Father Jim 
Dear Friends and Parishioners, It is Holy Week! We all enjoyed – together, in person, or virtually – a beautiful Palm Sunday. The start of the holiest week of the Christian year has begun. Much preparation has gone into this week, from liturgy to planning to music and so much more, and now we are … Read more
Today, as we begin to look toward Holy Week, we are confronted with the famous story of the women caught in a sinful act. However, as always, Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees – the religious of the day – who seek to condemn her. Instead, Jesus offers her mercy and forgiveness, urging her … Read more
Dear Friends, Soon it will be April and I will carefully unwrap my fig trees in the side yard. A gift from Katelyn’s grandfather, Louis, and all the way from Italy, they are a treasure, but they take a lot of work! Every fall I harvest the last figs, say a prayer, and then wrap … Read more
Poverty comes in many forms. It isn’t just financial. Trust me, as a priest I find that some of the poorest people I’ve met in my journey have had the largest bank accounts and the weakest spirituality. The love of things that will pass often drive people to insanity as they chase the elusive dream … Read more
If you are like me, the lesson from Luke’s Gospel for this Sunday is a bitter sweet pill to swallow. Luke reminds us of Jesus’ admonishment when faced with terrible people around us, “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless … Read more
My Dear Friends and Parishioners: In our readings appointed for this coming Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear those words from St. Paul to the people at Corinth regarding the ‘body of Christ’, that is, “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, … Read more
As many of you know, I celebrate a lot of weddings! I LOVE weddings! I enjoy the process of engaging them (No pun intended!) and helping them to craft the perfect wedding ceremony. I also enjoy being there for them on their special day and later, I often get to baptize babies and every now … Read more
Dear Friends and Family, This Sunday we honor the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This is one of the “theophanies” – that is God’s self-revelation to man. In this one event the whole Trinity reveals itself. God the Son makes himself known, the Father speaks, and the Holy Spirit descends! By celebrating this … Read more
It’s almost time. Christmas will soon be here and many of us will struggle. Some of us have anticipatory grief, others are dealing with actual or delayed grief, some are simply depressed or at least ‘blue’. Some folks are lonely or missing family or just battle with the amount of joy over the holiday season. … Read more
As you see, Advent is a season of preparation and waiting for the coming of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. There is no one better in the Kingdom of God to assist us in waiting for Jesus than Mary herself. She waited and carried him in her womb for nine months. As she has done … Read more
This Sunday, as Catholics on this Sunday’s Solemnity of Christ the King, we will sit and ponder the meaning of the Lord’s Kingship. This Solemnity reminds us that Christ’s power is absolute. What Christ demands cannot be balanced by other considerations and so it often requires us to reconsider our own life balance and importance … Read more
Do you ever feel like you have nothing to offer? I can only imagine how the widow felt that day in the Temple, watching the others pass by on their way to the collection box, dressed in their luxurious clothes. As she watched them donate large sums of money to the Temple funds, making sure … Read more
Most of you have heard enough of my preaching that you won’t be surprised when I tell you that I don’t literalize this week’s gospel. For me, we lose something if we make it about only physical blindness and sight. We often hear this story and think of blindness and seeing in outward forms, but … Read more
As the nation deals with the recovery from Hurricane Helene, I cant help but remember when Joel Osteen led his Lakewood Church congregation into the stadium formerly known as the Compaq Center in Houston. After $95 million in renovations and much political wrangling, the church moved into its new 16,000-seat home on July 16, 2005. … Read more
I was asked the other day how I was doing. I told my therapist, “All is want is peace.” Then, I began to cry. It isn’t easy being a pastor today. It certainly isn’t made an easier by the concerns over the lasting impact of COVID and returning to whatever normal used to be after … Read more
It has been said that Jesus came proclaiming an upside-down kingdom. It’s a catchy way of saying that so much of what Jesus said and taught turns our way of thinking on its’ head. He said things like, if you want to live, you must die; and if you want to save your life, you must … Read more
Mark’s Gospel this week brings us that denouement moment when Peter says, ‘You are the Christ’! This is known as the Petrine Declaration and is a statement of great clarity, but as clear as it is, Peter remained to a degree ‘outside’ of the mystery of Christ. Yes, Peter himself whom Christ built His church! Peter could … Read more
I have always loved this story in Mark’s Gospel. A deaf-mute man makes his way to Jesus, begging him to lay his hand on him. Jesus takes the man off by himself, away from the crowd where He then put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting into His hand, touches the man’s tongue. … Read more
I’m going to be upfront with you. This Sunday’s Scripture and lesson is for you who take following Jesus seriously, but it isn’t easy or soft. This one might hurt a little! You see, this Sunday we hear the words from Mark’s Gospel reflecting anew the Prophet Isaiah: He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about … Read more
Jesus Is Difficult. Ya, there is no doubt about it. And those teachings of His! Wow! Isn’t their an easier path? Sometimes the difficult way for anything in life seems foolish (outside of maybe seeking out a sense of accomplishment.) Perhaps… Something being difficult doesn’t necessarily make it the better or even wiser choice. Why … Read more