Dear Friends,

As a young boy, I used to think eyeglasses looked "cool." Now that I have to wear them always, and my vision continues to change, I often wish I didn’t need them at all. Moreover, I tend to misplace them often. We usually assume that everyone wants to see perfectly, but as a colleague recently pointed out to me when I was sharing my situation, there is a strange "middle ground" where your vision is just good enough to get by, but bad enough that you have to carry your glasses everywhere. Life is actually simpler when we admit we need help to see clearly. This is what the gospel reading today reminds us of.

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago, following the whirlwind of "Name Tag Weekend," I was finally settling down into the quiet of my evening. That peace, however, was suddenly interrupted by a single phone call from the daughter of a former parishioner at St. Andrew the Apostle. Her message was brief but urgent: "Father Robert, your friend collapsed in church and is being rushed to the emergency room at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale."

Dear Friends,

As I reflected on the readings for this second Sunday of Lent, the theme of this article, inspired by my American Mom, came to my mind. She often told me, “Fr. Robert, you’ve got to give to get.” It made me wonder further how you would feel if an authority you deeply respect asked you to give up something you value above all else? Would you? You would likely find yourself torn between loyalty to that authority and love for what you hold dear. Would you be ready to let go of something precious to secure a relationship?

Dear Friends,

Lent is a season within the Church's Liturgical Calendar. Lent is a graceful period lasting 40 days, during which the Church invites all her members to pray, fast, be reconciled with God and with one another, and be grateful in anticipation of Christ's redemptive passion, death, and Resurrection. During Lent, we are challenged to share with others what we have received from God. This requires a proper attitude and faith commitment. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Thursday of Holy Week.

Dear Friends,

We live in an age of unprecedented connectivity. With a swipe of a finger, we can see what is happening on the other side of the globe. Yet, as our digital worlds expand, our physical worlds, the ones inside our own living rooms and dining tables, are often shrinking. The reality of this was powerfully brought home to me at a recent workshop Fr. Paul and I attended at the diocese as part of our priests’ ongoing formation.

Dear Friends,

As your pastor, I am often asked about the Church’s stance on celebrating weddings during Lent. While the Universal Church law (Canon Law) grants the faithful a right to the sacraments, liturgical guidelines specify that any wedding held during Lent must be significantly "toned down" to respect the season of penance.