God? Meaning of Life? Many Americans don’t seek them in church anymore. Many congregations are dwindling exponentially from within. These are folks who were active in their faith but for some reason stopped coming to church. One person shared questions with me like: Does God want me back?; I was a believer but fell away;  Read more …

“Rise and Come forward”.  Jesus spoke these words to a man He had singled out in a synagogue almost 2019 years ago.  For us, these words also express our mission and our faith.  Our passion is for people.  For many, life-changing treasures in the Church have remained “buried”.  The Scriptures, the sacraments, the lives of  Read more …

We’ve all been (and still) through the wringer with the COVID19 virus and responses. But, as long as there’s life, there’s hope. In good times and bad, the mission of Jesus of healing hurting people and a broken world go on. What are the broad areas that our church today needs to keep in mind  Read more …

My Dearly Beloved in Christ, “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways… In these last days, He has spoken to us through the Son.” — Hebrews 1:1-2 With deep joy and gratitude, I extend to you my prayerful best wishes for a holy, blessed Christmas 2019 and Happy New Year 2020. During this  Read more …

Do you have a cross on you, at home, in your office or your car? Why? The cross is one of the earliest and most widely used Christian symbols.  In the broadest sense, a cross symbolizes the religion of Christianity.  More specifically, it represents and memorializes Christ’s death. The Cross means many things to many  Read more …

Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me, said the blind man.  Look at my misery, abandon me not, and reject me not. You are my only hope in this hopeless place.  This is the meaning of the plea a blind man made as Jesus entered into Jericho. This cry of abandonment captures the experience  Read more …

Riches and worldly concerns make us forgetful of the past, confused in the present and uncertain about the future. Namely, they cause us to lose sight of the three pillars on which our life is founded. This is the essential of this weekly reflection. The parable of the sower (Mt 13) helps us to understand  Read more …

This Sunday contains one of the few descriptions of the Holy Family in all scripture. Their appearance here emphasizes how important family care is for children and for all human beings. Mary and Joseph seem hesitant but have exquisite care for the baby Jesus. Family life and church life are part of the same thing;  Read more …

In the gospel of this Sunday, the wedding at Cana, John wants us to see Mary as the New Eve. The creation story of Genesis is in the background at Cana as it was in Revelation. Mary is here, too, called “woman.” Also, Mary is presented at Cana as the mother of the Messiah, Jesus,  Read more …

“The world ends each night…”   Father Pothin’ s reflection for Advent II,2018 Jesus saw terrible times ahead – a day coming when not one stone of our human temple will rest on another.  He warned of signs: Devastation, Ruin, Emptiness, Wars, Trials and Persecutions. The prophet Malachi foresaw the same doom, the global blast  Read more …