I’m feeling a bit exhausted as I write this. I’ve got an adorable child who should take up farming, because she is convinced the world needs to wake up when the sun rises, if not before. I just returned from a catechetical conference in Steubenville, Ohio, where the organizers schedule sessions from 9AM until 10PM. Whenever I’m out of the office for a week, the regular works backs up and awaits my return. I also have a side gig as an editor. (I know. I don’t catch mistakes in my own column. Even editors need editors.) Oh yeah… and I’m writing a sequel to my novel, Skull Valley.

Is there a person who abandoned, avoided, or deserted you in your time of need?

How did you react? What impact did that have on the relationship? Did you find it in your heart to forgive?

It was only recently—I hate to admit—that I realized something very particular about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As he was arrested, scourged, and killed upon a cross, the vast majority of his disciples scattered. They did not stand with him. Only one showed up at the cross.

Well. It’s July of 2021. And when this month was ushered in, this parish has now become the parish I’ve spent the most time as an employee. Of the previous five parishes, the record had been five years at both Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale and Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, California. Your time in purgatory is now officially the longest.

Our parish is full of little treasures that are designed to help you in your walk with the Lord. It could be our Monday Bible Study that breaks down the context and deeper meaning of the coming Sunday’s readings. It might be the Mary Garden tucked between the Church and the Parish Office. It could be the free access to Formed.org the parish gives to every parishioner. Or it could be the parish library.

Have you ever had the experience of being on a good mission (like picking up coffee for a coworker, picking up flowers for your spouse, or picking up bourbon for your director of faith formation) when the Lord puts something or someone else in your path?

I’ve had this happen. Often. And sadly, my thought is often less than ideal: I don’t have time for this, Lord!

It’s as if I’ve convinced myself that the Lord is calling me to something very specific and anything that gets in the way of that—or slows it down in any way—couldn’t possibly also be in God’s plan for my day.

What storms do you find yourself stuck within? Illness? An abusive home? Chronic pain? Depression? Loved ones who are struggling? Anxiety about the direction of the country and/or the world? Unfulfilled dreams or potential?

Mark 4 talks about a storm, “Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.” It goes on, “A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern...”

Let’s stop here and highlight something. Even in the midst of the squall (definition: a sudden, violent localized storm, especially one bringing rain, snow, or sleet) – Jesus was in the boat with them. He wasn’t on shore. He was with them in the storm.

Name five things you wish were different about your life right now. Snap your fingers and it is done. Big or small. Go! (I’ll wait right here.)

Maybe you went big right off the bat and tackled topics like eradicating Covid from the Earth, healing a parent, overcoming an addiction, or bringing a child back to the Catholic Faith. Maybe you ticked off some boxes that have been annoying you for years like squeaky stairs or losing that extra twenty pounds. (I’m sure those two biographical answers are COMPLETELY unrelated.) Or maybe you leveled up a few items like obtaining a nicer vehicle, getting that cabin, or being given that overdue promotion.

But now, let’s shift gears and name five things in your life you are grateful for right now. Big or small. Go! (I got nowhere to be. Do it.)

Sometimes, I wake up and struggle to say my favorite morning prayer, “Good morning Lord. What do you have for me to do today?”

I think happens when I forget a few basic truths: God knows what will happen in advance. If he knows what will happen in advance, he knows what will happen to me. If he knows what will happen to me, he must have a plan for me. And if he has a plan for me, he knows what I will need to accomplish it.

In just two days, my debut novel will begin shipping. And I need to thank all of you who have reached out to inquire about the title, plot, genre, and where to get a copy. It has meant the world to me. In fact, it is the fulfillment of a dream I’ve had since I was a child.

I already have my personal copy. (You get an advance copy shipped to you so you can make sure there are no major errors in the print.) And something funny happened when I opened that box and removed a novel with my name on it. It still didn’t feel real.

Imagine a near-dystopian future where the United States has continued to slide away from the Faith to the point where speaking out against the culture and/ or the government gets you thrown in jail. But it isn’t just the authorities you have to worry about. Your primary enemy has become your fellow citizen. The vast majority are drinking the Kool Aid and will permit no dissent. Violence against those swimming against the tide is swift and carried out by self-appointed watchers.

It’s been a long time since I mentioned the saints among us: you individuals who attend Mass faithfully every Sunday (and sometimes more often than that) all alone. Let me define this a bit more specifically: all of you who travel alone in a vehicle to the Church.

The truth is this: any of you could skip out on Mass. If questioned, you could lie and say you attended another Mass or even another parish. Yet, you come. You worship.

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

Simple words. But we all know simple words don’t always equate to simple execution.

“Till death do us part” for example. :) The concept is simple, but the sacrament of marriage takes prayer, sweat, and occasional tears. Am I right?

So...back to “love one another as I have loved you.”

Welcome to May in Arizona. You know what that means. Everything dies.

Starting in May...and lasting until...uh...Halloween...the temperatures go through the roof. You know. The roof we will all be hiding beneath for months on end.

Can you tell I’m not a fan of Arizona summers?

Why? I enjoy the color green. I need the outdoors. And I love it when things grow.