“I will suffer and be killed, and then I will be raised.” Luke 9.22 Reading this Gospel passage I always wonder what the original disciples must have felt when they heard these words spoken by Jesus. His message is suffering and death and then a strange promise they did not understand. Furthermore, he tells his disciples, if you […]
Sometimes I like to use this blog as an opportunity to keep readers up-to-date with what’s happening here at Nativity, travels, books, etc. Despite the presidential campaign trail, I’m a little busy with a different kind of “congress” this month. These next few weeks will be Catholic “congress” season. Right now, we’re right in the […]
Did you know that medical textbooks need constant updating? It’s not because the human body changes- it’s because constantly new methods and information about the body become available that compel doctors to evaluate and revise their practice of medicine. Perhaps there’s an important lesson here for the Church and our practice of ministry. Jesus Christ […]
Leadership is more art than science. That means it grows through practice and willingness to learn from your mistakes. Your effectiveness and success as a leader gets compromised when you fall into unhealthy “traps” of thinking and acting. Here are just five traps I’ve seen and experienced time and time again. If any of these […]
Pope Francis has declared an “Extraordinary” Jubilee Year of Mercy, which will run through November 20, 2016. What is that? It is actually a perfect opportunity to make church matter by following God’s call to extend mercy to the lost and broken. Here are four areas we’ve been trying in our parish, and we hope […]
Where did you get your Christmas shopping done this year? For the first year, I didn’t set foot inside a single retail store or mall to find exactly what I wanted. You guessed it: online shopping. Not only that, but by shopping online I actually had access to more options, spent less time, and avoided […]
There’s one difference between God and the Church: God doesn’t need to change. But, the most effective and successful churches are constantly changing. The message and the mission never change- that’s a God thing- but the methods and techniques we use to communicate that mission/message are in constant need of re-shaping to reach the ever-changing […]
Just a quick update on Christmas plans here. Christmas Eve morning I will be appearing on Catholic TV offering the daily TV Mass (9:30 E.S.T. rebroadcast at 7:00pm). If you don’t get Catholic TV you can always watch their live stream at catholictv.com. Later, we will be at the Cow Palace on Christmas Eve for […]
Despite what you may have heard, Christmas still matters to most people, including the unchurched. The reasons many people come to church on Christmas Eve may be nothing more than to please a family member or sing carols. But it’s the church’s job to transform that experience and use it as an opportunity for evangelization. […]
We’re already moving into the third week of Advent, and I’d like to take a quick opportunity to reflect on some pretty amazing passage about John the Baptist taken from our Advent readings. They say: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every […]
