Newsletters

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Sat, May 7, 2022
Mary, the Undoer of Knots, your intercession is urgently needed in our world today. Seeing God as we age.

Sun, Apr 24, 2022
Easter Hope for Ukraine. Prayerful music by Ukrainian composers, Victoria Poleva and Valentin Silvestrov, as well as British John Rutter. Is Finland next? (Featuring a wonderful performance of Sibelius’ Finlandia.)

Fri, Apr 22, 2022
Ukraine’s Good Friday today.

Wed, Apr 20, 2022
Easter lasts Fifty Days. It’s still Holy Week in Ukraine and Russia – Orthodox Easter this year is a week later than the Western celebration of Easter.

Fri, Apr 15, 2022
Whatever happened to . . . uhm . . . me? Here we go again. Behold the Wood (revised). “Smiles and Chuckles” reborn

Sun, Mar 28, 2021
Walking with Jesus through Holy Week. “Behold the Wood.”

Mon, Mar 1, 2021
Coffee’s back! “When you said life would get back to normal after June . . . Julyed.”

Thu, Dec 31, 2020
What’s my problem? A handy way to pray. Resolution. Demise of “Smiles” , but humor continues.

Thu, Dec 24, 2020
Simple Christmas reflection and greeting, with three wonderful performances of the Little Drummer Boy.

Thu, Dec 10, 2020
Terry Hershey, Fr. Medard Laz, and Tom Hoopes on Desiderata, Lessons our sins teach us, and how God prepares us for adoption.

Sat, Dec 6, 2020
Santa and St. Nick: Happy Birthday. “In His Light: The Music of Advent and Christmas.” Smiles: Scam warning, Bad Beavers, and Bake Sale.

Sat, July 25, 2020
Brooks Falls bears, and “Chuckles” added to “Smiles.” And a bit of news about where and how I’m weathering the COVID-19 storm.

Sat, July 4, 2020
Independence Day Reflections: revisiting the talks I gave two decades ago at the T. Willard Hunter Oratory Forum, at the July 4th Celebration in Memorial Park, Claremont, California.

Tues, June 23, 2020
Breaking the silence with ‘mums. Music is good for the soul . . . and the plants. Full House with a Live Audience.

Mon, June 1, 2020
Maternity and Birth for our times. Looking around with eyes of faith. Pentecost and Mary, Mother of the Church. “If you want peace, work for justice.” Hummingbird video update.

Mon, May 25, 2020
Humming, singing, remembering, and smiling. Local hummingbird family at Nazareth House. Rocking in Plymouth or Dancing at Devil’s Point; new normal – opening churches? Not so fast! Decoration/Memorial Day with Charles Ives.

Wed, May 13, 2020
The Pope and the Mountains. Dreams of where? Where is your Val d’Aosta? My Doc on COVID. Spotting bogus information. When you can’t go out, go in.

Sun, May 10, 2020
A Celebration of Mamas! Happy Mothers’ Day. A gift of celebrating new life from explore.org.

Thu, May 7, 2020
I’m Back! Who are we and why does it matter? Pope Francis: “The most dangerous deviation…” What’s in a name . . . uhm . . . X Æ A-12? Toyo Miyatake.

Mon, Apr 27, 2020
Fifty-two years ago today: recalling the day of my ordination to the priesthood. “In the world but not of the world.”

Tue, Apr 21, 2020
Theology: faith seeking understanding . . . and all that jazz. Corona Confinement Blues. Frankl, Hershey, Airplanes, Confession and Spiritual Direction, Jeanne R., covid humor, lemons.

Thu, Apr 16, 2020
Easter Week & Covid-19. Real Presence is bigger than the “T-Word.” Reflections on non-Eucharistic communion. Retirement has given me the opportunity, among other things, to bring a sense of ministry into what would otherwise be just fun stuff. The reverse is true too. Ministry needs to have a strong sense of fun.

Sun Apr 12, 2020
Happy Pentecost! No, that’s not a mistake. Happy Easter! Yes. But let’s prepare for Pentecost with an anticipation of the joy that perhaps we have never yet experienced.

Fri, Apr 10, 2020
The depth of love! Behold the Wood of the Cross. This is the day of God’s immersion into the depths of our humanity. Coronavirus and Good Friday.

Sat, Apr 4, 2020
Lamentation and Liturgical Emptiness. Anticipating and prolonging the Holy Saturday experience. This Lent has brought a deeper realization of how surprisingly disastrous the Cross is to our lives and to the world.

Wed, Apr 1, 2020
Patron Saints for the Covid-19 Pandemic. For an introvert like me, this coronavirus lockdown is near paradise. Finally, in relatively secure retirement, I can indulge in my lifelong passion for puttering.

Sat, Mar 28, 2020
Lamentation and Hope. Addressing the CoronaVirus in union with Christ. All that’s needed for God to lavish His mercy, forgiveness, healing, and support is to be inwardly genuinely turned toward God and openly receptive.

Wed, Mar 25, 2020
Turner’s Annunciation, Coffee, and Sunrises. Most striking depiction of Mary and the Angel. Mary did not say “yes” in response to a question (or even a request) put to her by the Angel Gabriel. Rather, she assented to a declaration of what God was doing.

Sun, Mar 22, 2020
Congenital blindness & unasked-for gift … and then his troubles began! “We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” The gift of sight and light … and coffee!

Fri, Mar 20, 2020
Widespread shut-in-ness. Take advantage of whatever opportunities you can to get through these times of struggling with uncertainty, adjustment, and even, for some, real hardship: Holy Father, Paschalian Moments, and humor.

Tue, Mar 17, 2020
Time and money: Resources if you have too much of one and/or not enough of the other. Off the beaten track … COVID-19 is the name of the disease. The name of the particular kind of coronavirus (there’s a lot of them) that causes it is SARS-CoV-2 (aka 2019-nCoV). Confused? Well, there’s St. Paddy today too.

Sat, Mar 14, 2020
Oops! Promised video removed. More on The Chosen series. And a bit of cheery (or cheesy?) viral humor

Fri, Mar 13, 2020
The Samaritan Woman at the Well. Probing more deeply. Jews and Samaritans: more than meets the eye.

Tue, Mar 10, 2020
Coronavirus humor. Is it OK to laugh in difficult times? We’ll certainly all go crazy if we don’t try to keep at least some sense of humor in the midst of all the dangers and fears of our world today.

Fri, Mar 6, 2020
Transfiguration – “With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me.” What did you go to the mountain to see and hear?:Listen to Him!” Hamsterkaufing & Art Appreciation 101.

Tue, Mar 3, 2020
The wisdom of age and grace … and the grace of age with wisdom. To learn a language is to participate in a shared form of life. Never too late? Maybe …

Fri, Feb 28, 2020
Love: from the Wilderness to the Cross. How are you going to spend the next forty days? Lent’s not just giving up something or doing something. It’s following Jesus into the wilderness. Love in the Wilderness leads inevitably to the Cross.

Tue, Feb 25, 2020
Lent tomorrow. Lent and the Rest of Our Lives. The three pillars of Lent: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.

Fri, Feb 21, 2020
Humor and Love. Preparing for Lent. Holy Humor. By not taking yourself too seriously – that’s humor – you can learn to take others seriously in ways that matter – that’s love.

Tue, Feb 18, 2020
Fr. Marty Jenco and “The Chosen.” Fr. Marty was “chosen” too. Fr. Marty and the Servites. What about “The Chosen”?

Fri, Feb 14, 2020 (and Supplement)
Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Plus, Chaucer and Sts. Cyril & Methodius; Jesus’ fulfillment (not replacement) of the Torah. More on “The Chosen.”

Tue, Feb 11, 2020
Scholastica & Benedict; Jonathan & Jesus. The sister gets the better of her brother. Of course! The value of a good story: Scholastica and “The Chosen.”

Fri, Feb 7, 2020
Salt and Light. The Sermon on the Mount is the Constitution of the Church, the community of Jesus’ disciples.

Tue, Feb 4, 2020
Now . . . what? Yes, that’s the question. Living in the moment, and living for eternity. Yesterday is gone forever; tomorrow never comes.

Fri. Jan 31, 2020
Forgiveness, the “Secret Sauce” of Life, breaks the chain that binds us – link by link. Like it or not, if we don’t forgive – or at least try – it’s hard to honestly claim that we are Christians.

Tue. Jan 28, 2020
Mourning Kobe and Gigi and Companions – We commend Kobe, Gianna, and all who died in this tragic accident into the hands of our Loving Father, confident that they will be welcomed into eternal life.

Sat, Jan 25, 2020
Walking, walking, walking … This Sunday’s Gospel shows Jesus getting off to a good start.

Thu, Jan 23, 2020
Sausages and Ploughs and Mark’s Gospel.

Mon, Jan 20, 2020
More than just a holiday! Martin Luther King’s legacy must inform our lives every day. Can we restore civility? Can we stop violence?

Sat, Jan 18, 2020
Who’s on First? What’s on Second? Why is the first Sunday the Second Sunday? “Words, words, words . . . Show me!”

Thu, Jan 16, 2020
Beloved Son and the Year of Matthew. Second or third person. Does it make a difference? In his baptism by John in the Jordan River, Jesus affirmed his solidarity with all of suffering humanity.

Mon, Jan 13, 2020
A Mirror in the Manger … and idiosyncrasies of the Liturgical Year. Ordinary Time begins today. The wearin’ of the green. (And Baptism Redux.)

Sat, Jan 11, 2020
How do we understand Baptism? There’s more to Baptism than most of us realize. The Mikveh of Jesus.

Fri, Jan 10, 2020
Some changes coming. I love doing these email Newsletters, but I need a new schedule: Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays. “Humor is essential to a balanced outlook on anything and everything.”

Thu, Jan 9, 2020
Breaking Bread & Walking on Water: Embodiment of the Compassion of God. A very human image of Jesus in no way diminishes his divinity. In fact, it puts the incarnation in sharper focus.

Wed, Jan 8, 2020
This is getting sticky. Sticky Notes is a classical music podcast for everyone. No kidding! At age 77, surrounded by people with hearing aids, my gratitude for still having good hearing naturally is boundless.

Tue, Jan 7, 2020
13th Day . . . and Counting . . . Still Christmas Season. Advent and Christmas Seasons are coming to an end this coming Sunday, the Baptism of the Lord. What next?

Mon, Jan 6, 2020
12th Day: More Epiphany, Two Brothers, and Drummers … and some humor enjoying marital bliss. The Magi and Their Star.

Sun, Jan 5, 2020
11th Day: Epiphany Sunday & Pipers … and Perihelion. Celebrating the Epiphany: What’s in a Date? Epiphany means manifestation. Perihelion – wait for it – will be your reward at the end of this letter.

Sat, Jan 4, 2020
10th Day: Danseurs and Elizabeth. First USA-born Canonized Saint. Today’s saint laid the foundations for the Catholic School system in the USA.

Fri, Jan 3, 2020
9th Day: Holy Name & Ballerinas.

Thu, Jan 2, 2020
8th Day: Cows and Cappadocians. Celebrating Milking Maids and Fathers (and Mothers) of our Faith.

Wed, January 1, 2020
Happy New Year! Seventh or Eighth Day? Octave, Mother of God, Peace, and the New Year.

Tue, December 31, 2019
6th Day: New Year’s Eve, Goose Eggs, and … Today is the First Lady’s Feast Day!

Mon, December 30, 2019
Fifth Day – Rings. All that glitters … What does this gold refer to? How about some gold you can eat? Yummy.

Sun, December 29, 2019
4th Day: Murder & Crows & Holy Family. A lot of killing going on after Christmas.

Sat, December 28, 2019
3rd Day: Faverolles & Infants. A Lesson in Choices and Consequences.

Fri, Dec 27, 2019
2nd Day – Turtle Doves & John the Evangelist.: Of Turtles & Doves & the Eagle.

Thu, December 26, 2019
What’s the First Day of Twelve? Beyond the Partridge: Stephen, Wenceslaus . . . and Boxing.

Wed, December 25, 2019
Merry and Blessed Christmas! Can your smartphone tell you something about the Incarnation?

Tue, December 24, 2019
Almost touchdown . . . God lowered himself to us. Why is Joseph more important than we think?

Mon, December 23, 2019
O Emmanuel! Are We with God? … and St. John Who?

Sun, December 22, 2019
O Rex Gentium . . . Lapisque angularis. King and Cornerstone. Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.

Sat, December 21, 2019
O Oriens! Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Solstice.

Fri, December 20, 2019
O Clavis David. Open and Shut: The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open.

Thu, December 19, 2019
O Radix Jesse – Radical!! Phylloxera… The 19th-century French wine blight. What can it teach us about Jesus?

Wed, December 18, 2019
O Adonai! Adonai, YHWH, & Jehovah. Did you ever wonder where the word “Jehovah” came from?

Tue, December 17, 2019
Happy birthday, Pope Francis! “Ad multos annos…” Our Holy Father’s birthday gift to us.

Sat, December 14th, 2019
School of Darkness. The Cross of St. John: Treasure from Spain.

Fri, December 13th, 2019
Miriam Went to Mexico

Tue, December 10th, 2019
Advent Musings … How does one prepare for beauty, goodness and truth in the midst of so much ugliness, divisiveness and deceit? How does one build in the midst of destruction? The word “ministry” may have a key.

Sat, December 7th, 2019
Sweet Melismas! Ambrosia to the ear … How would you like to be named “Golden Immortal”? Pretty neat, huh?

Fri, December 6th, 2019
Myra and the North Pole… How did a feisty 4th century Greek bishop become the holiday icon of commercial America?

Tue, December 3rd, 2019
“X” marks the … We’re celebrating St. Francis Xavier today.

Mon, December 2nd, 2019
Greccio: The Origin and Meaning of the Manger Scene. Experience Pope Francis as if you were there!

Sun, December 1st, 2019
Gloom and Doom? NOT! Resolve to run forth to meet Christ with generous deeds at his coming …

Fri, November 29th, 2019
St. Andrew — Big Deal? A Patron for our times!

Thu, November 28th, 2019
Giving Thanks… Gratitude is the ultimate virtue and the only real route to happiness.

Sat, September 6th, 2019
Big Double Seven! From trombones to The Strip — and Mrs. Miniver.

September 3rd, 2019
Hurricane Dorian, Frank & Anna, and DietBet again.

Fri, August 9th, 2019
Two Tales of an Answered Call: Edith becomes Teresa and Saul becomes Paul.

Thu, July 11th, 2019
Brook Falls: Bears gotta eat too! (“Sometimes the journey of a thousand miles ends very, very badly.”)

Thu, April 25th, 2019
Alleluia, again and again … (Nobody outdoes Mozart!)

Sat, April 20th, 2019
Holy Saturday: Day of mourning and emptiness . . . and Christ’s hidden work. The Harrowing of Hell.

Thu, April 18th, 2019
Behold the Wood . . .

Mon, April 1st, 2019
The Brits, of course, do it best. The classic 1957 BBC prank.

Sun, March 10th, 2019
Reminders by my door: Marie, Ignatius, and Jesus for Lent … not necessarily in that order.

Tue, March 5th, 2019
Moonrise and Venus at Dawn Sunday Morning. Ash Wednesday is almost upon us…

Thu, February 28th, 2019
The Joy and Spirituality of Shedding a Few Pounds during Lent. Join me in a DietBet game. Doing good and doing well…

Thu, February 14th, 2019
Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Funny Valentine, a Lenten proposal, and Sts. Cyril & Methodius.

Sat, February 2nd, 2019
No shadow! The optimism of Phil & Francis & Tom …

Mon, January 28th, 2019
A panorama of Thomases! Today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Sat, January 19th, 2019
… filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times … and you are there!

Thu, January 3rd, 2019
The Heavens are telling the glory of God . . . and all Creation is dancing for joy!

Sun, December 30th, 2018
The Gifts Keep Coming and Coming

Mon, December 24th, 2018
Not by human effort . . . “Do you hear what I hear?”

Sun, December 23rd, 2018
The dawn of redeeming grace.

Sun, November 18th, 2018
Gratitude . . . This Thanksgiving I am most thankful for YOU!

Sun, November 4th, 2018
That extra hour . . .

Tue, October 30th, 2018
(Again) It’s been a long time and lots has been happening!

Mon, July 9th, 2018
Greetings from Nazareth House. Yes, I’m still here. I’m back after four months . . . What have I been up to?

Thu, April 5th, 2018
The Risen Jesus and the Marks of His Passion. The paradox of Easter: discovering Christ’s wounds among us.

Mon, March 19th, 2018
St. Joseph in Action! And Holy Week.

Sat, March 17th, 2018
Happy St. Patrick’s Day; The Celtic Cross.

Sun, December 24th, 2017
Christmas begins on December 25; it doesn’t end there. May compassion and peace come into our world which is so much in need of understanding and healing.

Fri, December 15th, 2017
Been a long time. What have I been up to? Ireland, Chaucer & Cullen, Isaiah & Handel Advent Retreat.

Thu, August 10th, 2017
In search of beauty … and God.

Mon, July 17th, 2017
Jesus sat down by the lakeshore . . .

Tue, July 11th, 2017
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a monk at heart.

Mon, July 3rd, 2017
A Panorama of Thomases.

Sun, July 2nd, 2017
Food for body and soul. Herbed Rack of lamb . . .

Sat, July 1st, 2017
Oh, the adrenaline rush! Well, guilt too.

Tue, June 27th, 2017
Two years into retirement!

Fri, May 26th, 2017
Ascension and You and Me.

Sun, May 14th, 2017
Been a long time since my last e-letter, but a lot has been happening! Picture yourself here! “A Journey to the Heart & Soul of Ireland,”

Mon, February 27th, 2017
Lots of good things to make your Lent this year a life- changing experience. Let’s begin with Pope Francis.

Fri, February 3rd, 2017
Come with us to Ireland in September. Invitation to ten wonderful days immersed in forty shades of green!

Sat, January 14th, 2017
Coming down from the mountain . . . and Being at Home in the Valley.

Sat, January 7th, 2017
Twelfth Day of Christmas . . . and beyond. We can’t let go of a good thing …

Wed, December 28th, 2016
Old Endings and New Beginnings. Hope is not optimism. Here’s why . . .

Sat, December 24th, 2016
Do you hear what I hear? Jesus our Savior did come for to die . . .

Tue, December 13th, 2016
Happy 80th Birthday, Papa Francesco!

Tue, December 6th, 2016
Hello from the Priests’ House of Prayer!

Tue, November 29th, 2016
St. Nick, Advent, music, homily, a painless way to do good, and even the Emerald Isle . . . it’s all here!

Wed, November 23rd, 2016
Thanksgiving 2016: This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for you, and glad to be back in touch.

Mon, February 1st, 2016
Lent is around the corner. Already!

Tue, January 12th, 2016
2016 New Year: Looking back and looking forward.

Wed, December 23rd, 2015
Christmas Letter: This is indeed a season of grace, May compassion and peace come into our world which is so much in need of understanding and healing.

Sun, December 6th, 2015
Mercy and light in the midst of violence and darkness.

Thu, November 26th, 2015
Giving Thanks in All Things . . .

Tue, October 27th, 2015
Greetings from Assisi.

Wed, October 21st, 2015
Today is the day! We are leaving for Assisi and Rome on Pilgrimage.

Wed, October 14th, 2015
Virtual Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome
Early Christian World Pilgrimage 2016 – canceled
Abraham & Interfaith Dialogue

Thu, September 10th, 2015
A lot has been happening since my last Newsletter. You are one of 192 of my friends receiving this.

Mon, September 21st, 2015
Happenings & Hoped-for 10th Anniv. ECW Pilgrimage

Thu, August 20th, 2015
First 50 days of retirement; getting in the groove.

Thu, July 30th, 2015
Intrigued and enthralled . . .

Thu, July 16th, 2015
Third week and counting . . .

Fri, July 3rd, 2015
First Retirement Newsletter: A good and hopeful beginning
Greetings on the Feast of St. Thomas

Tue, September 24th, 2013
Leadership Retreat Video is Now Online
In case you missed it or want to relive or share it with someone else.

Wed, September 11th, 2013
Parish Leadership Retreat Reminder

Sat, August 17th, 2013
Parish Leadership Retreat

Mon, February 4th, 2013
Message to 2013 Pilgrims.

Tue, January 22nd, 2013
Come! The Way of the Pilgrim.
Immerse yourself in our Christian Heritage.

Wed, January 2nd, 2013
The “Cappadocian Clan” – St. Basil: meet the man your favorite herb was named after!

Tue, January 1st, 2013
Theotokos

Mon, December 31st, 2012
Sylvester

Wed, December 26th, 2012
Christmas 2012

Mon, December 10th, 2012
The Old Man Who Wouldn’t Burn – St. Polycarp of Smyrna (Izmir)
Even saints don’t always get what they pray for.

Fri, December 7th, 2012
Is Mary’s House for Real?

Thu, December 6th, 2012
December 6: Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Fri, November 23rd, 2012
Early Christian World Pilgrimage-Retreat to Turkey, March 31-April 18, 2013

Wed, April 4th, 2012
Istanbul not Constantinople – Enjoy!

Wed, April 4th, 2012
FOUR MORE DAYS!

Sun, March 25th, 2012
Pilgrims’ Gathering, April 1; Last Minute Chores

Sat, March 10th, 2012
Videos from March 4 Pilgrims’ Gathering Are Online, Next Gathering April 1

Sun, February 26th, 2012
Pilgrims Gathering Next Sunday, March 4!

Fri, February 10th, 2012
Pilgrims Gathering This Sunday! Feb 12, 2012.

Sat, February 4th, 2012
“Now the fun begins . . .” Preliminary to 2012 ECW Pilgrimage.

Sat, May 14th, 2011
End of Pilgrimage.

Wed, May 4th, 2011
First installment deferred.

Sun, April 24th, 2011
ECW – Pilgrims Progress: April 26-May 19, 2011
Tuesday evening. April 26, in Istanbul, Turkey, fifteen Pilgrims will meet to begin a 19-day adventure through the major sites of our Christian heritage in Turkey. Why?