Humility
I was recently chatting with an old friend, and she expressed her frustration with a great deal of what’s going on in the world today. She said that she’s not surprised by anything anymore, and that it’s almost impossible to know what to do about “all of it.” I, too, [...]
All For One, and One For All
This week, we have an opportunity to dwell on a wing of theology that most people don’t know by name. On the other hand, knowing of its existence illuminates the reason for this week’s Work of Mercy: pray for the living and the dead. Ecclesiology is the school of theological [...]
Stewardship
This past week everyone should have received their annual parish financial report. This report is an attempt to sum up, in just a few pages, all the financial activity of the past year, as well as the hope for the upcoming 12 months. It is always difficult to decide which [...]
Remembering Our Manners
One of the first things parents often teach their children is to use words like “please” and “thank you.” My three year old granddaughter is pretty good about remembering these words, but every now and again she needs a gentle reminder. In our gospel story this weekend, Jesus heals ten [...]
Festive All!
This weekend, we celebrate our Fall Festival – or as I like to say, “Festive All!” This is a time for our community to gather and celebrate all that God has given to this parish family. Gatherings are so important in the life of any family. I am the fourth [...]
Seeing What’s Right In Front Of Us
This Sunday’s Gospel is one of those passages that is hard to misinterpret and difficult to ignore. It is not a simple comparison; Jesus isn’t telling us this story to hold Lazarus, the poor man, up as all that is good, nor is he condemning the rich man as purely [...]
Where Your Treasure Lies
As we continue to ponder works of mercy, dwelling upon and carrying out acts that make the love of Christ both visible and concrete, we come to this Sunday’s readings, which call us to reform how we relate to earthly wealth and to one another. The first reading, from Amos, [...]
Wading in the Ocean of Mercy
I met Frank at the Ramsey County Jail. He asked to see a chaplain, and I responded to his request with a visit. I gave him the Bible that he requested and asked if he wanted to talk. He did. Frank began to recount the story of how he ended [...]
Visioning Committee
My dear friends, When we had our last “fire-side chat” together back in May, I updated you on the changes to the parish pastoral council, both in it’s structure and it’s purpose. In case you missed this, I’d like to elaborate on this a bit so that all may have [...]
An Invitation
We may be tempted to feel complacent about today’s Gospel reading. After all, in today’s American society, haven’t we done away with the ranking and caste system that Jesus speaks about during the Sabbath dinner at the home of the Pharisee? We would especially want to believe this of our [...]
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