Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, Patron Saint of the Diocese of Richmond Vincent de Paul was always a decent, upright man. From an early age, he lived a basically good life. But it might surprise you to learn that Vincent’s original motivation for becoming a priest was really quite worldly and superficial. It’s well […]
When I was in high school, I worked at Shoney’s as a waiter. And if you’ve ever waited tables, you’ll know — you have to work really hard for tips. You have to scratch and claw your way for every single dollar you make. I remember vividly, at the end of a long shift, as […]
I had dinner with some friends the other night who have five young children — four boys and one girl. I asked the oldest boy: “So, on an average day, how many times do you have to forgive your brothers? Maybe like seven times a day?” He giggled hysterically and corrected me: “Noooo… a LOT […]
My parents recently set off their house alarm by accident. There was no intruder this time, and thankfully they were able to disarm the system before the cops and firetrucks descended on their house to apprehend the imaginary invader. But this image helps me make a very simple point: We want security systems for a […]
Earlier this year, as the reality of the pandemic set in, and the full extent of of this crisis became more and more clear, the thought that kept coming to my mind was: “Lord, this can’t happen. You can’t be serious, Lord!” I have too many plans. Too many expectations. Too much else going on […]
Among the many important things I’ve received during my first week here at St. Andrews — including wifi passwords, access to parish calendars, and instructions on how to make coffee for the office — probably THE most important, most useful thing I have received are the “Keys to the Kingdom.” That’s right — I now […]
Jesus is really good at attracting people to Himself. He knows exactly how to reach each person’s heart, how to captivate both men and women, old and young alike, how to draw souls into his influence and lead them to become fully committed, life-long disciples. He is, as Pope St. Paul VI once put it, […]
Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul into the heart of Heaven, may not seem immediately relevant to us. But at the core of this feast day is the fundamental Christian belief that we too are destined to enjoy Heaven […]
Our gospel story this morning picks up just after Jesus hears the news that his cousin, St. John the Baptist, has been put to death by King Herod. When he learns what happened to John, we read that “he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” Perhaps Jesus understandably wanted some space […]
Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2020 | St. Mary’s – Richmond, VA We are each on a quest for perfection. St. Augustine once said: “We search for the good and perfect Pearl and find none — until we find Christ.” In other words: On this quest for perfection that every […]