On this Nativity of John The Baptist, we look to a critical moment in the history of salvation. On this solemnity, our minds are drawn as much to the holy couples of Elizabeth and Zechariah & Joseph and Mary as they are to John the Baptist. This is a seminal moment in history when God is choosing through the lives of ‘ordinary couples’ to bring his Son into the world, as well as the one who would go before him to prepare His way, to Baptize Him and proclaim Him the Lamb of God. As […]
When I came to Alaska, I had no idea they experienced so many earthquakes. There are numerous tremors daily. Many Alaskans have apps on their phones just to track the size and number of these events. In the fourteen months I’ve lived here, I have felt at least three earthquakes. Along with the earthquakes, there are also a few active volcanos in the state. Last year, one of them blew several times, causing air travel disruptions and cancellations due to the ash plume. As you might expect, with these events also come tsunamis, and there […]
ast night, I met again with about 30 young adults for Adoration, discussion, and social time. I am so encouraged by this group of young men and women who are giving priority to their faith. Thanks to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish for hosting our gathering last night. As always, we began with time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Just about everyone today can use more quiet time, and silence before the Lord in prayer is a good way to place everything in his hands, and rediscover the peace of heart which only he […]
Monday of this Week, I arrived in Indianapolis for the June 2017 Meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I was pleased that a good percentage of our time together was spent discussing pastoral issues of concern to many of our people across the United States. Another highlight was our Mass together on Wednesday evening, June 14 at the Indianapolis Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. This past year, Pope Francis asked that every Episcopal Conference offer a Mass of Prayer & Penance for Healing of Survivors of Clergy Sex Abuse – and this […]
Yesterday, a nice group of people gathered at the Miles Land Ranch southwest of Casper for the second annual Rural Life Mass and celebration. I’m very grateful to the three ranch families that sponsored this year’s gathering; Jim & Peggy Price, Randy & Vernita Marton, and Roy & Kathleen Jarrard. They did a super job from planning, preparation to welcoming all of our guests, and the clean up was well underway by the end of the day. Their hospitality was incredible! All pics can be viewed here. I would judge from the number of cowboy hats […]
As this readership already knows, this bishop has a great devotion to St. Catherine of Siena, whose feast we celebrate today. She wrote many people during her short but very active life, and each of her letters were replete with rich doctrine. Very often her letters were means of encouraging people in their own faith journey. Today, I wrote a young man who asked me some time ago to pray for his vocation. I decided that this feast of St. Catherine would be a good time to write him. Modelling my letter on one of […]
Every Sunday, in fact, every celebration of the Eucharist is a ‘Little Easter.’ During the Easter Season, the Church not only recalls the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but is actually renewed in the life of the Risen Christ, through the life of the Holy Spirit. This life of the Risen Christ is the life of the Church. The Church is the body of believers, the Body of Christ, that is, you and me. No wonder the true believer is a joyful person! After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples for forty days. He wanted them […]
The hits just keep on coming this weekend. Today I had the distinct pleasure of presiding at the wedding ceremony of a beautiful young couple, who tonight are now Mr. & Mrs. Tyler Ward. Maria is the daughter of a permanent deacon who is the Director of Pastoral Ministries for the Diocese of Cheyenne. Tyler’s parents are active in the Cheyenne. Tyler and Maria are both Catholic, and the faith-filled nature of their ceremony today gives me great hope. Congratulations to Maria and Tyler Ward! Below is the homily for the occasion. Maria and Tyler, […]
This Third Sunday in Ordinary Time instructs us that God is always calling us. The clearest example today comes from Mark’s Gospel. Jesus calls Simon and Andrew away from their nets to “Come after me.” Again, he finds James and John working with their father and he calls them to follow him. These ‘call accounts’ are easy to recognize as such, but let us take a closer look at the work of God in Jonah’s life and through him, calling to the people of Nineveh. The scriptures tell us that Nineveh was on the brink […]
In the readings this Sunday, we hear how Eli helped Samuel understand that God was calling him. We hear how St. John the Baptist points the way to the Lamb of God. And once Andrew follows and discovers Christ, he goes to bring his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. We must all do the same. Here is an excerpt from my recent pastoral letter: Generous Distributors of God’s Grace which expands upon this account of Samuel. The Role of Parents, Families, Parishes: Recognizing “The Call” Most of us are probably familiar with the bible story […]