It has seemed like a long and cold winter in Wyoming.  Although the last four days haven’t brought a significant accumulation of snow in the southeast corner of the state, it has snowed each day and the winds have been extreme.  The highways were very slick this morning going to work, especially on the overpasses.  It is the last day of April.  Please tell me that when we turn the page of the calendar tomorrow to the month of May the season of Spring will also step forward.

Listening to the wind all night long in the midst of my broken-up sleep pattern tends to make me a little less than excited to get up in the morning.  However, as I was pondering the areas of the country receiving massive storms and destructive tornadoes, I realized that a little snow and ice along with a lot of wind may not be as bad as I thought.  It could be a lot worse.  A look back in history reveals that it could be much, much worse.  During the last week of April in 1991, a cyclone ripped through Bangladesh killing 130,000 to 140,000 people and it also left 9 to 10 million people homeless.  I can’t even imagine that kind of devastation.

Instead of just complaining about the weather today, I am going to spend some time in prayer for all those who lost their lives in the recent storms as well as their family and friends who are left behind in their grief.  I will also pray for the survivors of the storms who are digging through the rubble searching for their belongings, and in some cases, still searching for their loved ones. These are not easy days for any who were in the pathways of these storms.

I am curious.  How frequently do you complain about the weather?

There are those unsuspecting moments when God places us in a situation or unique position that gives us an opportunity to be a witness to the faith.  Sometimes these opportunities move us out of our comfort zone.  My recent experience began last week when I was contacted by Gary Freeman of KGAB Radio (AM 650) in Cheyenne.  Gary is the host of the morning show on talk radio KGAB and he invited me to join him as a guest to discuss pro-life issues and events in the Cheyenne community.  We arranged for a time that was suitable to both of our schedules and that time was this morning.

Preaching and teaching on pro-life issues is not always received well even in church circles.  Taking it to the public airwaves on a secular radio station outside the confines of the community of believers was certain to raise the ire of some of the listeners.  I will admit that I was somewhat grateful that the segment was only 30 minutes long—much less when you figure in news and breaks.  Only two phone calls were taken during the interview, but the first one was right on cue.  “Why are you grey-haired men talking about what a woman can do with her body?”

Although my hair isn’t turning grey, it is falling out.  Thus, I will accept the caller’s insinuation that I am old and also a male.  It still amazes me that according to the thinking of this caller and others with similar mindsets, I am not allowed to have any input on this issue because I can’t possibly understand the complexity and nuances of the matter due to my gender and/or age.  If one plays that logic out with all issues across the board the result would be quite interesting indeed.

It truly breaks my heart that our society frequently perceives pregnancy as a disease to be cured rather than the miracle of life that it is.  The radio host mentioned the Declaration of Independence and the words, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Let’s be honest.  If one is not given the right to life, the other rights bestowed are meaningless.  Ultra-sound technology has provided a clearer and clearer picture of fetal development.  This window into the womb definitively shows that we are not just talking about the body of the woman; we are talking also about the body of the baby growing and developing in what should be the security of the mother’s womb.  Unfortunately, we know that the womb is not always safe for the child.

Our culture continues to do its best in many ways to promote lifestyles and behaviors which are detrimental to the good of society.  Any nation that refuses to protect the most innocent among us is taking a path of destruction and grief.  It is my hope that at some point in time our nation will truly recognize the dignity and sacred value of each human being.  Eventually, I pray that we will give more than lip service to the words, “one nation under God”!

How many of you actually saw Pope John Paul II at some point in your life?  That was the question raised in the church I was visiting this weekend.  It was remarkable to see a significant number of hands go up.  There were quite a number of us who could say we had seen a living saint.  I saw Pope John Paul II in St. Louis in 1999 with a hundred thousand or so others attending Mass at the stadium where the Rams football team calls home.  Although it wasn’t an intimate encounter by any stretch of the imagination, I am still glad I had the opportunity for the experience.

This weekend was a magnificent weekend for the universal Church.  The festivities surrounding the canonizations of two popes truly created a buzz of excitement throughout the world.  We also concluded the Octave of Easter and celebrated God’s Divine Mercy in a pronounced manner.  The refrain of the Responsorial Psalm summed it up well.  “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love is everlasting.”  That should bring us much comfort and peace to realize just how deeply we are loved by God.

The weekend was a blessing to me personally as well.  I was invited to preach at St. Patrick’s Church in Casper to share some information about the life and mission of Jesus Christ and His Church throughout the Diocese of Cheyenne.  It is always a privilege to highlight how the Church is bringing the transforming love of God to others through our various ministries.  As I expounded upon some of the ways we are building up the Kingdom of God in our diocese, it was a tremendous pleasure to see the smiles and the nodding of heads when parishioners realized how their generosity and support of "Living and Giving in Christ" is making a difference in the lives of others.  People of faith are truly making an impact in the world.  This is difficult to see sometimes when our secular media tends to focus on what is wrong.  However, if we look for the good, it can be readily visible as well.  As I prepared my homily I was pleasantly reminded of all the positive things happening in the life of the Church.

This is the season of celebrating First Communion and the Sacrament of Confirmation.  In all of these events I encourage you to look for the profound encounter with the living Christ.  “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”   

We have reached Tuesday Within the Octave of Easter.  Is the Light of Christ still burning brightly within you?

Each year I am amazed at the transformation that takes place within a church at the Easter Vigil. We begin in darkness, but with the flame of a single candle light pierces the darkness.  The flame is shared from this one candle and soon the entire church is aglow. That is how we share our faith experience as well.  The love of Christ is whispered heart to heart and the transforming power of God’s love brightens our world.

What is one specific way you will share the Light of Christ this week?

I am taking a little time to recuperate and relax today after a wonderful few days celebrating the Paschal Triduum.  The Cathedral of St. Mary in Cheyenne was filled at most of the services on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  On Easter Sunday people were spilling out into the aisles.  It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, and the prayer and worship of these days was powerful indeed!

I couldn't help but be astounded this morning when I took the time to watch the news for the first time in several days. They were showing the state capitol in Denver, Colorado with tens of thousands of people celebrating the "Cannabis Cup."  The haze from pot smoke was evident, and an interview with Mr. Chong from "Cheech and Chong" pretty much said it all.  It is now legal to do what they were encouraging 40 years ago.  It is sad that their celebration of 4/20 coincided with the date of Easter this year.  (For those of you unfamiliar with the term, 4:20 P.M. is apparently the prime time to smoke pot.  Thus, the date, 4/20 has become a significant date in the calendar.)

As I watched the news clip a flood of thoughts engulfed my mind.  I just kept pondering the difference between our Easter celebrations in churches all across the land filled with incense smoke as compared to the smoke filled air around the capitol of Colorado.  It certainly gives a richer meaning to "Rocky Mountain High."

Seeing the news reports on several different stations and reading some articles on the internet was enlightening. I will admit that I don't understand the culture surrounding this type of behavior, but after examining some of the details of this event it is clear that we, as people of faith, have work to do. If we have celebrated Easter and now return to life as a mundane routine without bringing the "Good News" of salvation to others, we have missed a vital component to what we just celebrated.  There are many people outside of our church walls that need to experience the love of Christ.  That is the role of each one of us.  If nearly 30,000 people forego the celebration of Easter to celebrate the "Cannabis Cup," it is clear that we have much to do in our evangelistic efforts.

Happy Easter!  (Remember, we celebrate for 50 days.)

We are preparing to enter into the Easter Triduum (also known as the Paschal Triduum).  “The Paschal Triduum of the passion and Resurrection of the Lord begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, has its center in the Easter Vigil, and closes with Vespers (Evening Prayer) on the Sunday of the Resurrection.” (Universal norms 18-19)  The Easter Triduum invites us to enter into the sacred mystery of God’s redeeming love.  Triduum simply means three days of prayer.  We are invited to engage in three days of serious prayer marking the most significant celebrations of Holy week.

Holy Thursday is known as the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  It is a beautiful celebration of the precious gift of the Holy Eucharist.  The Holy Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith.  Everything flows from the Eucharist and everything flows back to the Eucharist.  That is why we are encouraged to enter into each celebration of the Holy Eucharist with “full, conscious, and active participation.”  Do you need your batteries recharged in regard to your zeal for receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist?  I invite you to prayerfully read chapter 6 of John’s Gospel.  John’s message puts the Eucharist in proper perspective for us.

The other profound aspect of Holy Thursday is the reminder that we are called to live a life of service as is made evident in the washing of the feet.  Christ has given us the mandate to love one another as He has loved us.  Although that love will be expressed in different ways in contemporary society as compared to the time of Jesus, the essence of love for our neighbor remains the same.  The washing of the feet during the Mass on Holy Thursday is not a mere reenactment of what Jesus did with his disciples.  It is an invitation to allow Jesus to take possession of our hearts at the deepest core so that we can go forth into the world to be that kind of love to others.

Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday) is the only day of the year in which we do not celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy.  The paschal fast is observed everywhere on Good Friday to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and to prepare ourselves to share more deeply in his resurrection.  If possible, this paschal fast should continue to be observed on Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil.  Unfortunately, I believe this component is frequently missed in our contemporary culture.  Instead of maintaining a heart focused on prayer and fasting on Holy Saturday in preparation of the Great Easter Vigil, individuals and organizations begin their Easter celebrations with Easter egg hunts, big meals, and other “noisy” events on Saturday.  This premature celebration of Easter has the potential to deprive us of entering more fully into the Celebration of Light at the Great Easter Vigil.  Spending sufficient time reflecting upon Christ crucified and lying in the tomb is essential for us to grasp the sacred mysteries which Holy Saturday recalls.

The Great Easter Vigil in the Holy Night is made up of four distinct parts: Lucernarium, Liturgies of Word, Baptism, and Eucharist.  This liturgy is profoundly beautiful, and it is my hope that our churches are overflowing with people to join the celebration.  The fire, the paschal candle, the singing of the Easter Proclamation, the story of salvation history through the Scripture Readings, the blessing of the Easter water, baptisms, and the Holy Eucharist all comprise a night of worship unlike any other.  The joy experienced by those coming into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism is an awesome reminder to all of us the glory of God. 

Finally, we reach Easter Sunday and the Triduum officially ends with Vespers.  The first eight days of the Easter season make up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as Solemnities of the Lord.  We recognize these solemnities with the double alleluia being added to the dismissal and response at each Mass.

May each of you experience abundant blessings during these holy days of the Paschal Triduum!

Driving over 350 miles to get to the other side of the state was just the start of an interesting weekend.  I was going to Pinedale, Wyoming to present a retreat at Our Lady of Peace Parish.  I made the nearly six-hour long drive on Friday afternoon going directly into 50+ MPH winds.  That certainly did not help with gas mileage but at least the roads were dry.

Earlier in the week I had been invited by a fellow deacon (Deacon Dan) to attend a concert upon my arrival in Pinedale.  I arrived in town shortly after 6:00 P.M. and by 6:30 P.M. we were comfortably seated in the Pinedale Auditorium waiting for the Harlem Gospel Choir to begin their concert.  According to the program handed out at the concert, “The Harlem Gospel Choir has performed alongside superstars such as Bono, Diana Ross, The Gorillaz, and Andre Rieu.  They have performed for three presidents (President Obama, President Carter, and President Nelson Mandela), two popes (Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI) and have recorded with the likes of Sir Keith Richards, The Chieftains, and Trace Adkins.”  It was a wonderful evening and the concert was something I would have never anticipated attending in rural Wyoming.  It was a real treat to have been able to experience this uplifting event.  Thanks Deacon Dan!

It had been an exhausting day on Friday after working in the office in the morning, making the long drive in the afternoon, and attending the concert in the evening.  However, I was ready and excited for the all-day retreat with the parishioners of Our Lady of Peace on Saturday.  Although the attendance was limited, it was a fruitful day and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to spend such a wonderful day with these fine folks.  Thanks Father Peter James for the invitation to share this time with your congregation!

Due to the weather forecast I decided to drive back to Cheyenne following the retreat on Saturday evening.  It was a long ride but I made it back home before the snow moved in and the interstate eventually closed.  I have learned that keeping an eye on road and weather conditions is important in Wyoming.  I am glad I paid attention because the interstate highway was closed for much of the day on Sunday.

I had hoped to make it to Fort Collins for the final day of the 40 Days for Life campaign but weather and road conditions made it a little too dangerous to make the trek across the border.  Shoveling snow and driving on ice-packed roads this morning started the work week out with a little more excitement than necessary.  I am officially tired of winter.  As we move through Holy Week I am hoping Easter brings with it a touch of spring that hangs with us until summer.   

Is it just another news story, or is it an event which brings us to our knees in prayer?  Twenty people were injured this morning as a 16-year-old male student went through stabbing other students at a high school in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. The debates about school security will be in the spotlight once again and politicians will be striving to capitalize on the catastrophe to push their personal agendas.  Unfortunately, the deeper and more theological questions will most likely remain on the periphery of the discussions. 

Society removes God from our public institutions and from our public discourse and we seem to be shocked when we see a downward spiral in behavior.  When relativism becomes the dominant driving force behind our moral decisions we cannot help but experience a decline in upright and moral behavior.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  We choose to ignore that reality at our own peril.  When “Truth” becomes whatever we say it is, we are in for a long, hard road ahead.

As we near the end of another 40 Days for Life campaign, this most recent school attack is a sober reminder that we have allowed a culture of death to permeate every fabric of our society.  If we are okay with the legalized killing of innocent unborn children, and people like Nancy Pelosi are honored for protecting this “sacred ground” of killing, why are we surprised when human life has such little value in other venues as well? 

People of faith need to pray with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength for a spiritual awakening and renewal of the citizens of this nation.  We also need to be actively involved in shaping the public discourse in our communities.  Sitting on the sidelines and choosing to not get involved is unacceptable.  We have a responsibility to be beacons of light in a world of darkness. Let us be proactive in creating a culture of life instead of constantly picking up the pieces of grief after these horrible experiences of the culture of death.

Our prayers go out to the families affected by this most recent tragedy.  May each of you be blessed with strength, courage, and healing!

Divine Mercy Sunday is on April 27, 2014.  The journey through Lent reminds us of our need for the mercy of God. In the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we recognize the abundant mercy which God bestows upon us.  On April 30, 2000 Pope John Paul II established the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The Divine Mercy Novena (nine days of prayer) will begin on Good Friday, April 18 and continue through Saturday, April 26.  This is a powerful way to enter into the mystery of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday, as well as the Octave Days of Easter which are all celebrated as a Solemnities of the Lord.

I want to invite and encourage you to join an on-line community of people who pray novenas on a regular basis.  You simply sign up and novena prayers will be sent to your e-mail for those nine days from Good Friday to Divine Mercy Sunday.  There are 99,000 people signed up currently and it would be great to break the 100,000 mark.  Can you imagine the graces that will be poured upon God's people through this magnificent prayer endeavor?

Which novena are we about to pray? The Divine Mercy Novena! Sign up to join us.

“Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.” (Ezekiel 37:12)  Do we truly trust in the resurrection?  This weekend’s Scripture readings remind us very clearly of the power of God.  We profess this belief in the resurrection each week when we recite the Creed, but I sometimes wonder if it impacts us in any significant way.

The Gospel this weekend details the account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  Familiarity with a story can be a good thing, but it can also lead us into complacency.  This is one of those Gospel passages that is astounding if we seriously put it into perspective.  However, if we simply gloss over it because we know how it ends, we will potentially miss the profound lessons offered to us.  I wish I could audibly hear the conversation between Jesus and Martha.  It would be interesting to know the tone of voice and the sense of urgency from Martha when she explains that Lazarus has been dead for four days.  There will be a stench!  This piece of information lets us know the magnitude of the miracle performed by Jesus.  The Sacred Scriptures bless us each week with insights into the love of God and the Season of Lent certainly highlights our faith journey with the selected readings. 

This past week I had the opportunity to visit Mount Grace Convent in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the home of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, more commonly known as the “Pink Sisters” because of their rose colored habits. These cloistered sisters spend their life in prayer, and I can only imagine the abundance of graces we have received because of their faithfulness. Spending a few minutes in their chapel served as a quick reminder to me of the awesome mercy and love of God.  We can trust in the resurrection.

May this Fifth Sunday of Lent bring you abundant blessings!