February 23 - Winter, current events and the specter of Lent, create a somber mood. It's an obligation for people of the Resurrection to laugh and promote joy. A priest parked his car in a no-parking zone because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note on the windshield, "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses." When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with a note. "I've circled the block for 10 years....

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February 16 -  Over 55 parishioners are delving into the Old Testament Book of Exodus with me for Bible Study. Bravo to them for investing the time and effort in better understanding the Word Of God. Bible Study can be both a form of prayer and an attempt to better know what God is saying to us. There are many beneficial ways of praying and serving but with the exception of the Mass, this should increasingly be the most important aspect of our spirituality. The essence of Vatican Council ll was to return to the sources, go back to the basics. Recently, this is so...

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February 9 - It hardly seems Christmas has faded and now we start Lent at the end of this month. How will you observe it differently this year? Lent is designed to help focus us. Generally, we do that by simplifying. Less food, less self-indulgence, less busyness...all work together to create more time...for God and for the ones Christ calls our sisters and brothers. Make this a Lent with no regrets! Commit to a concrete action plan of penance and self-sacrifice. Give yourself in service one day per week, read 3 pages of Holy Scripture every day, offer up meat for the 40 da...

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February 2 -  I'm grateful to Fr. Don Williams for leading our weekend Masses and offering me a break before Lent. He came from Scranton specifically for this purpose. During this week (February 3 - 7), there will be no weekday Masses at St. Lawrence or St. Boniface. Our supply of priests is stretched especially in the winter when retired priests are living elsewhere. That is something to contemplate as we face the diocesan future planning, Vision 2020. While we must always foster vocations in our families and parishes, the immediate years require answers now. ...

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Jan 26 Catholic Schools introduce children to a world they would not encounter anywhere else. Faith in Jesus Christ, shaped by a community and in union with the Catholic Church around the world...they absorb a new way of thinking and living. I see it regularly at the elementary school next door where children are formed in a healthy environment. Under the dynamic leadership of principal Alicia McNamee, both the grade school and high school are excellent options for your family. During Catholic Schools Week, think about St John Neumann Regional Academy as a magnificent wa...

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