In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to a life of radical trust and generosity, urging us to sell what we have, give to the poor, and follow Him. These words are a challenge to live a life detached from the things of this world and to make room for the things of heaven. The rich…
DetailsCardinal Pizzaballa, October 7 Day of Prayer: Lord our God, Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Father of all mankind, Who in the cross of Your Son and through the gift of His own life, at great cost You wished to destroy the wall of enmity and hostility that separates peoples and makes us…
DetailsThe pilgrims arrived back this week tired but on fire with their faith a little more. We truly had an amazing trip, and we visited many incredible sites. In Istanbul, we continued to pilgrim in St. Paul’s footsteps. Istanbul, once known as Constantinople, was built by the emperor Constantine to give a notably city for…
DetailsAs I am writing this eBulletin I am in Istanbul, Turkey with a group of 48 pilgrims from St. Simon and Holy Spirit Parishes and we are halfway through our pilgrimage of Walking in the Footsteps of St. Paul. It has been a lot of traveling each day and the pace has been a little…
DetailsIn today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the disciples’ assumptions about greatness, turning their ideas upside down by teaching that the first must be the last and the servant of all (Mark 9:30-37). At first glance, the disciples’ reaction seems almost automatic, driven by their desire for prestige and status. This instinctual response—seeking power and recognition—is part…
DetailsDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus! India is celebrated for its diversity and richness of various cultures and traditions, number of languages and dialects, vast variety of food customs and climatic conditions, inestimable art forms and architectures and India has been a cradle of regions and schools of philosophy. India is one of…
DetailsIn this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus engages in a powerful and personal dialogue with His disciples, asking them, “Who do people say that I am?” The responses vary—John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets—but it is Peter’s response, when Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” that shifts the conversation. Peter,…
DetailsThe beginning of the school year and the arrival of September hit me hard this week. Life just sped up radically. How are you feeling? Are you feeling the same? I found myself with very full days and I felt like I had more going on than ever and not enough time to fit it…
DetailsOne of the gifts of the COVID-era lockdowns was the awareness we developed for the different “essential workers” in our communities. From store clerks to first responders to nurses and doctors, we all got a sharp reminder how important the different strata of our working population really are and how important it is for us…
DetailsIt was so exciting to see all the kids come back to school on Wednesday! We welcomed over 540 children back to school and that is a huge increase over previous years. Wow! We missed seeing them and their families over the summer as they traveled on vacation to see family and friends. While it…
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