When I was a young boy in Burlington, Vermont, my dad had a good friend named Phil who owned a sporting goods store. I loved sports, so meandering the treasure-filled aisles was an unmitigated joy. One afternoon, we were shopping for a baseball glove. Dad said to me, “Hey Johnny, see that man who just walked into the store? That’s Phil.” I remember being fascinated and a little terrified. I recall thinking, “That man right there is in charge of everything in this store!”

I recently moved into a new neighborhood. On my first evening I went grocery shopping and could not find my usual favorite Greek yogurt. Strangely, my heart started to race. All the losses of my previous life hit me. So many of my old friends, habits, comforts, and predictable experiences had fallen away. There I stood, a grown man, crying like a little boy whose world was falling apart in the dairy aisle.

Once at an evening Mass as a poor college student, the collection basket was fast approaching, and I only had a ten-dollar bill. I was planning on using that to buy my favorite Chipotle burrito that night for dinner. Should I keep the money? Who would know if I did? If I gave it away, what would I eat? Would I be okay? I kissed my future burrito goodbye, dropped the money in the basket, and winced. But strangely, the rest of the Mass I felt more engaged than usual. I had skin in the game. I left the Mass excited to see how God would take care of me. And he did, in amazing ways.

Happy Sunday,

It’s good to be back in the U.S. after our parish pilgrimage. It was a beautiful opportunity to visit Holy Sites around Italy. I offered Mass regularly for our whole parish community in Rome, Assisi, and San Giovanni Rotundo (where Padre Pío lived). While it’s good to be back, unfortunately, I will be on the move quite a bit in November.

Leprosy and blindness and deafness — oh, my. The disabilities cured by Jesus in his public ministry really are quite something, aren’t they? Vividly symbolic and rich food for reflection. It just wouldn’t be the same if Jesus had cured eczema or athlete’s foot or compulsive nail-biting.

Blind Bartimaeus, sitting by the side of the road, in particular captures my imagination. Because I have a confession to make, sometimes, I like to sit in the darkness, even though I know it isn’t very good for me.

I thought it often in my first year as a mother, when I was every day discovering what this new life of parenthood looked and felt like: doing anything with kids is a hundred times harder than doing it without kids. But it’s a thousand times better. From eating dinner to going to Mass to taking a walk around the block — every single outing, even the simplest ones, had an extra level of logistical complexity.

Happy Sunday!

This year we are excited to host a “Lessons and Carols” concert during Advent to benefit the restoration of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel downtown. The concert will be on Friday, December 13. Last year it was a beautiful concert put on by the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers. They generously volunteered their time to put on this Advent concert. “Lessons and Carols” is a Lenten tradition that alternates between hymns and readings from Scripture that culminate in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Please mark your calendar for this year’s event!

Happy Sunday!

This week I leave for my vacation and the parish pilgrimage. While I am looking forward to the Holy sites we will visit, I’m sad to miss such a great part of the autumn. Everyone will be in my prayers in a special way along the pilgrimage and especially in Assisi, the home of our patron, St. Francis. I am looking forward to returning to these holy places and offering Mass at a few of them.

Happy Sunday!

The last week of September is somehow already upon us. I love seeing the parish in full swing. So much of the activity is because of our wonderful volunteers. Thank you so much to all of you who support our catechesis and formation programs. While these are a few ways to get involved, there is so much more happening in the parish. This weekend we will be having a parish ministry fair where over 50 ministries will be present to share their work with you. This is a great opportunity to get involved if you are not already participating in a ministry or group.

Happy Sunday!

This week on Monday the church celebrates the feast of St. Padre Pio. I recently finished a biography of him called “Man of Hope” by Renzo Allegri. While I’ve often heard about Padre Pio this was the first time I actually read a book about him. His life was one of great and varied suffering, but also of joy and hope. He bore the stigmata, that is, the five wounds of Jesus, on his body for 50 years. They disappeared three days before he died.

Happy Sunday!

This week the priests of the Diocese of Phoenix will converge on Flagstaff for our annual Priest Convocation. This is a unique week where we can all get together, listen to a speaker, and share time in prayer together. Please keep us all in prayer throughout the week for a fruitful convocation!

Happy Sunday!

Today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the final day of the 33-day consecration to Jesus through Mary. Nativity Chapel downtown will be open from 9:00am until 3:00pm today to stop in and pray. For those of you who have participated in the consecration, I hope it has been fruitful.

Happy Sunday!

Labor Day weekend is here! Somehow it always comes so quickly. I used to think when I was out of school summer that I would somehow slow down. How foolish of me! It was still a great summer. I got to spend it here and enjoy the beautiful weather. Now, school is back is session and catechesis is starting back up for children, teens, and adults. It’s great to see the parish so alive once again!