Dear Parishioners,

The end of October and first days of November take on a special focus in the Church as we celebrate All Hallows’ Eve on October 31st, All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. They are days that help us to focus on the Communion of Saints—”the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers” (Paul VI, CPG 30).

This weekend we express our gratitude to God for Fr. Simon and his generous service to this parish. I have known Fr. Simon over the years since his arrival in the United States, but have definitely gotten to know him better once he was assigned here at Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and most recently since I arrived as pastor. Living together, sharing a meal, prayer and working side by side with him in ministry has been a joy.

Dear Parishioners,

“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me…”

This familiar line from the popular hymn is an important one to reflect upon given the recent uprising in Israel and Palestine, the continued war in Ukraine, and the mean spirited division we see in so many areas of the world. Having just been to Israel in April celebrating Holy Week and Easter it was hard to watch the news on Saturday and see what was happening in the country. It is a beautiful land with beautiful people and troubling to see such violence and anger towards fellow human beings. True peace comes only from the Prince of Peace—in justice that is merciful and kind.

Dear Parishioners,

I was filled with joy this past weekend with the presence of so many people participating in the various gatherings here at Saint Bernard. I gave thanks to God over and over for your loving witness as a community.

Presence—physical presence is an important part of the Christian journey. A fundamental teaching of our Church is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the deep love of God who desires to be physically present with us in our Sunday gatherings at Mass. Our Sunday obligation or rather “opportunity” is a reminder of His Real Presence and our call to be present to Him and one another.

It is hard to believe it is October already. For us in Arizona it is a promise of cooler weather and the months of desert beauty we love. As Catholics, this month is filled with special feast days, starting with October 1st, the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux. Her little way is a model for many to love the Lord in every situation we find ourselves in.

The rest of the month includes many Catholic favorites—the Holy Guardian Angels, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Faustina, Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Denis and Companions, St. John XXIII, St. Margaret Mary Alacouque, St. Luke, St. Paul of the Cross, St. John Paul II, St. John of Capistrano, St. Anthony Mary Claret and Sts. Simon and Jude. Plus many other saints that fill our days and lives.

I write this on Monday morning, September 18th, as Fr. Simon and I prepare to journey north to Flagstaff for the Priest Convocation. This is a special gathering of the priests of the Diocese of Phoenix with Bishop Dolan. It is a time of prayer, priestly fraternity and building stronger bonds in the common priesthood we share together.

Dear people of God,

As I returned from my time away on sabbatical and came here to be pastor of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, I was filled with great peace and a true sense of being home. There is much to share, but we have time in the future. What I am most enthused about is being in a community that is committed to living the Gospel as disciples of Christ. We do that together day by day and week by week, through the ups and downs, challenges and joys of life. Always with our eyes focused on Christ and the mission he gives us to spread his merciful love. I am grateful to God that the next step in my journey is with all of you!

What are you supposed to do about the bad behavior of the people around you? You know who I’m talking about. That family member, friend, coworker, or acquaintance who is quite immoral. On this front there are two lively options in our culture: bash the person to others (probably online) or pretend everything’s fine. The former damages the person. The latter ignores reality. What to do?

Isn’t it easy to relate to Peter? One moment Jesus announces Peter’s deep communion with God the Father. The very next, when he rejects the logic of Jesus’ suffering and death, Jesus calls Peter Satan. We Christians shouldn’t be too shocked when we experience both spiritual highs and lows, when we perceive breathtaking contradictions in our hearts.

27. On the sacred day of Holy Thursday, Jesus’ last night with His disciples, He knew that soon He would return to His Father, but He also knew how much they will need His presence, one that “The Imitation of Christ” eloquently describes as consoling and strengthening: “When Jesus is near, all is well and nothing seems difficult. When He is absent all is hard. When Jesus does not speak within, all other comfort is empty, but if He says only a word, it brings great consolation” (Book II Chapter 8). In a certain sense, we can say that here Jesus faces a dilemma. On the one hand, He desires to return to His Father and on the other hand, He desires to remain with His disciples.

The suffering of a child symbolizes uniquely terrible evil as well as despair about the future. This week’s Gospel gives a “limit” case in which Jesus encounters this evil in the form of a mother with a suffering daughter. What he does is stunning and massively helpful for us if we bravely ponder the details.

The Canaanite woman comes to Jesus and begs his mercy. “My daughter is tormented by a demon,” she declares to him. Shockingly, he responds first with silence, then with a dismissive comment, and only then finally accedes to her third request. Is this simply a lesson in perseverance in our petitions to God, who is like a genie in a bottle? Does that justify the humiliation and pain this woman suffers? Is the Lord cruel?

A man at my parish was struggling to overcome a habitual sin. He said to me, “Father, I know the chance that I will commit sin again is really high. Why should I keep confessing my sins? Isn’t that dishonest?” Anyone who has felt the tyrannical power of sin — and who hasn’t? — has pondered this kind of question.

What is Christianity finally about? These days if you ask almost anyone who doesn’t know the Bible you’ll probably hear an answer like this: “Being a good person” or “following the golden rule.” No offense to the golden rule, but our faith is simply much stronger than that. This week’s feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a luminous example of this. Jesus becomes radiantly and overwhelmingly beautiful. The glory of God literally shines forth from his body and even his clothes. Here we see that Christianity is not mainly a moral system, but a relationship with God in Christ, one that finally makes human beings gloriously beautiful.