Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This Sunday we mark the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, often called Laetare Sunday. The rose colored vestments we wear remind us that the great celebration of Easter is drawing near. The word “laetare” is Latin for “rejoice,” and it is used here to help us continue through the prayer, fasting, and almsgiving of this holy season. As we go through our Lenten journey, our penitential practices can begin to weigh on us, and we run the risk of thinking of Lent as a dour, guilt-ridden time. The Church gives us a…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend we hear the story of Moses and the burning bush. As he approaches this amazing sight, God calls out to him, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” The act of removing his sandals is, for Moses, a sign of his obedience to God and his reverence for the holiness of God present in that place. This interior disposition of reverence, accompanied by the outward sign of the removal of shoes is translated in many ways in our modern day. During this season of…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Of course, since the feast falls this year on a Sunday, poor St. Patrick gets the short end of the proverbial shillelagh and his feast is not celebrated liturgically. Nevertheless, his life provides us with a good Lenten example. The spiritual journey we take during these forty days were reflected throughout his holy life. Born in Roman Britain (making him, depending on how much you want to needle your Irish friends, an Italian or an Englishman), he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to the Emerald Isle as a slave. In…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On March 9, 1857, at the young age of 14, Dominic Savio passed away. Some years later, our patron, Pope St. Pius X, opened his cause for canonization, and he was declared a saint in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. He is the patron saint of choirboys, the falsely accused, and juvenile delinquents. This weekend, as we mark the anniversary of his passing from this life, we also begin the holy season of Lent. I would like to propose St. Dominic Savio as a unique example for our own Lenten journey. St. Dominic Savio…read more