Messages From Father Steve
The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time September 24, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 9/23/23
Once I gave my three-year-old niece a certain toy for Christmas. When she opened it, she was happy. Shortly thereafter her five-year old sister opened another present from me: the same toy, along with some play jewelry. The three-year-old cried out: “That’s not fair!Why’d she get the jewelry, too?!”
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The Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time September 17, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 9/16/23
When I was in second grade, my prized possession was a metal Star Wars-themed lunch box. After school one day, another student ripped it from my hands. I helplessly watched in horror as my classmate threw it to the ground and violently stomped it into an unrecognizable heap of ... Read More »
The Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time September 10, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 9/09/23
What are you supposed to do about the bad behavior of the people around you? You know who I’m talking about. That family member, friend, coworker, or acquaintance who is quite immoral. On this front there are two lively options in our culture: bash the person to others (probably ... Read More »
The Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time September 3, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 9/01/23
Isn’t it easy to relate to Peter? One moment Jesus announces Peter’s deep communion with God the Father. The very next, when he rejects the logic of Jesus’ suffering and death, Jesus calls Peter Satan. We Christians shouldn’t be too shocked when we experienceboth spiritual highs and lows, when ... Read More »
The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 20, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 8/18/23
The suffering of a child symbolizes uniquely terrible evil as well as despair about the future. This week’s Gospel gives a “limit” case in which Jesus encounters this evil in the form of a mother with a suffering daughter. What he does is stunning and massively helpful for us ... Read More »
The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 13, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 8/12/23
A man at my parish was struggling to overcome a habitual sin. He said to me, “Father, I know the chance that I will commit sin again is really high. Why should I keep confessing my sins? Isn’t that dishonest?” Anyone who has felt the tyrannical power of sin ... Read More »
The Transfiguration of the Lord August 6, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 8/07/23
What is Christianity finally about? These days if you ask almost anyone who doesn’t know the Bible you’ll probably hear an answer like this: “Being a good person” or “following the golden rule.” No offense to the golden rule, but our faith is simply much stranger than that. This ... Read More »
The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 30, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 7/29/23
“When God tells you what to do, you cannot hesitate!”
This powerful quote is from the movie: Sound of Freedom. As mentioned over the last couple of weeks, this movie premiered on July 4, 2023, and is based on the true story of Tim Ballard, a U.S. government agent ... Read More »
The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 23, 2023
Posted by Nancy Carrizales on 7/21/23
Patience is rooted in Hope (an image of a bush filled with birds would be great). Life, like the church, is often burdened with evil, smallness, and impurities. The Lord’s parables give us a hope-filled perspective on all three. Evil: in Jesus’ parable about the good farmer whose enemy ... Read More »
Don't Miss this Movie! "Sound of Freedom"
Posted by Beth Lenahan on 7/09/23
During my weekend homily (July 8 and 9, 2023), I spoke of the importance of learning about the tragedy of child trafficking and the current movie that deals with this topic. The movie stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of Christ, 2004). Please check out the link below and consider ... Read More »