Reflections of a Simple Priest

As we celebrate Holy family Sunday today, I have to say, it was very nice for the last few days to go and visit my family.  It's good to see everyone, it's good to catch up on what's been going on and to spend time with those that I don't see very often.  On the other hand, I don't think I'll miss about 10 people sharing 2 bathrooms.  For better or for worse, families can be the people we love the most, even when sometimes we can't stand them.  I don't think it's any big secret in our world, that as a whole, families don't seem to be quite as stable as they used to be.  I remember even for myself growing up, we used to talk about the dangers of divorce and broken families, how those thing can be difficult for kids.  Sadly, I think the reality today is that there's hardly anywhere a family that hasn't been touched by the pain of divorce.  I know I've encountered younger folks today, who tell me that they're not...

Merry Christmas!  It's hard to believe, but it's here again.   I'd like to take a moment to sincerely welcome all of our visitors here with us.  The decorations are all set, the time of advent waiting is over, and now is the time to celebrate the fact that it's Christmas.  It's an incredible thing that we are all here to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus Christ.  Every year, I like to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas.  It's amazing how a classic cartoon from 1965 can still speak to us today.  It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  It's so easy to zero in on the shopping season, the presents, the decorations, and everything else that goes along.  Those aren't bad things.  Each of them really do have their place, but before all of it, is the miracle we celebrate today.  I love that little scene at the end where Linus walks into the middle and reads from memory, the very Gospel w...

I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving.   It was really nice to take a few days to get to see my family and do a little bit of Christmas shopping.   I know at least for me, getting those few   days to see everyone really makes me thankful, especially for those who for one reason or another aren't able to see their family on Thanksgiving.   Of course, one of the wonderful things of getting to see family, is how when family gets together, they all like to share.   They even like to share their germs.   Everybody had a cold.   As I was thinking through that, it reminded me of a story I once heard about a little boy who had to go to the doctor to get a shot.   He wasn't real thrilled about it, but he agreed.   When he got to the Doctor's office, the little boy didn't want to go in.   He asked if they could go to a different doctor.   When his parents asked him why,   He looked up at the sign that said "Medical Practic...

I think when we were growing up, at least for most of us, there was always a common experience at the dinner table.   Especially when you were about 6 or 7 years old.   There would always be something on the plate you didn't like, or that you decided you really didn't want.   So you'd take your time and eat around it, hoping that mom would let you get away with it.   Then it would happen, that famous line that I think every Mother knows…"Don't you know there are starving children in the world who would love to have the food you have?"   Then, we'd feel bad, and do our best to eat it.   I think my favorite story, was once when a mom told me that as she was cleaning up after dinner, and her little boy was helping.   He scraped all the little pieces into a bowl and said to his mom...here, do you think the starving kids would want these? Can we really imagine what it would be like to be so poor that the scraps from that little boy would seem ap...

I few months ago, we had one of the most amazing preachers in the United States just a few miles away from here in New Baltimore.   Fr. Larry Richards, a priest of Erie, who now goes around the country giving retreats for men.   He had some really amazing things to say, and I have to say, I did sort of steal one of his lines for All Saints Day….    Fr. Larry used to be the chaplain at Erie Cathedral prep, which is an all boys prep school in Erie.   Well, when I was at Seminary at St. Vincent's, there were a bunch of guys there who had attended prep while he was the chaplain, and they credited him with being the reason for their vocation.   They're now wonderful priests in the Erie Diocese. As I read through this story, I couldn't help but think about the story my friends told me in Seminary, and then later Fr. Larry told me about what he would do on the first day of school with the new students.   Every year, he would gather all of the student...