I may be the only person in the world who has a devotion to the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A. I’ll admit it, I’m weird, but I do have a legitimate reason! Have you ever experienced indecision about a big life choice? I went through a long period of denial and running away from the priestly vocation in high school. Then these readings hit me like a 2x4 to the face. On this same Sunday back in the fall of 2008, during my junior year of high school, it became clear to me that I would continue to run in circles discerning the priesthood until I finally admitted to myself that I needed to go to the one place that would actually facilitate my discernment—college seminary. Click title for full column.

The Gospel this Sunday contains the famous scene that is commemorated in the mosaic at our Cathedral (newly named a Basilica!) when Our Lord hands over the keys of the kingdom to St. Peter, symbolically giving him authority over the Church, the people of God. It is a moving scene, and I have always found great solace in the life and transformation of St. Peter. Throughout the Gospel, we see him making many mistakes, almost always with his mouth about ten steps out in front of his brain. Even after his bitter failure and regret in denying Jesus three times, he still finds his way back to Our Lord to receive forgiveness and be given great responsibility in leading others to salvation. As a foolhardy pastor, I take great comfort in St. Peter as my patron and confirmation saint. Click title for full column.

It is hard to believe it has already been a month and a half since I joined all of you at the WWPR! It has definitely been a joy to be here. Just as Christ was held in the most precious arms of our Immaculate Mother, so to do we need to give our Lord His due when He comes to us in the Eucharist. Upon ordination, a priest receives a chalice—typically from a parish, a private donor, or as a present from his family. This incredible gift is what the priest uses while offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to Consecrate the Most Holy Blood of Jesus Christ. Definitely not a trivial thing! Click title for full column.

As a former catcher, I can say that there are few relationships that rely more heavily on trust than the one between battery-mates on the baseball diamond. Maybe I’m biased in this regard, but I am of the opinion that the pitcher should listen to his catcher ninety-nine percent of the time. I am a non-confrontational person by nature, but there have been at least a few times when I had to walk out to the mound and explain to the pitcher that I was not going to allow him to throw his stupid curveball that he couldn’t locate all day when there is an important run waiting on third base. In different circumstances, maybe, but not when it counts. Click title for full column.

We are approaching three years since my dad passed away, and I have been thinking about all the difficult and beautiful lessons that I have learned through that process of grieving. Some have been about working through grief and others have been about relying on the support of those who care. But one unpleasant lesson learned in the wake of Dad’s death verified an important truth that the Archbishop gave during the homily at a friend’s ordination. He told those being ordained that their ministry would not be one of convenience, and it would not happen on their terms. In other words, people need help when they need help, and in the same way that kids don’t plan their emergencies around their parents’ schedules, the people of God and their needs occasionally intrude into personally difficult situations. In my case, the day after my dad died, someone stuck a post it note on my office mailbox expressing their condolences and asking me to finish some paperwork for them because “they aren’t getting any younger.”  Click on title for full column.