Blame

12-31-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.

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Joy to the World

12-24-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

Christmas can still arrive when you least expect it, sometimes in the most unexpected manner. A priest friend of mine relates a story of an elderly woman named Stella Thornhope who was struggling with her first Christmas alone. Her husband had died just a few months prior through a slowly developing cancer. Now, several days before Christmas, she was almost snowed in by a brutal weather system. She felt terribly alone, so much so she decided she was not going to decorate for Christmas.

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Composing for the Glory of God

12-17-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

Johann Sebastian Bach was born into the musical family of Bachs in 1685. By the age of ten, both of his parents were dead. Early in his friction-filled life, young Johann determined he would write music … music for the glory of God … and this he did. Most of Bach’s works are explicitly Biblical. Albert Schweitzer referred to him as the fifth evangelist, thus comparing him to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. At age 17 Bach became the organist at the church; soon thereafter he was given charge of the entire music ministry.

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A Shepherd's Call

12-10-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

Do you know much about Emperor Penguins? I was not very familiar with these birds until a few years ago when the documentary, March of the Penguins, came out. And as I watched this documentary, I learned many intriguing facts about this largest of the penguin family. For one thing, Emperors are monogamous; a relatively unique feature in the world of animals; they have one mate for life.

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Waiting for Christmas: Meditations for Advent by John Henry

12-03-2023Book Recommendations

Saint John Henry Newman was one of the most beloved and well-known preachers of his time. Originally an Anglican priest, Newman converted to Catholicism and became a Catholic priest and cardinal. Known for his beautiful prose and exultant preaching, Newman has long been a source of inspiration for those in the Church.

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A Christmas Carol: Reviving Generosity

12-03-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

Two hundred years ago, in the early 19th Century, as astonishing as it may seem, Christmas in Great Britain had become almost extinct. The Times newspaper did not mention Christmas once between 1790 and 1835. Not once!

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Hope

11-26-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

What does hope in God do for humanity?

Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.

Hope motivates when discouragement comes.

Hope energizes when the body is tired.

Hope sweetens while bitterness bites.

Hope sings when all melodies are gone.

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Faith, Hope and Love

11-19-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

Several years ago, an elderly Religious Sister lay dying in convent in Rome, I called on her to say farewell. “I have just had three other visitors,” said the dying Nun, “and with two of them I parted; but the third I shall keep with me forever.” “Who are they?” “the first was Faith, and I said, ‘Goodbye, Faith! I thank God for your company ever since I first trusted Christ; but now I am going where faith is lost in sight.’

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A Single Small Pebble

11-12-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

In 1 Samuel 17, we have the thrilling story of David, the modest shepherd boy who slew Goliath, the arrogant giant of Gath. The drama of that event so occupies our attention that the spiritual lessons contained in the more minute details may escape our notice. Today, therefore, I'd like to consider the importance of the expression "five smooth stones." Why more than one stone? Wasn't David a man of faith? Did he doubt that God would give him perfect timing and aim as he used his trusty sling to take on the enemy of the Lord? (Certainly, he needed only a single small pebble to accomplish his mission. But wait, there were at least four other giants (see 2 Sam. 21:15-22).

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Hope to Die Christian Meaning of Death & Resurrection by Hahn & Chapman

11-05-2023Book Recommendations

As Catholics, we believe in the resurrection of the body. We profess it in our creed. We're taught that to bury and pray for the dead are corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We honor the dead in our Liturgy through the Rite of Christian burial. We do all of this, and more, because when Jesus Christ took on flesh for the salvation of our souls he also bestowed great dignity on our bodies.

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A Penitential Spirit

11-05-2023The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew

Dear Friend,

Saint Theresa of Avila once said, "A growing Christian must have at his or her roots the life-giving waters of penitence. The cultivation of a penitential spirit is absolutely essential to spiritual progress. The lives of great saints teach us that self-distrust is vital to godliness.

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