Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The phrase bothered me. “Everything is gift.” I’ve always believed in using articles, definite or indefinite, even though I don’t mind when the word “gift” is verbed. If that makes any sense. Anyway, I didn’t like the phrase, but one of my high school religion teachers kept using it, such that it has been permanently imprinted on my brain and has become one of the most important lessons I ever learned. Everything is gift. The Gospels for Sunday Mass the last few weeks have indicated our need to be detached from material goods, to…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, August 21, is the feast of our parish patron, Pope St. Pius X. Though the liturgical observation of this feast is superseded by the celebration of the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, it is good for us to celebrate this great saint. It is always a special day when a parish’s patronal feast rolls around. As you will recall, the Catholic Church in the United States is in a period of Eucharistic revival (www.eucharisticrevival.org). Who better to instruct our parish in this time than our patron, the pope of the Eucharist, St. Pius…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings from Montana! I don’t know quite how I will have arrived in Big Sky country: our proposed routes (as of this writing, still not fully defined) might have taken us through Kentucky, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, or through Indiana and South Dakota, or maybe even a jaunt through Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. However it happened, by August 14, I’m in Montana. In the Gospel today, Jesus speaks of His desire for the world to be ablaze with the fire of His love. The image is a powerful one, for fire, properly contained…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The summer months pass slowly, especially when we look ahead to a vacation or celebration, but quickly when the start of school approaches or time away is drawing to a close. The start of time off from work or a special trip always seems distant and the days leading up to it seem to drag on forever. Back-to-school commercials seem to air earlier and earlier and that return to a more regimented schedule roars toward us faster than any of us would like. However it may seem our warm-weather days are passing, preparation is…read more