Advent is a time of waiting, listening, holding back, and watching the beauty of both the day and the night take place. It can be a good time for spiritual reflection by asking ourselves important questions like: “How am I different this year than I was last year?” “What has changed within me?” “What has changed around me?” “What seems to be the same?” “How do I need Christ in my life and my world this year?” But let’s be real! Advent is also a time of preparing for Christmas. This year the Fourth Sunday of Advent is also Christmas Eve which shortens our preparation time for Christmas all the … [Read more...] about Prepare the Way! (Fr. Bob reflection)

We often make denigrating remarks about time – about being early, about being late, and about being right on time. This is because no matter who we are, none of us has complete control of our time. So we deal with it the best way we can.  Bluegrass songwriter, John Cadley, sings about the difficulty we have with time in his song called “Time.” “When I was young, I dreamed of being older. Now that I am older, I dream of being young. There are times when I complain about having no time. Then I wonder where that time has gone. Things I plan, I never do. Things that I never planned, I do. Once … [Read more...] about Advent – a Time for Waiting (Fr. Bob reflection)

During recess in grade school, my classmates and I would look for a pile of snow in the winter and a mound of dirt in the spring and fall. The biggest and strongest would scurry to the top and claim the royal title, “King of the Hill.” Those of us remaining at the bottom were then challenged to climb up and overthrow our friend and make ourselves into royalty. This weekend we are not competing to become King of the Hill but celebrating the Feast of Christ the King. A feast that is both old and new. What I mean by both old and new is that its biblical origins are found in the scriptures and … [Read more...] about “King of the Hill” Or “Christ the King?” (Fr. Bob reflection)

After a little thought and some reflection about our lives, I believe that we can all share some good examples about perseverance. Our examples might come from books we have read, movies we have seen, or people with whom we have lived and/or worked. But the best and perhaps most important examples of perseverance come from our own life stories.      Maybe you persevered when trying to pass a class in mathematics. Maybe you persevered when more and different demands were made by an employer. Maybe you persevered through the pain of hip or knee surgery. Maybe you are persevering with … [Read more...] about Our Hope, Our Light! (Fr. Bob reflection)

As the month of October comes to and end and the month of November begins, most of us can remember what we know about Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in a split second.  But we can go on for hours recalling and telling our experiences of death and dying. Grandparents, parents, spouses, children, other relatives, and friends have or are sharing with us their journey to eternal life with God. While I can easily recall the loss of different members of my own family and close friends, one particular person comes to my mind every November. Mary … [Read more...] about Dying, Death, And The Meaning Of Eternal Life (Fr. Bob reflection)

In today’s gospel the Pharisees are trying desperately to get rid of Jesus. If he says you can pay taxes to Caesar, then he's on the side of the Romans and the Jewish people who hated the Romans would become his enemy. But if Jesus says not to pay Caesar, then he's guilty of treason and they can hand him over to the Romans. Somehow, Jesus saw straight through this. His answer was not just clever. It had a very basic message that we often forgetGod is in control, not us! We don't need to try and manipulate God or others. If we are faithful to God, and work within our situation, God will do … [Read more...] about A God of Surprises (Fr. Bob reflection)

I believe that most people would agree with me that a parable about a wedding feast is a difficult one to understand. How do we make sense of a story where all the invited guests refuse to come? Because the invited guests refuse to come their city is destroyed. Some street people then find themselves invited to a wedding party they never dreamed of attending. Furthermore, one of the guests who the king calls “friend” but who really isn’t a friend is singled out, confronted, bound, and thrown into the darkness for not wearing a wedding garment. At first, it is a very peculiar … [Read more...] about The Divine Life Of God! (Fr. Bob reflection)

As we join together to celebrate Oktoberfest at the Church of St. Matthew, I want to welcome the different communities that are a part of our St. Matthew family:  Current Parishioners, Casa Guadalupana, Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, West Side Summit Charter School, Loaves & Fishes, St. Mary’s Health Clinic, Neighborhood House, and the People of Praise.  I also want to welcome former parishioners from the Church of St. Matthew and St. Michael as well as our St. Paul neighbors and business partners. When we gather to celebrate long-time relationships that are nurtured by our … [Read more...] about The Love Song We Sing! (Fr. Bob reflection)