A young priest ordained about five years ago goes to see an older priest who happens to be his spiritual director. Here’s part of their conversation: The younger priest says, “I just got a call from the Clergy Office and I was told that they want to make me a pastor. I hesitated and then…Continue reading Turn to God
Michael Jordan, in an interview for a sports magazine, once said: “It my failures that taught me how to be a great success. Many times our team would be losing in the last seconds of the game and the coach would say, ‘Give the ball to Michael, and Michael, you win the game for us.’…Continue reading Face the Challenge
Mark was the kind of guy who had a hard time trusting in God. He also had a hard time understanding God’s mercy. He knew that it sounded strange when he tried to explain himself, but he couldn’t help it. This was how he felt. In short, he lived his life fearing God. When bad…Continue reading Unexpected Forgiveness
It’s hard to believe that I have been your pastor here at Saint John Neumann Parish for over two years. And what a wonderful experience and a blessing these two years have been for me! As I begin my third year, I thought this might be a good opportunity to look at our Parish as…Continue reading Renewal Weekend
Henry was a young and successful executive. No one really had to convince him of his importance. And the way that everyone treated him at work reassured him that this was so. One day Henry was traveling down a neighborhood street going a bit too fast in his brand new, rather expensive, car. He was…Continue reading Humility
Bill was tired of confessing the same sins each time he went to confession. It seemed to him that going to confession was a waste of time. Nothing seemed to change in his life as a result of receiving this Sacrament. And the last time he was there he said as much to the priest….Continue reading Ask for help
A group of friends arranged to attend their 25th high school reunion. While there, they started reminiscing about old times, and remembered an English teacher they all had. Miss Phillips combined both threat and love, and they all agreed that she accomplished a lot with her students. Years later, each of them still vividly remembered…Continue reading Teaching Christian Values
Susan was an A-type person, and she was having a hard time dealing with her mother’s battle with cancer. The reason why Susan was having such a hard time was because she was confronted with a situation that she couldn’t control, and she didn’t know how to handle it! Even when she had heard that…Continue reading Trust in God
A priest in his mid-70’s was sharing with a friend of his that he needed to have surgery for his right foot. He had been having difficulty walking uphill and long distances and this was starting to interfere with his work as the Pastor of a small parish in the city. This surgery was going…Continue reading Confidence in God
In the mid-1500’s, St Phillip Neri became the most sought-after priest in the city of Rome. This happened because of his holiness and his good humor. He was an adviser to popes and cardinals, kings and dukes as well as beggars and shop owners. Universally loved and respected, St. Phillip reformed a corrupt city almost…Continue reading Doing God’s Work
Doug never got along with his brother-in-law, Steve. His sister, Joan, had married Steve when Doug was a freshman in high school. Steve had a cynical outlook on life and thought everyone was out to get him. Steve ran his own business, and was rather successful at it. His wife was his “business partner” and…Continue reading Good Samaritan
When something challenging happened in Hank’s life, he’d start worrying about what was going to happen to himself in the future. He would put the worst spin possible on what was presently occurring, and then project that scenario into the future—always making himself the center of the storm; personalizing everything. And as Hank continued in…Continue reading We are saved by Christ