One of the pastoral ministry resources to which I subscribe is called, Celebrations which is a National Catholic Reporter publication. Because in a number of ways it is a valuable resource, I contacted Denise Simeone, the Editor-in-Chief, and asked her for permission to include all or parts of articles in our Sunday Bulletin.  Denise graciously gave her permission and this weekend I am happy to share with you a commentary on the gospel entitled “You Can Make Me Clean” written by Sr. Mary McGlone, CSJ. Did you ever notice how time seems to slow down during the most meaningful moments of life? … [Read more...] about You Can Make Me Clean! (Reflection)

It was on the First Sunday of Advent in 2012 when the new edition of the Roman Missal was first used for the celebration of the Eucharist. The most noticeable changes in the new edition are the prayers offered by the presider. The prayers use a more formal style of English and a somewhat politer tone that addresses God with more humility. We are told that the translation is more faithful to the Latin text. And as we have heard, the prayers have an abundance of euphemisms. A euphemism is a word expression that is used whenever what we are talking about is considered to be too blunt and too … [Read more...] about “The Lord Be With Your Spirit!” (Fr. Bob reflection)

On the Feast of the Epiphany, there are a number of images, metaphors, analogies, and similes from the scripture readings we hear, from the hymns we sing, from the legends we have heard, and from the personal experiences we have had that give both personal and collective meaning to our celebration. If we were to sit down with a piece of paper and pencil with the intention of writing down what comes to our mind when we think about the Feast of the Epiphany, what would we write? Undoubtedly, some of us would write the words: "shining star," "magi," "three gifts," and more likely the words … [Read more...] about God’s Gift (Fr. Bob reflection)

When I have the opportunity to be at home with my family during the holiday season, I often find myself sitting at the dining room table with my mother, sisters, brothers and a few nieces and nephews sharing information and stories about other family members. More often than not, my mother will ask the whereabouts of one of her twenty-seven grandchildren or eight great grandchildren. Sometimes, a voice is heard, “She or he is with friends and is becoming more and more like a stranger to us every day!” As parents, as grandparents, as aunts and as uncles, we are concerned for our young family … [Read more...] about Family – Then and Now (Fr. Bob reflection)

One of the teaching tools that most middle school, high school, and adult education teachers learn to use is called an “ice breaker.”  An ice breaker is an activity that helps people to share something about themselves so that other people get to know them. For me, a colorful ball of yarn served as an ice breaker that I often used on the first day of class. I tied the ball of yarn to one of my fingers and then I tossed it to one of my new students. The student who caught the ball of yarn said their name and shared something about him or herself like a favorite song, a most enjoyed food, or … [Read more...] about One Like Us! (Fr. Bob reflection)