Know - Grow - Go

Christ showed us that suffering and death, hatred and violence, do not have the last word. He did so not by eliminating or fighting or destroying them, but by accepting and transforming them. That’s why we celebrate the cross: not because it is good, but because through the cross we have also received the power to transform suffering and death. When we respond to hatred with love and violence with peace, when we forgive those who d...

Putting Jesus first – yes, even above family – keeps everything in the right order and fills our lives with God's love and wisdom. This actually strengthens the love of spouses, families, and all of our relationships! Making Christ the top priority brings lasting peace and joy — but to do this, we must be deliberate about our priorities. May we all have the grace to rightly order our lives, let go of those possessions that posses u...

When we de-center ourselves and re-center God, that’s when life becomes exciting and unpredictable and full of purpose — because God is exciting and unpredictable and purposeful. It’s liberating when we discover this! And it is a reminder that, at the end of the day, when our time comes, the most important thing that can be said about us is, “Here was a child of God, who was loved by God.”

Readings at this Mass: Sir 3:17–18, 20, ...

Jesus’ response to our complaints, our preoccupation with everyone and everything else, is 'What about you?'. Don’t worry about them. You strive to enter through the narrow gate. You come and follow me. You be my disciple. The essence of being a Catholic Christian is transformation: bringing that relationship with Christ into everything else I do. If I’m only focused on the things I do or everyone else around me, I miss the most im...

Our culture makes it hard to slow down. Depending on your stage of life, it might feel nearly impossible — jobs, kids, commitments, constant demands. So what’s the solution? Learn from the life of Jesus. Live at his speed — not a rushed speed, not a distracted pace. Can you picture Jesus cutting people off in traffic, or glued to his phone while talking to someone? Of course not! And as disciples, we are called to conform our lives...

True peace comes from having our hearts attached to the Lord’s and living out of that center. In letting His words speak to the deep places inside, letting them shape our thinking, our speaking, our choosing — even in our busyness. The Lord knows we lead busy lives. Jesus comes to us anyway and says, “I know you don’t have hours. How about just a few minutes. Can you give me that? Just a few minutes? Just for today?”

Readings at ...

How desperately we search for peace in all the wrong places: our achievements, possessions, wealth, travels, and more. But true peace can only come from abiding with God. When we serve faithfully, God abides with us. We don't serve others because of who they are, but because of who we are. And when we serve from a place of faith and love, we find that peace doesn't disappear — it grows.

Readings at this Mass: Dt 30:10–14 | Col 1:...

Generally in the world we think of peace as an absence. They used to say, ‘Visualize world peace’ and they mean nations not fighting each other. But that is not what Christ is talking about — not an absence of conflict or struggle. It’s a presence; it’s something that can be with you. That’s the peace Christ comes to give us. We can’t say, ‘May an absence be with you.’ It’s a presence within us. It’s a way of being. And that way of...

The way we enter into the divine life – and the way we experience the joy and the sense of purpose that come from God – is by fixing our gaze on Jesus, who reveals to us the Father. Real life consists not in fixating on ourselves, but in forgetting ourselves, in letting go and losing ourselves in service to God and one another.

Below is a photo of Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity, which is displayed in our parish.

Readings at...

When we praise God in the midst of our storms, we’re declaring that He is still in control – that darkness has not overcome the light. Praise pushes back against the darkness and becomes both a weapon and shield, guarding our hearts from anger, hate, resentment, and the desire for revenge or retaliation. It’s okay to cry out or be angry with God; He can take it. Even Jesus sweat blood in His anguish. By reaching out to God in our p...