Spiritual Directions for the Journey
Posted in Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike on Apr 30th, 2012
(Please click here for Printer friendly copy.) This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak the folks at St. Patrick’s Church in Mississauga. They are a warm and welcoming community. We are hopeful that a Friends of Dismas Ministry will take root in the parish under the leadership of Deacon Silverio. Here is the [...]
Posted in Big Questions, Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike on Apr 26th, 2012
Wandering the internet as I prepare for this week’s homily has led me to find a painter named Alfred Soord (1868-1915). It would seem that Alfred is one of the few people that does not seem to have a Wikipedia page. The folks at wiki. answers however, tell us that Alfred was a painter whose [...]
Posted in Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike on Apr 21st, 2012
(Click here for Printer Friendly Copy) It all comes back to the Upper Room. In today’s gospel from Luke, just as in last weeks from John, we are in the room where Jesus gathered his closest disciples on that Holy Thursday night. It is shortly after the death of our Lord and those who were [...]
Posted in Big Questions, Reflections from Fellow Wanderers on Apr 20th, 2012
Luke gospel for this coming weekend wraps up with these words: Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them… “You are witnesses of these things.” Here is a partial list of things we have witnessed: Jesus humbling himself to share in our humanity. He was born, lived a full [...]
Posted in Big Questions, Reflections from Fellow Wanderers on Apr 19th, 2012
The disciples are locked in the Upper Room. In the readings below Jesus appears and greets his friends with the calming words, “peace be with you.” In Luke’s gospel this weekend, Jesus asks us a question: “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? John 20:19-20 On the evening of that [...]
Posted in Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike on Apr 18th, 2012
As I prepare this weekend’s homily I have been reflecting on last week’s Gospel reading from John and this week’s from Luke and one thing struck me. The disciples have retreated to the safety of the Upper Room, the scene of the their Last Supper with Jesus, where they find themselves on the “horns of [...]
Posted in Reflections from Fellow Wanderers on Apr 12th, 2012
Interesting advice from a member of the newest generation to those of further down the road of life. This is a speech written from one of my younger guest bloggers (who has her own pseudonym). Wisdom for those of us with more miles behind us than ahead and how to use our time wisely. Pay [...]
Posted in Big Questions, Parents and Kids on Apr 9th, 2012
On this Easter Sunday I am reflecting on life, death and new life. It has been a busy and hectic week. In the church business this is the big one. It begins with Holy Thursday, Good Friday, which included a powerful evening celebration of the Way of the Cross with the Good Thief at the [...]
Posted in A Funny Thing Happened..., Parents and Kids on Mar 21st, 2012
When buying your senior citizen family members a new gadget- like an iPad- never assume they will read the directions. The video is in German but you will see this common mistake can happen in almost any country.
Posted in Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike, Stuff for Wandering on Feb 11th, 2012
Looking up to God by reaching down is the title I have chosen for today’s homily. Many people pray by looking up to heaven. There is nothing wrong with this. However, we often fail to realize that our God is all around us and to see him we may well have to reach down with [...]
Posted in Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike, Stuff for Wandering on Dec 31st, 2011
Transform: 1. To change markedly the appearance or form of; 2. To change the nature, function, or condition of; convert. Ponder: 1. Think about (something) carefully, esp. before deciding or concluding. This weekend we continue our reflections on the transformation of the peasant girl from Nazareth named Mary. A few weeks ago we remembered the [...]
Posted in Big Questions, Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike on Dec 31st, 2011
After the shepherds departed having told them what the angels had said we are told that “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Mary “pondered” (to think about (something) carefully, esp. before deciding or concluding.) – What did she really know? Here is a song called: Mary Did you know? I [...]
Posted in Reflections from the Pulpit - Wandering with Deacon Mike on Dec 17th, 2011
One of the truly amazing gifts of being Catholic is the rich theology and teachings we have been given through the years about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the ages we have come to understand the role of Mary through the teachings of the Church, by numerous masterpieces of art and in a special way [...]
Posted in Reflections from Fellow Wanderers on Nov 28th, 2011
Last week week I had the opportunity to be part of a concert by Christian singer/song writer Steve Bell. Everyone that attended was deeply moved by the event. Steve Bell learned to play guitar in Drumheller penitentiary. He was only 8 years at the time and the son of the prison chaplain. From his home [...]
Posted in Big Questions, Reflections from Fellow Wanderers on Nov 23rd, 2011
This Sunday the Catholic Church introduces the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal. Basically some of the words of the mass will be changing so they are closer to the Latin text used by the Church for 450 years before Vatican II. In the video below, produced by Life Teen, you will get a fast [...]
