what we read, we will encounter Jesus as did his disciples. We too will come to know and develop a relationship with Jesus, we will experience his love, and our hearts and minds will be transformed. In this way, we are not just reading a dead letter but encountering the living Word, the Son of God, who invites us to share in the infinite dance of Love that he participates in with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

The enemy will do everything in his power to distract, divert, and tempt us from setting aside time to pray with God each day. And when we actually begin to discipline ourselves, enter into quiet time daily, we are invited not to stay there but to go deeper, to move beyond only reading, meditating, and praying. There will be times Jesus invites us to set aside our Bible, notes, journal, prayer cards, and/or vocal prayers of petition, and to just be still, to listen, and receive the love that Jesus and the Father experience, the Holy Spirit.

The same Holy Spirit who empowered the Apostles to fulfill what Jesus had begun with them is quietly nudging us on each day. Please listen! He is inviting us to see more clearly those subtle ways we are being distracted, tempted, and diverted from his guidance and what has been inhibiting the growth of our relationship with God. The love and light of the Holy Spirit will reveal, when we are willing to remain still, where and how, in minute and massive ways, we are refusing to follow the will of God.

One of the reasons that we have also “little faith” is that we rely too much on ourselves. We are invited to stand in the presence of the Holy Spirit and let his fire burn, to purify us from our own misguided thoughts of self-sufficiency. As gold and silver are placed in a crucible and heated, the dross is purified. We are purified in the crucible of our meditation, prayer, and contemplation by the love of the Holy Spirit. Through the purifying love of the Holy Spirit we will see that we cannot save ourselves, that we need a savior, Jesus, with his arms wide open ready, willing, and able to embrace, forgive, and love us unconditionally and continually.

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Photo:  A reminder from a mama sandhill crane and her young one to slow down and breathe.

Rahner, Karl and Vorgrimler, Herbert. Theological Dictionary. New York: Herder and Herder, 1965.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, August 8, 2026

Keeping our eyes on Jesus will help us to walk through any storm!

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. (Mt 14:26-29).

This is one of my favorite Gospel accounts. I never tire of reading, praying and meditating with it. My spiritual director about a year ago gave me this reading to pray with during my holy hour. I stayed with the opening lines – “he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23) – for about a month. I would go back to read the verse again at the beginning a few times and then just sit for the remaining hour in silence on the mountain top with Jesus. The time was a blessing as are those quiet hours with Jesus in whatever way he leads.

When you get past the initial verses, many times, many people focus on the fact that Peter quickly started to sink, but for that brief moment, a la, Wile E Coyote, … he “began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” Peter was walking on the water and I do believe this, as with the other miracles of the Bible happened. Often times, while I was still at the seminary, there was a great pond by the library. I often thought of seeing if I could walk across on those evening Rosary walks. Didn’t ever make the attempt. Oh me, of little faith!

The gift of this reading as well as with each of the readings of the Bible, are living and alive such that they can have an incredible impact on our lives when we read, meditate, and pray with them. Life is a struggle. Challenges, fears, trials, and conflicts pound at us like turbulent waves kicked up by strong winds. We may be tempted to be paralyzed by indecisiveness and begin to sink because of the weight of the pounding. Yet, when we trust in and keep our eyes on Jesus, who is present in the midst of our storms, we will overcome.

In many a top ten list of fears, I would guarantee that speaking in public consistently makes the top three. This is an area I have struggled with for much of my life. One incident happened about thirteen years ago as I had the opportunity to share my first reflection during my acolyte year of formation for the permanent diaconate. I must have prepared for three to five hours, writing and rewriting well into the wee hours of the morning the night before, most likely not getting to sleep until about “the fourth watch”.

Just before the morning liturgy, our director of formation informed me that there had been a last-minute change of plans and we were going to have different readings than what I had prepared for. He offered to give the reflection in my place, as well as gave me the option to continue and incorporate what I had planned into the new readings.

I chose to remain on course and offer the prepared reflection. As we processed in, I immediately regretted my choice. The winds and waves of anxiety started to batter me and continued their assault as I came up to read the Gospel. As I came to the end of the reading, a quiet peace settled over me. I then began to preach extemporaneously, ignoring my notes. There was an unexplainable feeling of peace and joy that welled up within me, and like Peter, for that brief moment, it was as if, I too was walking on water. Halfway through the reflection though, my mind directed me back to my prepared notes, and I lost the connection that I had just experienced. I sputtered a bit to the end but finished free of any major catastrophe.

After the service ended, I remained in my seat quietly for a second to catch my breath. My classmates Dennis, Hank, and Pete, who all knew how nervous I was going into this, swarmed around me like I had just touched home plate after a walk-off home run. I can still feel their group, bear hug.

JoAnn had appendicitis during her first-grade year of school. She missed a lot of her reading lessons but worse became very self-conscious from that time forward about reading aloud. During our husband/wife retreats each year, wives were given the opportunity to proclaim the reading during the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass. JoAnn did not feel comfortable nor did she want to do so but accepted the invitation. We prepared, she practiced ahead of time, and then she prayed to the Holy Spirit just as she approached the ambo. JoAnn felt faint and nervous but as she began to read, she felt a deep sense of peace fill her whole body. She was no longer fighting back nerves but tears of joy experiencing God’s presence.

There will be times when Jesus invites us to come out of our boat and step onto the water, he will call us to move out of our comfort zones. There are challenges much more intense than reading in public. No matter what waves arise though, may we trust Jesus and step out as Peter did. This will be a risk, and yes, there will be times that we will sink, just as Peter had done. But even when we sink, remember to do as Peter did, immediately call out to Jesus and he will immediately reach out and pull us up! Jesus was there for Peter, he has been there for JoAnn and me, and he will be there for you.

“Times of testing and adversity can show us where we are in our spiritual development and where we need to improve if we are to grow in Christian maturity” (Mitch and Sri). Whether we fail or succeed is not the end goal. It is that we trust in Jesus and grow in our faith and relationship with him. Doing so, we will then adjust and learn from our mistakes, and also learn to bring the distractions, diversions, anxieties, and fears that we may experience to Jesus as we keep our eyes on Jesus!

There may be something that you have been feeling led or encouraged to attempt, to start, to do, yet mental winds and waves have been rocking the stability of your boat. You may be in the midst of the storm as were the apostles. “Be not afraid! Come.” Step out of your boat, take the risk, keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk on the water!
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Photo: Wonderful memories walking around this lake each night while at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, even without walking on the water.

Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, August 3, 2026