Prayer & Reflection - December 6, 2022 - Give comfort to my people! Recently at the multi-cultured parish where I serve as Pastoral Administrator, one of our young men from Togo introduced to me a couple from Togo in our gathering area after Mass. Very early that same morning, their 4-year-old son had suddenly died. The family was resettled by an agency in…

Prayer & Reflection - December 4, 2022 - It has been an odd winter in Northern Nevada. Climate change scientists tell us that many of our winters going forward will not have a familiar look or feel. The trees around town clutched their green leaves long into November, and those that did begin the slow change to autumn, resisted surrender even after the…

Prayer & Reflection - December 3, 2022 - Go and set the world on fire! Today is the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, a 16th century Jesuit missionary. When he was being sent by St. Ignatius Loyola to the Far East, he was told to “go and set the world on fire.” He did just that, as he was an insatiable laborer…

Prayer & Reflection - December 2, 2022 - The Mass readings Advent have always been favorites of mine for the themes they frequently address, particularly God’s great reversals – where the proud and mighty are cast down and the lowly lifted up – as well as God’s restoring to wholeness those who suffer in this world. In today’s readings, both the Prophet Isaiah…

Prayer & Reflection - November 28, 2022 - The centurion said in reply,“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;only say the word and my servant will be healed.For I too am a man subject to authority,with soldiers subject to me.And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;and to my slave,…

Prayer & Reflection - April 13, 2022 - Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Readings of the Day“All is gift.” St. Ignatius of Loyola is known for saying this, and Ignatian spirituality carries this message forward, inviting us to find God in all things. Everything around us, both beauty and suffering, can speak of God. At first this seems untrue. How can suffering…

Prayer & Reflection - April 10, 2022 - “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!” For some, the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the Gospels are beautiful stories of an event experienced by the disciples long ago. We believe that Jesus has risen from the dead based on these accounts, but do we realize resurrection’s implications in our own lives?…

Prayer & Reflection - December 19, 2021 - Catholic Charities USA’s Daily Advent Reflection Advent has always been a time of joy-filled anticipation for me, and I love everything about the season: the hope-filled liturgies, the festive decorations, and especially planning out special Christmas gifts for loved ones. I remember several years ago having conversations with my Catholic Charities colleagues, who recommended that…

Prayer & Reflection - November 30, 2021 - Today we celebrate the heritage of St. Andrew the apostle. Andrew was a simple fisherman when he was called by Jesus, a good man invited to be more. He didn’t know where his immediate response to hand his nets over to his father and go with this compelling man would lead him, but he walked…

Prayer & Reflection - February 7, 2017 - Opening Prayer Living God, you freed the people of Israel from cruel slavery in Egypt and led them to a promised land “flowing with milk and honey.” We ask you to liberate today all the children, women, and men who are enslaved by the cruel yoke of human trafficking in our nation, and around the…

Prayer & Reflection - March 21, 2016 - O God, source of all life and goodness,you fashion human lives in your image and likeness,and through your love, give each human lifedignity, sacredness, and priceless worth;awaken in every heartnew reverence for the least of your children,and renew among your peoplea readiness to nurture and sustainyour precious gift of human life at all stages,and in…

Prayer & Reflection - March 21, 2016 - OPENING PRAYER O God, you have provided food for all living things and showed us in Christ how to care for the world. May everyone trust in you, who feeds even the birds of the air. Amen. READ LUKE 9:11-17 RESPONSORIAL PSALM 42 R./ Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy…