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Holy Land Pilgrimage
Join the St. Francis of Assisi Holy Land Pilgrimage, June 2-14, 2024!
Faith Formation
Father's Focus
Maintaining Joy
Joy is the vibrancy of life. If joy were visible, it would be the color of life. Joy changes life from being monochromatic, black and white, to a kaleidoscope of light. It is my prayer that God will fill each of us with Joy.
More Than Bricks & Mortar
The most famous stories about St. Francis were written by St. Bonaventure in a book titled The Life of St. Francis. Here is one story that is very familiar to many people:
Entering Into Religious Life
Entering into Religious Life We are so blessed at St. Francis to have two women from our parish currently enter a religious order.
Foundations of Catholic Bioethics
“Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have perfected praise.” (Ps 8:3) Some of the most difficult questions to answer come from the mouth of babes and infants. And the attempt to answer them puts the most intellectual adults to shame.
A Parish with a Charism for Confession - Part 2
One of the reasons why Saint Francis of Assisi parish is able to have a multitude of days and hours of Confession available is because of our use of Confession during Mass. There are some who, when we started this practice, did not like it; but have since come to see its value and beauty.
A Parish with a Charism for Confession - Part 1
It is inspiring to us priests at Saint Francis, witnessing just how long the Confession lines get before the 5:30 evening Masses. Fr. Meng and I were discussing this specifically about confessions during Holy Week. During that week we had multiple priests every evening hearing confessions.
Protect Human Life
“A person is a person, no matter how small.” This simple wisdom given to us by Dr. Suess in Horton Hears a Who, captures a profound Christian truth. A person is a person no matter how small. Human life begins at conception.
The Definition of Christian Stewardship
GOD WILL NOT BE OUT DONE IN GENEROSITY...
This concept should instill in us trust in our life as a Christian Steward. The spirituality of Stewardship encourages us to constantly take stock of our lives as disciples and offer our actions in a grateful response to all that God has given to us.
To Live in Ec-stacis
What does it mean to live? To be called from the grave that a spirit might be put in you and that life might dwell within you. To live is to be “ec-stasis”. It’s not to implode or to explode. I use those images because it helps us understand what it means to be “ec-stasis”.
A Message During “Pride Month” - Part 2
In addition to my message in last week’s Father’s Focus, it’s worth taking this time to explain a bit of the reasoning behind why the Church teaches what it does and why it simply cannot, and will not, ever change.
Morality Matters
Reverence During Mass
Jesus, at the Last Supper, not only instituted the Eucharist, the Sacrifice of His Body and Blood, but he also commanded us to “do this in remembrance of Me.” (Lk 22:19)
The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
In 1263, during a pilgrimage journey to Rome, a German priest experienced a profound and miraculous event in the town of Bolsena. While celebrating Mass above the tomb of St. Christina, the priest, who was grappling with doubts about the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, witnessed an astonishing occurrence.
Make Time for Formal Prayer
I talk to God throughout the day, why must we make time for formal prayer? Before we discuss this matter further, it is important to say that every one of us is guilty of this, to different degrees.
Humanae Vitae & The Sanctity of Life
In 1968 oral contraceptives had been on the market for eight years, and had not been banned by the Pope. Many Catholics, including influential priests, were campaigning for the Roman Catholic Church to proclaim these contraceptives as an acceptable source of birth control. Pope Paul VI boldly rebutted these demands.
Maintaining a Christ-Centered Life While Having a Career
How Do I Maintain a Christ-Centered Life While Having a Career? We all know that we must maintain a job to live a stable life. However, careers can consumer all our energy, overtake our focus on Christ, and enter us into the risky sin of idolatry.
Belief in God Through Faith & Reason
In the First Commandment, we hear the words, “You shall not have other gods besides me”. Belief in God has to come first because from our belief in God flows everything else. However, in order to truly believe in God and put Him first - we have to exercise faith and reason. As Christians, one must not enact one, without the other.
A Loving God & His Commandments
If God loves us unconditionally, why do we have to follow His commandments and the Catholic catechism? The simple answer is that God loves us...period. He loves us even as we sin.
Our Gift of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ
The Precious Blood of Christ is a true sacrificial gift of Christ which- if we are in the state of grace- we are able to receive each time we participate in the Holy Mass. It truly awakens us to Jesus’ sacrificial love for us.