Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,   The Gospel passage we read this weekend gives us several lessons in one brief parable. With the story of Lazarus, a poor beggar ignored by a wealthy man, Jesus shows us the dangers of judging by appearances and of ignoring the full content of Divine revelation, the foolishness of seeing earthly success as a sign of heavenly guarantees, the promise that sufferings in this life can actually be source of eternal reward, and the oft-cited preferential option for the poor that all of us are called to cultivate. In contrasting a rich man…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, A number of years ago, the comedian Kevin James had a special entitled “Sweat the Small Stuff.” In his typical style, he poked fun at the little things that we do every day, the small things that bother us, the silly things we worry about. That he did so with hardly a profanity was impressive in itself, but more impressive was how clearly he showed just how much all of us tend to sweat the small stuff. But what if the small stuff, rather than causing sweat, caused us to recognize our own ability…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I spent the last five days on a silent retreat at the Monastery of Our Lady in Beatitude in Livingston Manor, NY. It is home to the Monastic Community of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin, and of St. Bruno. If memory serves, I have mentioned this wonderful group of cloistered sisters in the past. These nuns, inspired by the example and rule of St. Bruno and under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, lead lives of intense prayer and recollection. Most of their day is spent in silence and solitude, with…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this weekend of our parish festival, I would like to begin this note by thanking everyone who is involved with making our festival a success. To our festival committee, our volunteers, and all our donors, thank you for your great commitment to this parish community! You’ve given us a great gift and a great day—thank you! With the start of the new school year comes the return to our normal routines. In like manner, it is a return to routine for the parish. We will start our faith formation sessions soon for those…read more