Daily Reflections

If you would like to receive these daily reflections (written by various parishioners) in your email box each day, contact [email protected]

August 25, 2025 – Unplug
A few months ago, I saw a news story about a high school girls’ softball team who made a bold choice—they traded in their smartphones for flip phones and committed to a month without social media. One of the girls had an MRI at the start of the month, then another when it ended. The results were remarkable: her brain showed increased blood flow and signs of dopamine rebalancing—similar to what happens when someone withdraws from a powerful drug. Social media’s endless likes, comments, and notifications are designed to hook us, giving us tiny hits of pleasure that keep us coming back for more.
In Scripture, we see Jesus regularly “unplugging.” He spent 40 days in the desert and often slipped away from the crowds to be alone with His Father in prayer. If the Son of God needed that time of stillness and renewal, how much more do we? When Sarah and I were on vacation, our time away from the constant pull of social media left us deeply refreshed. Lord, thank You for showing us that rest, silence, and connection with You are not luxuries; they are necessities for the soul.                                                             Kurt Peterson
 
August 26, 2024 – Love your Enemy,
Jesus’ command to love our enemies can feel distant when we picture it only in the context of Roman soldiers and ancient oppression. In today’s world, we may not face occupying armies, but we do live in a deeply polarized society. Political divisions, social disagreements, and cultural differences can turn neighbors into “enemies” in our minds. Sometimes, those who simply think differently than we do become targets of our frustration or disdain. Yet, Jesus’ words still apply—perhaps even more urgently now. Loving our enemies does not mean agreeing with them or excusing harmful actions. It means seeing them as people made in God’s image, with hopes, struggles, and worth equal to our own. It calls me to listen, to seek understanding before judgment, and to respond with kindness when I am met with hostility. This love is not a feeling but a choice—a decision to reflect God’s grace in a world that thrives on division. When I love those I disagree with, I disrupt the cycle of anger and show a better way, the way of Christ. In doing so, we can all become peacemakers in a fractured world.                                             Kurt Peterson
 
 
August 27, 2025 – I Left My Heart
Recently Sarah and I went to San Francisco to visit our son, Spencer, who was there for a music festival with friends. I think the last time we were in “The City” was before the pandemic but being there again that day was wonderful. First, we were with our son. Second, the weather was perfect. And lastly, all our old haunts were still there.
My family, on my dad’s side, was from San Francisco, so it has always held a special place in my heart. One of Spencer’s friends had never been to the city before, so we got to play tour guide. From Fort Point, looking up at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge disappearing into the fog, to the beautiful grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts, to the smells, sights, and sounds of Chinatown and North Beach, the voice of Tony Bennett rang in my head.
On that day, its golden sun truly did shine for us.                                                                                         
Kurt Peterson
 
August 28, 2025 – Love Is a One-way Street
In John 3:16, we are given the clearest picture of God’s love: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” This verse reveals a love that is pure, selfless, and sacrificial. St. Thomas Aquinas described love as “willing the good of the other.” True love seeks the other’s good without expecting anything in return. It is a one-way street pouring out of oneself for the benefit of another.
God’s love for us is exactly that. He did not wait for humanity to deserve it; He acted first, giving the greatest gift He could offer—His Son—knowing that some would reject Him. A relationship may require mutual exchange but love itself does not demand repayment. Love simply gives, without keeping score, without holding back.
This kind of love challenges me. It calls me to love others even when it is not convenient, appreciated, or returned. It means choosing generosity over self-interest, forgiveness over resentment, and sacrifice over comfort. When I love in this way, I reflect God’s heart to the world—a love that flows freely, endlessly, and without condition.                                         
Kurt Peterson

August 29, 2025 – Removing Bamboo
If you have ever tried to remove bamboo from your yard, you know how insidious it is. Sin can be a lot like trying to remove bamboo. On the surface, you might think you’ve gotten rid of it—just like when we think a sinful habit is gone because we’ve stopped for a while. But underneath, deep in the soul like bamboo’s rhizomes beneath the soil, roots remain. These roots—memories, habits, attachments—store the energy for sin to return. Even the smallest piece left behind can sprout again, sometimes stronger than before.
That’s why half-hearted efforts aren’t enough. Just as bamboo requires deep digging and care to remove all the rhizomes, sin requires a deep, honest examination of my heart. I can’t simply trim the visible stalks and think the problem is gone; I must allow God to reach the hidden places.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is God’s way of digging deep for us. In confession, we name our sins, admit our weakness, and receive grace to heal the roots. God’s mercy is not just a quick pruning—it’s a cleansing of the soil of our souls. Without it, sin will quickly return. But with it, I can live a freer, more fruitful life, knowing the Master Gardener has cleared the ground and planted something new in its place.                                                           
Kurt Peterson
 
August 30, 2025 – Forks in the Road
It was the summer of 1967, and I was about to start high school as a freshman. My friend Ron came over to my house and said he was heading to our brand-new high school—Branham High—to try out for the marching band. He asked if I wanted to come along. I wasn’t signed up for any activities yet, so I told him I’d go. The band teacher, Pete Reinheimer, was only 22 years old and just starting his teaching career. Ron played flute and clarinet, so he tried out for the wind section. I didn’t play any instrument, so Pete looked at me and said, “We’ll have you play drums.” And just like that, I became a drummer.
The following year, our band teacher encouraged seven of us to try out for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. The Vanguard was still relatively new, and back then, if you had a pulse, you made the corps. That summer day in 1967 set me on a path that changed my life forever. Being part of something bigger than myself taught me teamwork, discipline, and the value of working hard toward a goal. We pushed ourselves every year, and by 1970 we were national champions and by 1971 we became world champions. 
Recently, five of us, from the Branham Bunch, reunited over Zoom to talk about old times, new times, and everything in between. We even invited our old band teacher to join us. We talked for over two hours, and when we wrapped up, he told us how proud he was of us and the lives we are living now. You never really know what life has in store. If I had told Ron “no” that day, I would never have had the life I have now.                                                                        
Kurt Peterson
 
August 31, 2025 – His Hands
I like doing things with my hands—whether drumming, working in the yard, cooking, or building something from imagination. My dad was the same way. He worked on cars, built furniture, and loved creating. I remember once, after a trip to Mexico, helping him tile our home inside and out. Now, when I work with my hands, I sometimes look down and see his hands in mine. It’s both strange and comforting, a reminder that part of him lives on through me.
This makes me think of Jesus, who was a carpenter before His ministry. He also worked with His hands—shaping wood, building, and creating. But more than that, He built lives, relationships, and hope. When we serve, build, or create with our hands, we are following His example. Just as I see my father’s presence in my own hands, we can also see Jesus in our lives when we act with His love. The work of our hands becomes a reflection of His work in the world. And one day, when others see kindness, service, or love in what I do, they may see the hands of Christ in me also.                                                       Kurt Peterson
 

August 18, 2025 - Could’a, Would’a, Should’a
The words we say during the Confiteor at mass include the words “…I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do…”. I tend to concentrate on the “done” sins and not so much on the “failed to do”.  In particular I think about the situations I could have responded with actions, donations or even prayers and I find reasons to not respond.  I could have-but I forgot.  I would have- but I had something else to do (wash the car?).  I should have-but….any number of reasons.   I have to remember that sin also occurs when I omit doing “what Jesus would do”, and what I am called to do by my profession of faith and identifying myself as a Christian.  Lord Jesus help me to put away the “could’a, would’a, should’a” and embrace the “just do it”.                           Deacon David
 
August 19, 2024 – It’s a Process
Many wise people have contributed their wisdom to my education over my eight decades. One of those to whom I’ve often referred, Sr. Joan Chittister, recently referred to her vocation and to vocations in general as not coming to her or others like a bolt out of the blue but as a process, a “hard, slow process”.  When I think about that I don’t confine my thoughts of “vocation” to those of Sisters, Brothers or Priests but also all of us who  embrace the vocations of wives, husbands, caregivers or any and all occupations.  And, speaking from experience, I can attest to good times as well as hard times in the process of being a husband, father, parole agent, Christian and deacon.  There are the days when, at the end of the day, I think “..it ain’t easy” as well as the times I think “..job well done”.   Jesus, true man, shared these human experiences we have and modelled for us how to experience and enjoy life by living a life of love and service to all, no exceptions.  He, like us, got tired and needed time to rest because his mission was “a hard, slow process”.  Lord, help me to accept the process as you did, with persistence and love.                                    
Deacon David
 
August 20, 2025 -  I’m Fine
People ask me how I’m doing now that I’ve retired.  I’d like to be able to get away with saying something like “I’m fine” but, truth is, life has changed substantially.  I have more leisure time to spend reading or doing things that I’d put off doing around the house but, truthfully, I miss some of the activities I engaged in at the parish (not, however, staff meetings).  When I retired from my career as a parole agent I didn’t miss the work.   There is an element of love in being a deacon which gives that “job” a different perspective.  While I loved being with the parishioners more actively it was getting harder, both physically and mentally, to continue.   I’m still involved along with Jane in some ministries and will continue to help where I am able.  So the answer I respond with to the question in the first sentence above will continue to be longer than the pro forma “I’m fine” although I am fine.  I love you, I miss you. How are you?                     Deacon David
 
August 21,2025 – Compassion
It is becoming more and more difficult to watch the TV news (as it has been since at least COVID) but the ongoing and unrelenting stories of immense suffering and starvation in the Gaza region of Israel, the casualties of war in the Ukraine, and ongoing domestic concerns for the hungry and unhoused here at home batter me day after day.   So I, and I’m sure you too, are faced with the ongoing question of “…what can I do?”.  That question itself means that we are a compassionate people.    Jesus modelled compassion for us in the various parables dealing with pain and hunger and he used those parables to teach how to respond.  Many in our community respond by volunteering in various ministries to serve the poor, hungry and unhoused.  That is good!   But…while meeting the present needs of others the root problems persist and that is where compassion kicks in.    Compassion means more than feeling sorry for but, truly, suffering along with.  History has given us examples of people who did that: Dorothy Day lived with the poverty stricken calling, by her action, attention to what people were enduring and challenging the government and other people to respond.  Likewise, for Ghandi and Mandela and that unnamed solo man who faced off the might of the Chinese military.  Jesus most likely played a part in each of these people’s responses.  So: what can I do? Pray. Give of myself. Live simply. Write a letter.  Pray. WWJD?                               
Deacon David
 
August 22, 2025 - You Get What You Pay For
Jane and I like bargains and “good deals” as do many people we know.  We look for quality and reasonable prices but sometimes, mostly from a pop up on the phone or computer, we go for the “unbeatable” price of the item(s).  I, for instance, saw nice looking men’s dress shoes at $50 a pair so I ordered a black and a brown pair paying less for two than I’d pay for one only in a shoe store. They pinched my toes and were uncomfortably stiff so off to St. Vincent de Paul they have gone.  A $100 lesson.  We have each worked in RCIA/OCIA   for over 35 years and have seen many people go through the process and many times get a question such as “…how long will this take?”.  The only answer that I can give, a very unsatisfactory one, is “…it takes as long as it takes”.   At the end of the journey, those who stay often say something to the effect that they learned so much and developed close relationships with their sponsors, other participants and teachers that they could not imagine not having gone through it in the way it is designed.  I too am a “convert”, pre RCIA, who was accepted for baptism by a priest with whom I’d met with for three months of chats. Truly I knew virtually nothing about the whys and wherefores of the Catholic religion and I can say that I am still learning about Jesus and our Church 65 years later.   Present day catechumens and candidates are getting what they are paying for in terms of knowing the Catholic faith by participating in the OCIA process, however long it takes.  Pray for them.                                     
Deacon David
 
August 23, 2025 – Listen
Many of us who write these daily reflections have written about the most important part of prayer: listening.   I don’t mean to rehash what has already been said but I have to tell you that this is one of the things that I constantly struggle with because, as I’ve said about myself I “should” practice what I preach.  During child raising I’d often ask something like “…are you listening to me?” of my children when it was obvious I wasn’t being listened to.  The shoe is now on the other foot when it comes to praying and I imagine God chastising me for NOT listening to him.  But “…I’m trying” or “I’m too tired” or whatever rationale I come up with (as my children did) at the time doesn’t cut it.  In reading the lives of the Saints it is often related how they’d spend hours, or more, in prayer while I allot perhaps a few minutes at a time in my prayer.  Oh, I thank God or ask God or praise God or struggle to find things to say but, I admit, I spend little time in listening for God.  I know God responds in his own way and in the best way for me, whether I agree or not.  So, please God, forgive me again.   Amen.
Deacon David
 
August 24, 2025 – Journey
Three readings in today’s mass spoke to me of what it has meant over the millennia not only to worship God but to serve God.  I think of my early years as a practicing Catholic having been satisfied with mass on Sunday and prayers before meals and bedtime.  I was, perhaps, the sort of person in Luke’s gospel today who responded to Jesus while on his journey to Jerusalem, saying “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets”.  They, and I, were passive participants in the journey.  Jesus asks me not  just to be there but to join in the work of proclaiming the good news.  Yes, I do eat and drink of his body and blood at mass but am called to carry on with his mission to ALL people from east and west, north and south, to be known by Jesus and not to hear the words “I do not know where you are from.”  When my journey ends will I hear the Lord say “welcome” or “depart from me.”  It is up to me to use the gifts I receive from the Word of God, the gift of the eucharist and the gift of those who have shared the reality of the good news with me.  My prayer is that you will join me on this active journey.                                                                         Deacon David

Aug. 11, 2025- Making the Bed
Do you make your bed every day?  I was taught to do it as a child and so was my husband, so we never questioned doing it once we were married.  Since we typically get out of the bed at the same time, the job is even easier.  It gives us a sense of satisfaction that even though chaos may reign throughout other parts of our house, our bed is neat and tidy.  If for some reason one of us is sick and the bed doesn’t get made, something feels “off”.
I feel the same way about mealtime prayer.  It doesn’t feel “right” to start eating without first saying a prayer.  If my husband and I are eating with people who don’t pray, we grab each other’s hands, bow our heads, and say a silent prayer.   It wouldn’t feel “right” unless we did.
Thank you, God, for the habits which draw us closer to you.  Help us develop more of them!
Darcy Wharton
 
Aug. 12, 2025- The Prayers of Many
Many years ago, I was attending a retreat at Mercy Center in Auburn.  I had the opportunity to witness some of the Mercy sisters in residence as they each wrote a prayer on the back of a brick.  All of the retreat attendees were invited to do the same.  The director of the center told us that these bricks were going to be part of a labyrinth that was being built.  In fact, she invited us to lay our brick (prayer side down) to help form the path.  Knowing that I would someday walk that very labyrinth, I placed my brick in a spot that I would remember.
Nearly every time I visit, I think of the many hands that formed that labyrinth and the hundreds of people who have since walked it with deep prayer intentions.  It makes me consider how often I am walking the paths that others have set.  Who were our forefathers (and mothers) in faith?  Who were the hands that fashioned the house in which I live?  Or the farmers and factory workers whose hands have made my dinner possible?
Thank you, God, for those who have contributed in countless ways to enrich our lives.
Darcy Wharton
 
 Aug. 13, 2025- The Gift of Slowing Down
My husband and I travelled to Italy a couple of months ago.  It was beautiful in so many ways.  One thing we realized is that meals there are not rushed.  The idea of “fast food” would likely repel most Italians.   Whether it was in a restaurant or in our villa (hotel), meals were relaxed and filled with conversation sprinkled with laughter.  We were travelling with 18 people we hadn’t met before but by the end of the trip, we felt like we all knew each other quite well.
In our world which seems to be increasingly fast paced, perhaps I can remember that there is goodness in slowing down.  I can slow down when eating, making decisions, and even waiting in lines.  As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ wrote, “trust in the slow work of God.”  If God works slowly, then perhaps I can do the same!
Darcy Wharton
 
Aug. 14, 2025- The Gift of Pause
Yesterday I wrote about slowing down.  Today I’m pondering the need to pause.  I recently attended a retreat with Terry Hershey, a well-known speaker.  His topic was The Power of Pause.  After spending a good portion of his life as an overworked pastor who also was demanding of his staff and parishioners, he felt God nudging him to significantly change.  He now speaks of finding God in his garden, in giving sermons to any local wildlife that will listen, and the importance of finding places where we can take a deep breath, relax our shoulders, and settle into peace.
One of my takeaways is that we don’t have to radically change our lives to find peace.  He discussed creating and recognizing “portals” that help us transition from busyness to calmness.  Maybe it’s turning on the light switch before settling into a favorite chair.  Or changing our clothes before stepping into the garden.  These portals can help us prayerfully prepare for an encounter with God.
Loving God, help us look for moments in our ordinary day when we can pause to spend a moment with you.
Darcy Wharton
 
 Aug. 15, 2025- Blessed Are You Among Women
Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This year, it is a Holy Day of Obligation and we are celebrating Mass at 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM. Over the years, I have fielded questions from people who are seeking to understand the reason for the Church’s emphasis on Mary.    While this could be answered differently by individual Catholics, the Church has long held that Mary’s role in our salvation is too important to be overlooked.  As early as the 5^th century, believers began celebrating Mary’s birth into heaven.  In 1950, the dogma regarding the Assumption of Mary became official.
Perhaps the greater question is determining what role Mary plays in our own spiritual lives.  My own relationship with Mary was forged in childhood as I created a little grotto in my grandmother’s yard.  She has been my constant companion and spiritual mother.   
Blessed Mary, watch over us and keep us close to your Son.
Darcy Wharton
 
Aug. 16, 2025-
A Humble Servant
There are so many parishioners who exemplify humble service.  One such person was Milton Goes.  As a parishioner since 1997, Milton and his wife immediately became active parishioners.  It didn’t take long before Milton volunteered his skills as an architect and as a woodworker.   There are several items in the church that Milton either created or improved through his craftsmanship.  He was frequently seen on the grounds and always greeted everyone with a warm smile and handshake.  For the women, a kiss on the hand.  
I cannot remember a time when he was anything but a gentleman, willing to provide service whenever asked.  He would even bring ice cream to the parish staff as a way of thanking us for our work.   
Loving God, our parish is completely dependent on volunteers.  Thank you for encouraging us to use our gifts in the service of all.   And thank you for Milton, a shining example of humility in action.
Darcy Wharton
 
 Aug. 17, 2025- Setting the World on Fire
Jesus tells us in Luke’s gospel that He came to “set the world on fire”.  One commentary indicates that Jesus' expression of eagerness for the fire to be kindled reflects his deep desire for the world to experience God's transformative power. It is a call to recognize the urgency of the present time and respond to the message of the Gospel.  Jesus’ next line is that he has come “not to establish peace but rather division”.  That particular line has always been hard for me to hear.
Jesus’ words are just as applicable today as when He walked the earth.  Division seems to exist in every aspect of human life- in society, families, organizations, and politics.  Jesus seems to be calling me to put Him before anything else, even if that adds to a sense of division.
Loving God, purify me through the fire of your transforming love, and help me to always put you first.
Darcy Wharton

August 4, 2025 – Treasure
 
The first time I felt the sacredness of land was when I traveled to Chiapas, Mexico on a service immersion trip with my students.   What I learned from the people with whom we lived and worked, was that the land was much more than their work or a means to nourish their bodies…it was tied to their spirit.  As such, living and working on the land was a vehicle of prayer for the campesino farmers and their families.  
 
I find myself longing to travel to places where I find a similar encounter of God’s presence.  Whether it be driving to the coast, through the National Parks, or a road trip to Montana, I have found this same connectedness to the land.  Awe and wonder become a prayer as I float on the river, hit the hiking trail, or as I let my feet settle into the sand at the break of the ocean waves. 
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Luke 12:34).  
-Katie Maynard
 
 
August 5, 2025 – Superglue
 
In my house it is commonplace to find a tube of superglue on the counter from a recent “fix-it” job.  It all comes from my husband’s loving desire to make all things new again; from the tiniest crack in a favorite toy, to a broken handle on a ceramic jug…our girls have come to believe that superglue can fix almost anything.
 
My grandparents were like superglue – from our cracks and fissures, they made all things new. As my grandfather spent this past summer in hospice care, we tried to imagine what our lives would be like without him…and when he passed away just last week, it felt as though I might fall apart.  Not singularly from his passing, but as the last of my grandparents passed away, I wondered if the glue would hold without anyone from that generation to patch me up.
 
My consolation rests in knowing that our faith in eternal life affirms my daughters’ faith in superglue.  You see, the love of a grandparent mirrors the love of God, which can fix almost anything and it never fails.
-Katie Maynard
 
 August 6, 2025 – Broken, Calloused and Worn
 
I have always loved walking into used bookstores, usually with no agenda but to wander through the aisles, run my fingers over the book’s broken spines and flip through their worn pages.  Personally, I have a hard time getting rid of the books on my shelves …perhaps because they represent rare corners of stillness and the gift of being immersed in a story or new ideas.
 
As my parents went through my grandfather’s belongings after his passing, it was clear that he had a similar inability to pass his books along as they were a treasured possession.  Many of the books went to the used bookstore in town, and some of them were passed along to family members.  I couldn’t wait to hold the same book, turning the same pages that took my grandfather to his own space of peace and quiet.  I thought too about the hands that held these books…hands that were once calloused by the labor of forestry and hard work, to the fragile and wrinkled hands of his age.  
 
Our lives are beautiful stories with broken spines, worn pages, held by calloused and fragile hands.  And within lies the most incredible space of beauty, peace and stillness…Be still and know that I am God.
-Katie Maynard
    
August 7, 2025 – The First, Wildest and Wisest Thing
 
A dear friend once spoke to me about the ways in which she used simple everyday tasks as a way to find prayer.  With so little time for quiet prayer in my life these days, I began to see some of the chores and tasks that often leave me exasperated, as opportunities for prayer.  
 
For instance, as I fold laundry, I say a prayer for each person in my family.  The laundry is not so tiny as it used to be, so I pray for the health of their growing bodies, minds and spirits, and for their safety: that their clothing may be comfort and even armor.  As I drive us to and from all things, I pray not only for the safety of our travels, but the lyrics of the songs we listen to on the radio often become a prayer.  
 
Mary Oliver said, “This is the first, the wildest thing, and wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”  I have found that praying in this way helps me to push back on the anxiety of frenetic pace by embracing a loving attention.
-Katie Maynard
 
 
August 8, 2025 – Salinity
 
This past summer when we road tripped through Utah’s “Mighty Five” National Parks, erosion was definitely the common thread.   At each visitor center and on every hike, we witnessed the ways in which salt, wind and water carve and shape the rock and landscape.  With layers of sandstone striped rocks, arches, canyons, domes and hoodoos (look it up), we were in constant awe and wonder at the incredible and creative power of nature.  
 
Salt, in particular, proved to be a surprising player in the erosion game…from salt flats, to solution pockets in the rocks, it made me think of the centrality that salt plays in our own lives and in our faith.  Mahatma Ghandi marched with thousands to the sea to make their own salt as a means of protest to an oppressive British rule: an economic protest, but also a symbolic one, as salt is critical for survival.  
 
Our faith calls us to be salt and light: flavoring and enhancing the world around us by our life and love.  
-Katie Maynard
 
 August 9, 2025 –Tenacity
 
Deserts, by definition, receive very little rain, making water scarcity a significant challenge for plants and animals in the region.   Temperature extremes, limited vegetation, and harsh sunlight further contribute to the difficulties…yet despite these obstacles, “life hangs on with tenacity.”  We saw this quote at the Arches National Park visitor center, as the exhibit detailed the adaptations of the desert’s flora and fauna.  It was incredible to see the roots of trees arching and clamoring on the rocks, or singular flowers growing from the crevices tolerating the doubts and finding nourishment where they could.
 
In today’s gospel we hear Jesus say that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible.  So, when I find myself in the desert of my own life: a dry prayer life, isolation, hopelessness…with the faith of a mustard seed, I hang on with tenacity. 
-Katie Maynard
 
  
August 10, 2025 – Hope, Wait and Turn Around
 
On our last day in Zion National Park, we awoke extremely early to watch the sunrise.  After hiking in the dark, we arrived at the canyon overlook, found a spot on the rocks and waited.  With towering red rocks and mountains surrounding us, we waited for quite some time for the sun to peak over the mountain, although we kept getting hints of it…as if the sun was teasing us, casting a glow over us as we watched shadows lowering down the length of the cliffs and reflections sparkling in the distance.  And then, finally, the light grew stronger and brighter over the edge of the peak and we began to see the shape of the sun.  It was an incredible sight to see; then we turned around to look back across the canyon and saw the light pouring across the landscape and illuminating the canyon.   It was breathtaking.
 
This is much like our own faith lives: to walk the path of Christ, sometimes stumbling in the darkness of our own choices, to hope and wait for the light, all-the-while getting hints of its power and grace, and then to bask in its glow.  But even that is not the end…we turn around and see what our lives have left behind…the sun revealing its existence and it is breathtaking.
-Katie Maynard


July 28, 2025 - Where Is God? 

As a child I was schooled on the Baltimore Catechism which used a question-and-answer format to teach the beliefs of the Catholic Church. One of the first questions was: where is God? The answer was: God is everywhere. I came to realize that this meant God was within me also. But where? I puzzled over which body part might be God. Was he hidden within my body just like my heart was? I couldn’t see my heart, but I knew approximately where it was in my body. Then I wondered if God might be that little round dot that floated around in front of my eyes when I closed them. Much later as an adult I was reading Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians when I was overwhelmed with the realization that the spirit of Jesus was fully and totally within me. And that Jesus had to die to release his spirit into the world so that I (we) could have it within me. I was so shaken by the realization that Jesus’s very spirit was in me in a real way that I went into the kitchen for a glass of water and saw that the dishwasher needed loading. As I stuck my shaking hand into a glass to rinse it, it broke and cut the back of my hand. I still have that little scar on my hand as a reminder that Jesus is within me, including in that little scar. Jane Haproff  

July 29, 2025 - God Is Love 

The novel Babel is about the literal power of words. In this Sci-Fi novel, words with opposite meanings are engraved on two sides of silver bricks; the idea being that the tension between the opposites creates an energy force akin to magic. It can change minds, and destroy things as well as heal them, etc. It has set me on a path of thinking about the power of words. As I was praying the words at Mass last week, I was struck by what we were saying when we say: God is love. If we just look at the grammatical construction of that sentence, we’re saying God and love are the same thing. What a remarkable thing to believe! When I experience love, I am actually experiencing God. Yet we use the word “love” so casually in this culture. I love my husband, chocolate, laying on a sunny beach, my children, my friends, reading, watching BBC crime programs, etc. And in each case God is not just there, in some amorphous way but God is really present in that love in a very real and powerful way. And this is not just true for those of us who believe in God’s love and power…it’s true for anyone who loves. Why? Because love is God. The literal power of these words is breath taking for me. 

Jane Haproff 

 July 30, 2025 - God Is So Much More  

As I continue thinking about how we speak of the presence of God I recalled all of the different adjectives besides love we use to describe Him. The responsorial psalm for today says “the Lord is kind and merciful”; we say God is good (all the time!) and that God is merciful, kind, slow to anger, just, gracious and forgiving. These are not just descriptions of how God acts; they are description of what God is, ways in which God makes His presence known. So every time I am kind, merciful, just, etc. I am making God manifest in this world. And when I fail to do so, I obscure the presence of God. Not being a theologian I can’t say exactly that this is sin, but I can ask why wouldn’t it be?  

Louis Evely in That Man Is You wrote many years ago that Jesus was limited in what he could do by his humanity, and the time and place in which he lived. So it is up to me, living in the 21st century, to manifest His presence in the world by acting as He would. Nothing here is new to me. What is new is the realization that relatively ordinary human actions of someone baptized into this body carry an extraordinary responsibility that I used to take just for granted. 

Lord, help me to be your presence in ways and in places I had not earlier fathomed. 

Jane Haproff 

 

July 31, 1015 – As the Spirit Moves 

David and I sleep with the bedroom window open right above our bed. One night as I couldn’t sleep, I lay there watching the breeze stirring the leaves of the bush to the side of the window. Oddly, though, I didn’t feel that breeze right in front of the window. A minute or so later as I felt a gentle breeze blowing in the window I looked out and saw that the leaves of that same bush were not moving at all. I stared out the window for several minutes witnessing this phenomenon repeat itself over and over. I thought about how all of nature responds to the spirit (or the wind) in different ways and at different times. We humans are no different. The spirit moves as it will and we respond differently, sometimes questioning and ignoring, sometimes by being comforted, challenged, or moved to action. But the spirit continues to move over the waters of our lives no matter how we respond, waiting patiently for us to be aware of God’s presence and love. 

Jane Haproff 

August 1, 2025 - More than You Need 

Where was Costco when we were raising a large family? So many things are available there at such good prices and in such great quantity that would have benefited us when our children lived at home. Still it is so easy to see something reasonably priced and pick it up even though it’s more than two people can use, and we have no place for it in our small house. We force ourselves to make a list of needs-only before we go. But that doesn’t stop us from coming home with a thirty-five blue scrubbies, or two loaves of a specialty bread. And the king size jars of things like mayonnaise or ghee?!! So much more than we need. The great abundance of things there came up in conversation recently and someone commented that it reminded them of the abundance of God. At Costco things are packaged in giant sizes, huge boxes and multiples, and isn’t this just how God blesses us, often providing us with more mercy, grace and love than we can imagine? I have found many useful, affordable items at Costco, and now I will recognize the goodness and generosity of God there as well. Jane Haproff 

August 2, 2025 - Imitation 

Recently David and I went out for breakfast. I asked for water and received a wrapped straw with it. I don’t use straws anymore because I hate paper straws and can sip quite easily from a glass. As I reached for the water, I noticed that the vacated booth next to us had r two half empty glasses of water on it, each with a straw in it. Without thinking I unwrapped the straw, placed it in my glass and realized it was plastic. I questioned why I had chosen to use the straw in the first place, when I don’t usually. Then during a family card game my son reached for a glass of water someone had placed next to him, looked puzzled and said: “why did I do that? I’m not thirsty, it was just there, and I drank it”. These examples made me think about why I attend Mass and receive the Sacraments regularly. Even when I am struggling with my faith, it helps to see other people practicing theirs. I am reminded that God doesn’t ask me to feel religious or pious. He asks me to do good no matter how I feel; so when I imitate the actions of good people, I am pleasing Him. And If I can unthinkingly use a straw or drink some water how much more benefit is there in going to Mass out of habit! Jane Haproff 

 

August 3, 2025 - Old Habits Resurrected 

As an adult I left behind some of the faith practices I had learned as a child, but some have returned as I age, only now I have a deeper understanding and appreciation. For example in sixth grade Sister suggested that we prayerfully place our lives on the paten with the Host as the priest offers it up at Mass. She said God would be so aware of his Son that he might not notice me there, but that we would be there with Him anyway. For much of my life I have done this, only now I know that He sees me there with Him too. Another thing I remember from youth is the prayer of the Morning Offering:  

O Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you all of my prayers, works, joys and suffering of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month. 

I hadn’t said this particular prayer for years but have found myself lately saying a truncated version of it almost daily as I awaken. I omit everything after the Mass is mentioned, wanting only to unite myself with Jesus on that paten, and picturing that happening over and over again at every Mass throughout the world, me and Jesus in each other, offering ourselves to the Father. I figure that God knows all those other specific intentions. Jane Haproff 

July 21, 2025 - Daring Greatly
One of my favorite authors, Brene Brown wrote about what it means to “dare greatly”.  She quotes Theodore Roosevelt on how it is the person who is “actually in the arena; who strives valiantly; who errs,” that accomplishes things.  Like  the gladiator who fought valiantly in the arena, I imagine Peter similarly as he stepped out onto the water.  Peter knew he couldn’t walk on water, but he dared to listen to Christ’s call to come to him. Peter dared greatly in the face of what he knew was not possible and followed Christ anyway.   When his faith faltered and he looked down, Christ did not disparage him but pulled him up.  It is such a beautiful image and moment to recall.  
Thank you, Lord, for all of the times when my faith has faltered and I  have looked down when you called me out of the boat.  Thank you for lifting me up and holding me in your grasp knowing despite my errors, that I am still loved and called to follow you.                                                                        
Bianca Hennager
 
July 22, 2025 – Mary Magdalene
Today is the feast of Mary Magdalene – one of my favorite saints.  She is a perfect example of redemption and of how God can use anyone regardless of their sinfulness, status, or story for his ultimate good.  Mary Magdalene was fiercely loyal to Jesus and often was with the Apostles during Jesus’ teachings.  Through Jesus, Mary Magdalene learned that she was worthy of love despite her past.  She was a pivotal person present at Jesus’ crucifixion and his resurrection.  As I reflect on my own sinfulness, I look to Mary Magdalene as a role model of conversion, redemption, and unceasing love for Christ.                                                                                                                                                          
Bianca Hennager
 
July 23, 2025 - Stories Behind the Habit
I recently came across a video clip from Sr. Miriam James Heidland stating “whatever we are addicted to is a trauma response to our sorrowful mysteries.”  It blew me away and set me on course to dive deeper into her story.   She speaks so truthfully and heart-filled it is hard not to be moved.  It spoke to me in such a way that was transformational.  It called me to question how I unveil myself and am vulnerable in ways that for far too long I have hidden away.  How can I work to be vulnerable with those I am in relationships with that embodies the model that Christ set for us? 
Bianca Hennager
 
July 24, 2025 - Hearing vs. Listening
In my life I recognize how I approach different types of communication to be a central area of opportunity for growth for me.  I am great at hearing the spoken words, but not always so good at listening to what they mean or seeing what truly may be at the heart of a situation.   One approach that I have been working on to help me with communication is to ask more questions and make fewer statements.  I am not always good at asking questions and sometimes just want to get to the action needed.  A recent example would be when I asked my teenage son to take out the trash.   Taking out the trash is a daily chore of his and I think  I should not have to remind him to do it.  One particular day I waited until the trash was so full that there was no pushing it down.   As the day drew near to a close, he came into the kitchen and upon seeing it full, he added his little piece of trash and walked away.  Instead of asking him “Could you please take out the trash?” I gave an order “Take the trash out now, please”.  Truthfully, I can’t even say there was a please at the end of the statement as I was a bit annoyed it had gotten that full to begin with.  He took out the trash in a bit of a huff as I was interrupting his video game time and after all he was in the middle of an important battle with a friend.   Though trivial this is an example of how I could work on my communications and listen more carefully to those around me.  
Lord help me to be a seeker of truth; to be able to listen not only to the words others may say, but most importantly to their hearts as they say their words.  Help me to see you in them even when I may be rushed, annoyed, or struggling with my own faults.                                                                              
Bianca Hennager
 
July 25, 2025 - A Love for Service
I don’t know when I developed a love for service or if it was something that was innate in me.   Growing up we were expected to help around the house with small and large projects and to serve one another.   That was not something I always enjoyed but I did it out of obligation.  As I approached junior high the focus became less on projects and more centered on helping the community around us.  One Thanksgiving our family went down to LA Mission to serve dinner to thousands of people who faced poverty on a level I could not even comprehend.   The organization was well run, clean, and everyone there was so helpful.  It made a lasting impression on me that doing simple acts of charity could make a difference in the life of someone else.  I came back home from that experience with gratitude and a deep desire to want to make a difference.  Throughout high school and adulthood, I continued to find ways to serve others.  When I am serving others, it is difficult to be mad at the person I am serving or to judge them.  I only see their smiles and appreciation which fills me with such joy.   I often say I get so much more when I serve than when I am being served.    
Bianca Hennager
 
July 26, 2025 - Nana and Poppa
Today is the feast day of the parents of the Blessed Virgin, Sts. Joachim and Anne.  They are the patron saints of grandparents.  I imagine Mary’s parents playing an active role in Jesus’ formative years as family was central during that time.  I am blessed to have my mom live with us and serve as a role model to our children in daily living.  Additionally, my father-in-law lives locally and loves to join us for Mass.   The relationship I see between my kids and their grandparents is something I never experienced.
I was not as fortunate to grow up with grandparents nearby as we lived on the West Coast and all of our extended family lived on the East Coast.  It was important to me that my kids knew their grandparents more than just on the occasional holiday or once a year visits.   When my grandparents passed away, I remember feeling their loss, but it was a strange feeling; like I knew I lost something but wasn’t sure exactly what it was.  
Lord thank you for the gifts of Nana and Poppa.  Thank you for their presence in the lives of our children, to model their faith and tell their stories.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to experience generations of living under one roof and how that provides a richness more precious than gold.                                                                                                             Bianca Hennager
 
July 27, 2025  - The Power of Prayer
Prayer is powerful in resetting my heart, taking a necessary pause from acting and having a conversation with God on pressing matters.  I heard prayer explained as a way to help align our beliefs with God’s and if we are not aligned then we need more prayer.  Reflecting on difficult times in my life, I can honestly say that is true; when I was struggling to understand, I found myself praying harder and more often.   I think it is equally important to pray just as much when things are going well and to offer up prayers of gratitude.  Gratitude keeps me rooted in seeing God’s hand in the simple and helps me not to take advantage of the gifts given to me.    Additionally, I believe there is power in asking for prayer from others.  When I ask for prayers from my friends, I often feel a sense of peace that I am not alone in whatever I may be facing and a calmness comes over me that I cannot explain.                                                                       Bianca Hennager

July 14, 2025 - A Spiritual Exercise 
A couple of years ago I experienced the nine-month Spiritual Exercises program offered through the Loyola Institute of Spirituality in Orange, California. This was the 19^th Annotation of the Exercises developed by Ignatius of Loyola for those who cannot be away for the standard 30-day retreat. I highly recommend this experience; as in much of life, it is better done in practice than read about in theory. There were many benefits for my prayer life and relationship with God. One of the primary features was to practice ‘Ignatian imagination' where you, the reader of a Gospel passage, put yourself in the scene as an active participant. So, I did not merely read the scriptures. I took a passage, read it slowly and deliberately and put myself into the story as an observer or one of the characters.  I imagined the smells, the sounds, the voice and look of Jesus, the ‘mood’ among the crowd, and other details. I was no longer a third-party reader; through my imagination, I was part of the unfolding Gospel story. 
One of the scripture passages I remember most was the Gospel reading for the Fifteenth Monday in Ordinary Time. I listened as Jesus told me, and the crowd, ‘Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.’ I have read those words many times, but to hear him say it – while looking directly at me, continues to resonate with me up to this day.
Daryl Grigsby
 
July 15, 2025 – Church:   Where You Are Not Alone 
Today is the Feast of St. Bonaventure, Franciscan Bishop and Doctor of the Church. As a Catholic convert, I was unaware of the significance of being named a ‘Doctor’ of the church. The Church, through the Pope, declares one to be a Doctor of the Church based on a life of holiness, and significant contributions to the body of Catholic teaching. In this regard, Doctors of the church, such as Bonaventure, are true gifts to us as members of the Body of Christ. One of the most compelling aspects of being Catholic for me are the benefits from the many gifts present in the communion of saints. That communion includes:  relatives, friends, mystics, teachers, servants, religious, priests, deacons, bishops, cardinals and popes who span both time and distance to offer their gifts to us. Before becoming Catholic I was in the Baptist church. I owe much to that experience, including extensive bible reading, appreciation for gospel music, and enriching fellowship. Yet, I sometimes felt I was trying to figure out how to be a Christian as if no one had gone before me. It was as though I was on a journey alone. We were encouraged to study the Bible, but in retrospect I see I was unaware that for 2000 years before me, Christian believers left a legacy of writings, sermons, teachings and prayers for our benefit. So, on this feast of St. Bonaventure, I encourage us all to explore what he, and others, have taught us about our faith.                                                                                                                       
 Daryl Grigsby 
 
July 16, 2025 – An Experience of God 
The reading from today’s Mass is perhaps one of the most well-known Old Testament passages ever. In Exodus 3, Moses is tending to his father-in-law’s flock and arrives at Mount Horeb where he sees a bush that is burning yet not consumed by the fire. Intrigued by this amazing sight, he moves toward the burning bush. As he comes closer, God calls his name, not once, but twice. God then asks him to remove his sandals, for the ground on which he stands is holy. Moses’ encounter with God is a well-known story and is the beginning of his call to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses is a seminal figure in the Old Testament. He confronted Pharoah, is part of the first Passover, leads the people through the Red Sea, receives the Ten Commandments, and has many other transformative encounters with God. I wonder if Moses is any different than any of us. While we may not have seen a burning bush or have been asked to remove our sandals we may have had an experience that informed and fuels our ongoing relationship with God. Once while attending a New Year’s Eve silent vigil at the Camadolese Monastery of the Risen Christ in San Luis Obispo, I sensed God’s presence as I never had before. Search your memory and recall your own unique and enduring encounter. 
Daryl Grigsby 
 
July 17, 2025 – Learning from Jesus 
Today’s Gospel reading for Mass is often cited when we are stressed, disturbed and otherwise burdened. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said,  
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, 
 and I will give you rest. 
 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 
 for I am meek and humble of heart; 
 and you will find rest for yourselves. 
 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." 
 I was struck by something important on this for my own journey. I found it interesting that twice, Jesus mentions we will find rest in him.  In thinking about this, I realized that rest is an important complement to our ongoing vocation. We need rest from time to time, because our life, our family, our work, our vocation, our ministry requires energy, commitment and focus. We are not to be always at rest, for there are many needs in the world that God asks us to address. If I worked constantly, I’d be in an unhealthy state of busyness. If I always rested, the needs around me might go unnoticed and unmet. Jesus asks that I learn from him, and I have so much to learn. Though often found healing, serving, feeding, embracing and teaching, the New Testament also often talks of his spending alone time with God for rest and refocus. Let me continue to learn from Jesus.
Daryl Grigsby 
  
July 18, 2025 – Giving Thanks to the Lord 
The Psalms are an amazing source of wisdom, lamentation, prayer, encouragement, and inspiration. The Responsorial Psalm for today’s Mass is Psalm 116, ‘how shall I make a return to the Lord, for all the good he has done for me?’ This could easily be my daily prayer every morning. Often people hint that Catholics and other people of faith do ‘good works’ or go to church out of guilt or obligation. The truth is, that for me I am answering the Psalmists question, ‘what is the best way for me to return, out of gratitude, all the good God has done for me?’ I recently was reminded of a common prayer practice where you begin your day remembering, with gratitude, at least three blessings from the previous day. Whenever I do this, (which is frankly not often enough), I am amazed at how many gifts I should be thankful for. There  are the larger items that have been part of my entire life, my family, relationships, experiences, and other gifts. Then there are those events and encounters which may have happened just days or hours before. Either way, whether looking long-term or near term, I am amazed at how many gifts and blessings I can recall. The Psalm, however, asks us not just to dwell on what we have been given. We are asked, out of sheer gratitude, to consider and act on what concrete prayers and good works we can do in response to God’s grace and mercy.            
Daryl Grigsby 
 
July 19, 2025 -  Chosen, Beloved and Accepted 
In Matthew’s Gospel 12:14-21, Jesus realizes the Pharisees are plotting to have him killed. This is not some mild opposition, or verbal criticism; but rather, a plot to end his life and get rid of his annoying message forever. The Gospel writer then quotes Isaiah 42, which notes Jesus is the chosen servant, the beloved one in whom God delights. What a reassuring message for us all. In the midst of life’s troubles and setbacks, in the midst of opposition, criticism, and turmoil, God’s message to Jesus applies to each of us as well. Jesus tells us we are chosen, beloved and accepted by God. What an encouraging and amazing thought! In my Catholic life, in my calling to follow what I believe God is asking of me, I could face some hardship and difficulty. While it would be comforting to believe in a ‘Prosperity Gospel’ where all is good and wealth abounds, that is not the way of Christ. Nor is it our calling. As I confront struggles and challenges, I will try to recall that Isaiah’s words apply to me as well. ‘Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight.’ These are not words I embrace with arrogance or pride, but in humility and gratitude as I walk in the knowledge that God has called me to participate in His vision for the healing of the world.
Daryl Grigsby 
 
July 20, 2025 - The Holy Trinity 
The first reading in today’s Mass is from Genesis 18.  In this passage, on a hot day Abraham is near his tent, and ‘the Lord’ appears to him.  ‘Abraham, looking up, saw three men standing by.’ He asks that they do not go past their servant; since they have come this close, let him give them refreshment. Biblical scholars suggest that this scripture hints of the Holy Trinity. The Lord’s appearance to Abraham is in the form of three. The Russian painter Andrei Rublev has depicted this Genesis account in a famous icon. It may be that you have seen this powerful image. There is a practice called ‘visio divina’ in which we select an icon, art or visual image, and cast our eyes and thoughts intently and prayerfully on various elements of the art. Visio divina, when employed on Rublev’s Trinity icon, can be profoundly illuminating. I try to make this a recurring prayer practice. I was struck once by insights from Henry Nouwen. He noted the three Divine Persons are sitting around a table, or altar, with room for us to join them. The three Persons of the Holy Trinity have room for us to join them in their relationship of love. 
Daryl Grigsby                           
 

July 7, 2025 - VBS
A few weeks ago, SSPP hosted its annual Vacation Bible School. This was (assuming I’m counting correctly) my 14th year of participating in VBS. I haven’t missed a single one since I started when I was four years old! I remember a few years ago I had wanted to go to a Girl Scout summer camp, and the one I wanted to attend was during VBS. In the end, I didn’t go to the camp because VBS was that important to me. Upon reflecting on my many summers of VBS, I realized that it has never not been fun. It has always been a sort of magical experience and a great opportunity to grow in faith, from when I first experienced VBS as a participant, and now through the eyes of younger generations as a leader. I hope it continues its magic for many years to come.
Sarah Pipitone
 
July 8, 2025 – VBS Part 2
This year I was a leader for the Red River Otters, one of the youngest groups, with kids ages five and six. I have decided that this age range is the best age range for a multitude of reasons, but by far my favorite thing about it is that these kids have no filter. They say exactly what they think, when they think it, no hesitations, and it has led to some really beautiful moments. For example, on the first day they walk up to one another and simply ask to be friends (the answer is always yes), or they get asked a question about Jesus and the answer is an unequivocal “because he loves us.” It was a good reminder that sometimes things are much simpler than we make them seem.
Sarah Pipitone
 
July 9, 2025 - Hypocrisy
A few weeks ago my dad and I were cooking for a large group of Scouts during a leadership course that my older brother was running. To feed 70 teens and adults for a week takes a lot of food, so shopping for this camp was a unique experience. There is nothing quite like pushing six carts filled to the brim with food around a Safeway. At one point, I noticed a man with several containers of cherry tomatoes in his cart, and wondered what business he had with so many tomatoes. Then I looked at my cart, which was overflowing with juice and pretzels exclusively, and had to laugh. Who was I to judge!? It reminded me of the beginning of Matthew Chapter 7, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” Though my experience was humorous, it reminded me that I can get so caught up in what others are doing that I forget to examine myself before passing judgment.
Sarah Pipitone

 July 10, 2023  - VBS Part 3
I promise I’ll stop talking about VBS after this, but on the last day one of the leaders made an analogy for the Holy Spirit that really stuck with me. We were discussing Pentecost during the “Bible Adventure” station, and talking about how the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit so they could be sent out to spread the word of God. The station leader held up a flashlight with no batteries, which, obviously, didn’t work. Then she added the batteries, and the flashlight flickered to life. The lesson was that the Holy Spirit is like the batteries - without them we cannot shine God’s light on others. For me, the Holy Spirit has always been the most confusing part of the Trinity. Now I have a clearer understanding of the way it moves through us, almost like a power source, so that we can shine the light of Christ on others.
Sarah Pipitone
 
July 11, 2025 - Me?
When I was first approached about writing these reflections, I was shocked. Me? No way! What did I have to say? I had been reading the daily reflections for a couple of years and felt like I couldn’t possibly impart the same wisdom or insight as the other writers. However, I took a moment to reflect on how many saints, members of the clergy, and even characters in the Bible had that same reaction: Me? No way! And yet God worked His wonders through them, guiding them as they share His words and His works. I can only pray that He will guide me as well. 
Sarah Pipitone
 
July 12, 2025 - Commas
I am aware that there is a proper way to use commas. There are rules, and a structure, and definitely a right way to use pretty much all punctuation. However, I have no idea what these rules are. Mostly I use them whenever they feel right and then hope for the best. So far, I’ve been okay. Recently, I noticed a parallel can be drawn in the way I pray. Sure, there are written prayers and structured meditations and the like, but those haven’t worked for me. Instead, I pray when and where it feels right. The good news is that, unlike the “grammar police” with commas, God doesn’t mind sporadic and rambling prayers, I think He cares more that we’re making an effort.
Sarah Pipitone
 
July 13, 2025 - Gang’s All Here
A couple of weeks ago I looked across the church during Mass and realized that nearly every nine o’clock regular was present. It felt good to see all the familiar faces: from the families squished together in the pews, to the group of older folks that sit behind my mom, to some people I’ve never really met but have come to recognize after seeing them week after week. Something I’ve always admired about SSPP is that we have such a strong sense of community, so much so that I can miss people I don’t know the names of simply because I don’t see their faces in the congregation. Feeling such a strong connection through this parish and through our shared beliefs was so beautiful and poignant that it nearly brought me to tears.
Sarah Pipitone
 
 June 30, 2025 - Hold on to Faith, Let Go of Fear
 
I’ve always been a worrier... .but I’ve come a long way towards keeping my fears in check. I used to worry about everything and everyone: family, friends, the homeless, work, finances, crime, terrorism, war, natural disasters… big things, little things, even insignificant things. There was an endless “worry list”  in my mind that I couldn’t turn off.
 
The excessive mental and emotional strain affected my health, causing high blood pressure, sleepless nights, anxiety, nausea, digestive issues, and more. The stress literally made me sick. I eventually realized that ninety-nine percent of the things I agonized over never amounted to anything. The things I feared would happen, never did. I was getting myself all worked up for nothing. I chose to turn my fears into prayers and offer them up to God.
 
As I’ve gotten older, I still worry, but not at the same unhealthy level as before. When I reflect on how far I’ve come, I’m grateful for the inner peace I now feel through the grace of God.  I am determined to move forward and not let fear consume me. I will continue to lean on faith, prayer, and positivity to lessen the weight of worry. I pray that others   can hold on to faith and let go of fear too.
 
“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4: 6-7
 
Maria Montalvo
 
 July 1, 2025 - Ouch! Okay, Okay, Lord.
 
Even though it’s painful, I laugh now every time it happens. It’s become more than just a coincidence. When I get unreasonably upset about something and overreact to a situation or start rushing around the house like a crazy woman, I injure myself. I have slipped, tripped, hit my head, stubbed my toe, run into the furniture, slammed the drawer on my thumb, cut my finger, broken my nail…the list goes on. It always hurts and inevitably stops me in my tracks. It triggers an undeniable moment of clarity which helps me put things in perspective. It forces me to question myself. Why am I so upset? Is this a productive response to the issue? Am I setting a good example for my children? I see these incidents as God’s way of getting my attention, telling me to calm down, take a deep breath, rethink what I am doing, and turn to Him for guidance. It always helps. Now when it happens, I laugh in pain as I respond crying out, “Ouch! Okay, okay, Lord. I Get It.” At times like this, His message is painfully loud and clear!
 
Maria Montalvo
 
July 2, 2025 - Be Like Christ
 
In the early 90’s there was a Gatorade commercial which had a catchy tune, amazing footage of basketball superstar Michael Jordan, and the slogan: “Be Like Mike. Drink Gatorade.” It was a hugely popular campaign which aimed to influence both kids and adults to drink Gatorade like Jordan because it could enhance their athletic skills too. It became one of the greatest and most memorable sports commercials of all time.
 
I thought of this commercial after hearing a homily recently by a visiting priest who did life-changing missionary work for communities in Africa. He told us about a little girl who was adamant that he was Christ. She yelled out calling him Jesus, over and over again. His stature, generosity, and loving actions must have convinced her that he was Jesus. The priest’s message was that all of us can be like Christ to others. Our actions can emulate His so closely that people are able to see Christ through us, with us, and in us.
 
As Catholic Christians we are called to campaign for Jesus Christ. We have the ability and opportunity to influence others by how we live, what we consume, and the messages we convey. In essence, we are walking advertisements for The Lord. I pray that I can meet this challenge on a daily basis with a genuine heart and effective humility.
 
My slogan: “Be Like Christ. Spread Peace, Hope, and Love.”
 
Maria Montalvo
 
July 3, 2024 - Am I Progressing?
 
When asked how I’m doing I often respond by saying, “I’m hanging in there!” I say this in all honesty because, while things may be going well, there’s usually something I’m trying to get a better grip on in life. Despite the challenges, I try hard to maintain a positive attitude and not lose hope.
 
I was surprised when my mother and some friends expressed concern about my “hanging in there” response even though I said it with a positive tone of voice. They felt it implied I was in a precarious situation. My mother said she stopped using this expression because she thought it sounded negative. She’s been dealing with some health issues and instead of saying she’s “hanging in there” she chooses to say that she’s “progressing.” This implies forward movement and improvement, which more accurately describes how she’s doing.
 
My journey with God is similar, since I am not a perfect human being. Am I just hanging in there or am I progressing?  Sometimes I have setbacks. I may take one step forward, then two steps back. But, as long as I get back on track, and am moving forward in the right direction, I know my relationship with Him is improving. If my path is leading me closer to God, then I can confidently say I’m progressing. And that, I believe, is pleasing to Him.
 
Maria Montalvo
  
July 4, 2025 - Free Me Lord
 
As we celebrate our nation’s independence today, I can say I’m proud to be an American and grateful for the freedoms I have living in this amazing country of ours. The current political turmoil and division, however, is frightening and unfortunate. I hope and pray we can move forward with tolerance, acceptance, and respect as the “United” States, upholding the fundamental rights of all our brothers and sisters. May the effort continue.
 
While we benefit from individual, social, and religious freedoms in our country, feeling true freedom within ourselves on a spiritual level is another challenge, but equally important. We can appear to be free but still be internally enslaved by various afflictions which negatively affect our beliefs, words, and actions. A healthy relationship with Christ can make all the difference.
 
Dear God,
I reach out on this Independence Day seeking a deep and liberating connection with you. Free me Lord from all barriers including sin, guilt, fear, selfishness, resentment, greed, arrogance, jealousy, dishonesty, anxiety, insecurity, and hopelessness. Grant me peace, comfort, and strength so I may reach my full potential as an individual and a member of these great United States. Let freedom ring with your resounding love so that it echoes the sound of hope on earth, throughout the heavens and in my heart forever. With gratitude I pray, knowing all things are possible through you.
Amen
 
Maria Montalvo
 
 July 5, 2025 - Let's Make The Weeks Count
 
It was an eye-opening experience when our oldest daughter turned 25. During her birthday dinner, she told us about an app that calculates the number of weeks one has lived, the number of weeks left (based on average life expectancy), and the percentage of one's life already gone. As I get older, believe me, I feel my clock ticking. But, for her at 25, it was an unsettling realization that, statistically, 1/3 of her life had actually passed. I reminded her, and the rest of our kids, that living to a ripe old age is not guaranteed. Our lives can change in an instant. But instead of dwelling on what has passed or worrying about what may come, we should make the most of the present because we just don't know what tomorrow will bring.
 
Birthdays are great reminders to be thankful for the past, happy in the present, and hopeful for the future. They are occasions to celebrate the day we were born -- God's precious gift of life. Its quality is not measured by the time I have in our life, but by the life I have in my time. Whether it is long or limited, any amount of time is a blessing. With God’s help I can live it to the best of my ability, each and every day.
 
Instead of counting the weeks, l’ll try to make the weeks count…giving thanks for all of God’s blessings along the way.
 
Maria Montalvo
 
 July 6, 2025 - One Bread, One Body
 
One Sunday in church, my family and I sat in the very front row. Usually we sit towards the back and sometimes even stand against the back wall. Personally, I like to see the congregation, plus standing is easier on my back. On this particular day, sitting in the front presented a fresh perspective. I could see details I simply hadn’t seen before, from the linens on the altar and the glistening chalice, to the entire baptismal font and the crucifix towering over me. The sunlight shone through the stained glass on the ceiling, casting a warm glow over everything. Even the choir sounded different, but just as beautiful as always.
 
The most profound effect on me occurred during communion. Standing in the front row after I received communion, I was so close to the Eucharistic Minister, I could have reached forward and touched her. With this proximity, I saw her hold up the host and heard her say “The body of Christ,” over and over again with pure but gentle affirmation. And I heard every “Amen” in response, proclaimed over and over in a hundred different voices - young, old, soft, and strong. I looked up occasionally, and watched as people of various ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities received the body of Christ — as one body of Catholics, united in faith. Led by familiar faces in the choir, the communion song was  “One Bread, One Body,” a favorite of mine. Overcome with emotion, I could barely sing. Tears of joy and gratitude rolled down my cheeks. I felt the Lord’s presence so strongly, it was absolutely undeniable. I truly believe God wanted me to have a front row seat that day for a reason. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
 
Maria Montalvo

June 16, 2025 - An Unexpected Visitor

A friend of mine shared an experience with an unexpected visitor that I love to retell. The neighbor across the street is a big fan of a particular politician and political party and has no problem advertising his beliefs freely with signs and such.  [Note: for this lesson in humility, “side” doesn’t matter.]  My friend was definitely not of the same mind,and she thought of the neighbor as that blankity blankacross the street. [Note: she is a faithful, self-reflective, active Christian.] Then one day there was a knock at the door and that blankity blank was standing right there with a chainsaw.  He explained to my friend that a huge branch from a tree in her front yard had fallen in her driveway and was blocking her car.  He was ready to clear it up for her.  

Our current climate seems to exacerbate our human tendency to make assumptions and fill in the blanks about the other who we perceive as not like us. I have been so guilty of this, it has prompted me to try a spiritual practice of wonder—I wonder what influences created a view so different from my own?  I wonder if I come across as rigid to someone else? I wonder what hurt produced such anger? I wonder what it will take for us to heal?                                                                                                               Renee Anaclerio

 

June 17, 2025 - When God Shows Up and Eats Your Lunch

I read a short reflection recently entitled, When God shows up and eats your lunch by Rita Sommers Flanagan. It portrays an intimate and light-hearted image of God, who shows up uninvited and helps himself to the author’s Pad Thai. Between bites he tells her, “you’re work isn’t finished, you know… you’ve been hiding, playing it safe.” It’s a lovely piece, full of intimacy and honesty.  More and more I find unusual and challenging images of God draw me in… I prefer them to the more predictable (and somewhat limited) God of my youth. I have experienced God “showing up” as a doubt about a course of action, a twinge of guilt when I’ve been testy with my husband, and as a nudge when I’ve let my fear keep me from living boldly.  I’ve come to learn that some of the most important ways God “shows up” are ways that disturb my ego’s sense of control and my sense of “I’m comfortable right here in my bubble.”  

Later in the reflection, the author admits, her defenses are futile because she and God have an arrangement… She says, “it’s not about going to heaven when I die. It’s about peace in my remaining days. If I don’t listen [to God], my soul gets prickly and confused, and I tend to drink too much.”  Francis Thompson named it the Hound of Heaven, the God who pursues us relentlessly, even as we resist, determined to love us into fullness.        Renee Anaclerio

 

 

June 18, 2025 - The World is Full of God’s Presence

“If the soul could have known God without the world, the world would never have been created,” said MeisterEckhart. God expresses Godself in the world, in creation, and in us.  There is a single, large grasshopper in my vegetable garden. I’ve named her Tilda. She was here last year too. I don’t really know how long a grasshopper lives,but I want to believe that she is the same one, back again for her yearly visit. When I water the plants, I talk to her and when I leave, I remind her not to eat too much of any one thing. She nods in agreement.

How amazing life is when we can notice and be present to one little thing at a time! Each is a gift and often offers a life lesson. All is interconnected and sacred. In our history as humans, we used to know that…before we thought we were the center of everything and everything else was for our consumption. Back when we used to know that all creation is holy ground.                                                                                    Renee Anaclerio

June 19, 2025 - Our Stories

Our stories matter. They tell about where we come from, not just geographically and culturally. They tell about our experiences of God… There is a lovely poem by George Ella Lyon called, Where I’m From, and the author invites others to write their own versions.  Here’s mine: I’m from McDonoughs and Sloyers, Ireland and the Black Forest. I’m from Navy and victory gardens, steel mills and Pennsylvania farms, and a WWII delayed marriage. I’m from adventure and travel, social justice and service; from “si se puede” and “not on my watch.” I’m fromComunidades de Base, el pueblo unido and Minjun theology; liberation theology and the influences of Union Theological Seminary. 

My experiences and family roots have influenced what I think and what I value and how I experience God’s call in my life. But I am one part of a wonderful and diverse world of people, the Body of Christ, the human family. Who I am is to be shared humbly with others who share their own stories and gifts. My gift can only be given faithfully when I can also receive the gifts others have to share.                                                           Renee Anaclerio          

June 20, 2025 - Bridge Building

I am practiced at boundary building. Of course, you would never know that because I am also inclusive—but with limits. I realized at some point that I really like to hang out with people who think like me, who share my values. My friends include ethnic and cultural diversity, even socioeconomic diversity, but not diversity of values.  I must admit, I have been rather intolerant of people who don’t think like me… and I’m surprised at how long it took me to find something wrong with that!

So, I have a new practice that I’ve tried a few times. It started at a public event when I met someone who had previously made comments that illustrated a particular and strong point of view, quite opposite my own… Maybe because I was not in the mood to argue, I was determined to find some common ground.  We chatted about farmlandand rural life and the impact of growth in our area.  We shared our love of animals and nature. We even found a common friend. It was truly a lovely conversation. I even got some insight into what motivates his strong opinions. Unsolicited, he shared, “I came to x meeting a few months back, and I was a bit harsh…. I was able to reply without resentment, “you had strong feelings.” Understanding, reconciliation, a coming together...                                                                                                                     Renee Anaclerio

 

June 21, 2025 - What Grows in the Cracks

I talked to my sister last night while she was cleaning her patio. She was hosting a book club the next day and was looking at the patio from a guest’s perspective. All of a sudden, she was noticing the bird poop and all the things that had taken root in the cracks between the stones. She pulled out weeds with long, long roots. How could they manage to grow there?  Our lives are like that. Stuff grows when we’re not noticing— patterns, unconscious habits, beliefs about things. We get used to them and don’t notice until something invites us to look with new eyes. I look at my life now and examine the cracks.  Some have weeds that need to be pulled because they are not serving me anymore. Some things grew that were planted by misperceptions, prejudices, past hurts.

While I will pull some weeds, I value the cracks. I’ve got a lot of them. Life’s experiences have left their cracks, especially life’s disappointments, hurts, and losses. My cracks are valuable because they are what make me human, and they have helped me learn compassion and wisdom.  As the beautiful Leonard Cohen song says, there’s a crack in everything.  That’s how the light gets in.                                                                   Renee Anaclerio

June 22, 2025 - Give Them Some Food Yourselves

These words attributed to Jesus stick with me… “Give them some food yourselves.” We have probably all learned that the story of the feeding of the five thousand is not just a miracle that took place way back then.  Our Church celebrates it as a beautiful foreshadowing of the Eucharist, the powerful mystery of God’s true presence with us. 

The story is packed with symbols that early Jesus followers would have understood—a flash back to Moses and the manna God provided in the desert; five loaves and two fish equals seven, the sign of completion; twelve baskets of leftovers—the mystical number that symbolizes God’s people, twelve tribes, twelve apostles… Those who gather the scraps are those who will be sent out to feed the world.  When we receive Christ’s body, you and I are sent forth to love and serve.   I need to remember that when the violence and chaos going on in our world can feel so difficult to understand; when I find myself thinking, “how can God let this happen?”; Jesus says, “you give them something to eat.” Through the Holy Spirit, we are given what we need to participate in God’s work to feed and heal the world.                                                                                                         Renee Anaclerio

June 23, 2025 - Francis 
  SS. Peter and Paul has been blessed with strong and gifted lay and clerical spiritual leaders.  I reflected that these spiritual leaders, including my wife who helps with OCIA, are serving souls while I am trying, with volunteering and support, to serve the planet.  My conclusion was that my wife and others have chosen the better course.  Then I thought about Pope Francis and what he might have said of my conclusion.  I believe Pope Francis, with gentleness and strength, would disagree with me.  Pope Francis saw that I cannot separate our basic physical needs from our spiritual ones.  Jesus forgave sins, called his followers to a new covenant and new way of life.  He also cured illness, disability, and fed multitudes.  Jesus demonstrated an option for the poor and marginalized.  Jesus, a Pope Francis and previous popes all recognized the interconnectedness of the physical world and spiritual world.  A child cannot respond to the lessons of spiritual growth when they live in fear.  An adult cannot focus on the demands of love, mercy, compassion, and empathy if their stomach growls from hunger.  Neither can develop their minds and hearts when they are homeless, trafficked, or treated without the dignity every child of God should be afforded.   Pope Francis has just met the embrace of a loving God, yet I already feel a need to pray to him for the grace needed to serve souls and the planet. 
Ray Frink
 
 June 24, 2025 - Nothing Can Change That
          While reflecting on the uncertainty of selecting any pope, Fr. James Martin S.J. reminded me that I will always have Pope Francis.  Francis showed me in his own way what it is to be a Christian, a Catholic, a priest and a pope.  I will always have that and nothing can ever change that.  I was struck by the implications of that realization.  As much as I admired John XXIII, and respected and followed the other five popes of my lifetime, I loved Pope Francis.  He was a servant of my Lord in every way important to me.
          This idea of always having Francis leads me to other realizations.   Regardless of what happens as my wife and I age, we will always have the love and life we have shared.  As far away as my children may live and careers take them, I will always have the times we spent together.   As generations come and go at SS. Peter and Paul, my faith remains strong as I witness infants become toddlers, toddlers become altar servers and altar servers become college graduates.  As much as my country may change, I will always have the certain knowledge that servant leadership is the leadership for which to strive.  Whoever the pope may be, the action of the Holy Spirit will continue in the Church and as promised: “the gates of hell will not prevail against it”.  
Ray Frink
 
June 25, 2025 - Make It Personal
 Josef Stalin, the WW II dictator of Russia, paraphrasing an earlier writer said: “The death of one person is a tragedy, the death of a million is a statistic.”  As disturbing a comment as this is, it is true to an observer of the world in which I live.   Why does this level of callous disregard permeate politics, policy, and our personal lives both home and abroad?  In October 2023 I wrote a reflection about observing a homeless young man, probably in need of medical care, sitting hatless by an offramp in the hot afternoon sun.   I think about that young man.  My efforts with time and treasure seem so fruitless.  I see this encounter in my mind, but how about all the other unsheltered (living outside or in vehicles) homeless:  3944 in Sacramento County; 366 in Placer County; 633 in Yolo County by 2024 counts? These numbers become statistics, but that young man has a face and a place on earth given him by God, as do all the other faceless people represented in those numbers.        
 I am called as a Catholic to put a face on those in need just as Jesus did.  Jesus did not first preach to all Samaritans, all tax collectors, or all fisherman.  He spoke to the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, and Peter.  He looked first into their eyes and spoke to their hearts. Then Jesus spread the Good News to all.  Jesus made it personal before he made it public.
Ray Frink
 
 June 26, 2025 - Silos
          To downsize our home my wife and I moved to Woodland.  It is common to see silos in this agricultural county.    Silos can be dangerous.  Workers have to be careful of toxic gasses, becoming trapped in the grain inside and suffocating, as well as the collapse of the silo itself.  These tall hollow buildings can be unstable.  I was struck by the colloquial use of ‘silo’ in conversation these days.   It is natural for me and most people to seek out others who share beliefs, world views, interests, and faith.   It is human nature.  I am more comfortable, more at peace, and my interactions less challenging when I am around folks with similar interests.   Even with the sometimes-insatiable curiosity I possess, I’d rather interact with and discuss topics that I am interested in or knowledgeable about.  I can silo myself with people like me.  
          There is danger in this type of silo also.  Jesus recognized this when he reached out to all who showed an interest in his teachings, including Gentiles, and when he challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees who Jesus saw as having siloed themselves in the law, pride of position, and benefits of adulation.  When I silo myself, I am exposed to only one point of view, and I may suffocate from a lack of fresh viewpoints, and be buried under the collapse of a weak structure.  My challenge is to avoid the silo and live in the fresh air of Christ’s teachings.
Ray Frink
 
 June 27, 2025 - Unity
          My dad used an expression to which I adhere: “Say what you mean and mean what you say”.  There are no lies, no ‘code words’, no half-truths.  If you say something, own it, no excuses.  This is important for me as a Catholic whose church is in need of unity.   What do we mean by unity?  Unity for some Catholics means conformity.  If I desire conformity, I must understand what that means:  everyone believes the exact same things, practices them in the same way, and adheres to them to the same degree.  If you do not conform, then you are not welcome under the umbrella of our faith. 
But I believe that unity means accommodation.   We have different pasts and presents, different formative experiences, different challenges to address. We have core common beliefs, but the expression of those beliefs may be different.   We may practice our faith in different ways to achieve shared goals.  The more children of God we are able to include under the umbrella of our Christian and Catholic faith, the greater good we do.  Jesus came for all.  When a life is directed by mercy, compassion, and love, that is powerful common ground and that person is fulfilling the mission Jesus gave us.  Accommodation makes our Church stronger, more vibrant, and effective.
Ray Frink
 
June 28, 2025 - What and How
          When I was growing up, I heard advice never to discuss politics or religion because those topics were divisive.  In my Church and in the broader community this remains true, not because you and I may disagree on these as separate topics, but because they have become so closely linked for some people.  I reflected on Jesus’ response in Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, and Luke 20:25 about what Jesus’s words mean for me: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s”.   I think the answer to this complex question must consider the difference between What I do and How I do it.  For me, what I do should be consistent with the Holy Spirit moving in the community and the constraints that allow a stable, just, and fair society.   If changes are needed then my obligation as a member of the community is to help decide what should be changed.   My Catholic faith dictates how I accomplish these ends.  If I want to accomplish a public goal, how do I do that?  Do I proceed as Jesus demonstrated, with mercy, compassion, love, and service?  I can be a good citizen of Caesar’s and render to God the things that are God’s if my actions toward my civic goals are seen through Jesus’s eyes.  Otherwise, I fail my Lord.  
Ray Frink 
 
 June 29, 2025 - Empathy
    During my career I taught physicians to communicate effectively with patients.   I used a model that included the importance of empathy:  the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, and involves actively experiencing the emotions of another.  Connecting with my patients with empathy led to better care.  Some powerful individuals on social media call empathy weakness, but Jesus was empathetic.  Jesus was able to share the feelings of others and to identify their true needs:  Mary Magdalene needed to hear his voice after the Resurrection; Matthew and Zacchaeus needed belonging and acceptance; the apostles needed a vision of spiritual growth.   Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their lack of empathy in adding to the burdens of the Jewish community. (Mt. 23:5) 
   I wonder what about empathy would make me reluctant to experience it.  Empathy is listening, seeing beyond the obvious, and paying attention.  It requires openness and can be tiring.   Empathy can be scary and painful.   Jesus tells me that this is what it takes to be his follower.  I must choose to be empathetic.  
American psychologist Gustave Gilbert was an observer at the Nuremburg Nazi trials after WWII.  He said, “I think I’ve come to defining evil: a lack of empathy and a genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow man.  Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”  The challenge for us is to live lives with empathy and face the evil where empathy is absent.
Ray Frink
 
June 9, 2025 - Growing Up
In the latter part of Luke 2, twelve-year-old Jesus visits the temple. His parents find him three days later and we read that Jesus was sitting amongst the teachers, answering and asking questions. It is a moment where we recognize that not only is Jesus coming of age, but that he is full of wisdom and knowledge.
Last month my daughter finished the 8^th grade and we are officially done with the elementary and middle school years! I am very excited about this transition—our K-8 experience was a good one, but I am ready for the next phase of our lives. I love having young adults in my home and the challenges that come with having high school aged kids. As we transition into new schools and a new era of parenting, I am reminded of Jesus’ visit to the temple in Luke’s gospel.  My girls are just a little older than Jesus was at that time. While they still feel like children, my girls are young women, ready for what awaits them.  I pray that like Jesus in the temple, they too will grow “in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.”
Erin Gallawa
 
June 10, 2025 - Trust
At the swim meet last weekend, I watched as adults helped young children get out of the pool at the end of their races. The pools have huge gutters, and it is very difficult to pull yourself up and out of the pool. Race after race, I watched kids raise up their hands and watched as adults confidently grabbed them by both arms to pull them safely out of the water. The first thing that struck me was that they acknowledged they couldn’t do it themselves. It is rare that I am willing to admit I can’t do something. The second thing that gave me thought was the trust that these kids had in adults they did not know; they needed help and accepted it. How often do people offer me help and I refuse to take it?
I know that I cannot do everything, yet I often refuse to admit it. I deny offers of help even though I could use it immensely. God will not look upon me differently for acknowledging that I need help. In fact, God already knows where I need him and sends me the people to be his hands. I pray that like the children trusting in those offering help, that I will reach up and accept the gift of their offering.
Erin Gallawa
 
June 11, 2025 - DQ
Ever since my kids started swim team a decade ago, my job at swim meets has been to be a stroke and turn judge. The job of these judges is to ensure a fair meet by making sure that all swimmers follow the rules. When a swimmer does something illegal or swims a stroke improperly, it is my job to disqualify the swimmer. People always ask me if I feel bad about this job—after all, it doesn’t seem nice to “DQ” a sweet seven-year-old! But the reality is that I am just reinforcing what the coach is teaching them at every practice. Telling a kid that they swam wrong is an important part of them learning to do it correctly.
I think people are intimidated by the thought of sin and reconciliation because they have to face what they have done “wrong.” But I find that admitting my sin is really more like getting a DQ slip. I know what is right and wrong and I know which of my actions are sinful. When I acknowledge them aloud, I acknowledge the mistakes and give myself the opportunity to learn. I do not want to be afraid of knowing my mistakes; it is only in knowing my sin that I can reconcile and move forward.
Erin Gallawa
 
June 12, 2025 - Theater
My girls’ theater company recently did a community theater production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” which was open to all ages. It had been 25 years since I had auditioned to be in a musical, but I set aside my fears and sang my audition song. I was cast in the ensemble.
Being in a show as an adult was a humbling experience. I love to sing, but I have not been responsible for holding a harmony since I graduated from high school. And don’t even get me started on my lack of coordination and grace in dancing. But I showed up every week and learned the show to the best of my ability. By opening day, I mostly knew what I was doing, thanks to a cheat sheet I had written and kept backstage. I don’t remember theater being this hard when I was a teenager!
Doing something like this as an adult was a beautiful experience for me. First, it was something I did for myself and only for myself. And I had so much fun! It was also a faith-filled experience, not only because it is based on the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis, but because it is a faith-based theater company. There was prayer at every rehearsal, before every show, backstage and in text messages. There were reminders that no matter how good (or bad!) we were, it was for God, not for our own glory.  Finally, it was about community. Together, we created something beautiful and built a special relationship that I will carry with me.
Erin Gallawa
 
June 13, 2025 - Joseph Reunion
Last weekend we had a reunion viewing party for the cast of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” We gathered on the back deck under the stars and watched together the show that we had spent 2.5 months putting together. Even though we had all been in the room as the show took shape, watching the final product from the viewpoint of the audience was a different experience. We laughed at physical jokes we had never seen, were awed at how the sets and lights gave life to the stage and were honestly impressed at how well it had come together. We spent months creating a show and one weekend performing, but we had no idea what it looked like until we were gifted the opportunity to watch it together.
In Genesis, we read how God looked at his creation and saw how good it was. As I sat on the deck with all the people who had sang, danced and chortled beside me, I felt lucky that we were given this moment to see what we had created and appreciate its beauty. God created us, knows us and sees us, and I like to imagine that he looks upon us with as much joy as we did that night, reveling in the show that He created.  
Erin Gallawa
 
 
June 14, 2025 - Spain
This summer my husband and I are taking our girls to Spain. When I lived in Spain over 20 years ago, I became dear friends with a woman named Ana and her family. Over the last two decades, we have seen them when we had a chance to return to Europe or when they came here to visit. This will be our girls’ first time visiting Europe and meeting Ana’s entire family!
I have been emotional about this trip since the moment we booked the flights. Taking my girls to the country that I lived in and loved so dearly feels like a homecoming. I hope they will love the Spanish people as much as I do. I hope they will walk into churches that are older than the history of the United States and feel God’s presence in the walls where people have worshipped for centuries. More than anything, I pray that this trip will open their eyes to how beautiful and diverse this world is. I want my children to appreciate all that God has created and to see that there is so much beauty on this earth!
Erin Gallawa
 
June 15, 2025 - Heat
I hate being hot. For all that I love about living in Northern California, every summer I am reminded how much I dislike the heat that comes with living here. I can’t help but wonder what God was thinking when he came up with the idea of summer. Couldn’t he have stopped at 85 degrees?
To adjust my attitude about the heat, this year I am trying to focus on all the benefits of heat and the creatures that thrive in it. First, I love nothing more than jumping into a lake, a pool or a river when it is hot outside. I always want to know the feeling of escaping the heat by submerging myself into a body of water! I love that heat brings people out of their homes to gather for swimming, BBQs or evenings in the park. There are animals that rely on the heat and that love to lounge in the sun. While heat makes me want to move to the Artic, it is also beautiful and part of God’s grand plan. This summer, I pray that I can be grateful for the heat and its part in God’s creation.
Erin Gallawa

Reflections 6-2-25
June 2, 2025 - Olive Trees
When I lived in San Jose, our parish held an annual men’s retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos. It was always a meaningful time of prayer, reflection, and listening to the powerful testimonies shared by other men in the parish.
One of my favorite places to spend time there was the Olive Tree Orchard. Nestled among the many olive trees stood a statue of Jesus praying, with a plaque that read, “Agony in the Garden.” As I sat in reflection, I began to study the trees. Each trunk stood apart, yet their branches intertwined overhead, forming a beautiful, unified canopy.
That image struck me deeply. It reminded me that while each man on the retreat was an individual, the prayers we offered—both privately and together—were intertwined like those branches, rising to God as one.
It’s the same when we gather for Mass: our prayers come from many hearts, but they become one voice lifted in worship. And I believe that collective voice is especially pleasing to God.  
Kurt Peterson
 
June  3, 2025   – A Special Kind of Love
Unconditional love often feels just out of reach, something we talk about more than we truly live. In a world where love is tied to performance and approval, it’s easy to wonder if unconditional love really exists. Then along came Izzy, our dog.
Izzy doesn’t care what kind of day I’ve had. She doesn’t wait for me to say the right thing or be in the right mood. When I walk through the door, she’s already ecstatic—her joy isn’t measured, her affection isn’t withheld. She simply loves. She snuggles close at night, always wants to be near, and somehow, she loves the bad mood right out of us.
Through Izzy, I began to see what unconditional love really looks like. It’s not complicated or strategic. It’s simple presence. Loyalty. Joy in another’s existence—no strings attached. No wonder dogs are trained to help those who suffer. Their love reaches into hidden, hurtful places words can’t touch. They don’t ask us to change. They don’t withhold love until we get it right. They show up, tail wagging, heart open.
Izzy teaches me daily what it means to love like God loves: constant, joyful, undeserved, and freely given.  
Kurt Peterson
 
June 4, 2025 – Beach
I’m writing this from the balcony of our room at the Torres Mazatlán Resort. Don’t you feel sorry for me? Below, the beach stretches beyond the beautiful grounds. But, I have  a love-hate relationship with the ocean. I love the gentle sound of the surf, the crashing waves, and the salty scent of the sea air. The deep blue water against the bright sand is breathtaking—a reminder that God is the Master Painter.
But I hate sand.
No matter what I’m doing, playing in the waves or enjoying a meal—it gets everywhere. It finds every nook and cranny and takes forever to get out.
This reminds me of the pleasures in life. They can be beautiful and life-giving, like the beach. But when I let them control me—when they become more than they should—they’re like the sand: invasive, hard to shake off, and clinging to every part of me.
Jesus may every joy and blessing be used for Your glory, not mine. Keep me grounded in you and help me not to be ruled by gifts meant to be enjoyed, not worshiped.                                                                       Kurt Peterson
 
June 5, 2025 – Pure
Every year we are blessed to walk with a remarkable group of individuals through the OCIA process—formerly known as RCIA. It’s a journey of growth, faith, and transformation. Throughout this process, we witness profound moments that reveal the beauty of God's grace at work. One unforgettable moment occurred during the Baptism of one of our catechumens. As she came up from the water, her face beamed with a joy that stayed with her the entire evening. When we reflected on the experience at our next session, she shared, “I felt pure.”
She couldn’t have said it better. In that moment, her old self had died, and she rose as a new creation in Christ. Through Baptism, we are washed clean, renewed, and united with Jesus in His death and resurrection. Of course, we are not perfect. We will stumble and fall into sin. But in His mercy, God provides us with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we are restored and made pure once again.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for inspiring the Church to bring forth the sacraments—encounters with God’s love that strengthen and sustain us throughout our lives.
Please continue to pray for our Catechumens and candidates as they grow in faith. Their journey is a reminder to us all of the grace available through the sacraments and the ever-present invitation to be made new in Christ.                                                                                                
Kurt Peterson
 
June 6, 2025 – Changes
Last month brought many significant changes. We mourned the passing of Pope Francis and then witnessed the white smoke rising from the Vatican as Pope Leo XIV was elected. Here at SS Peter and Paul, we also said goodbye to familiar faces—Deacon David, Todd Benjamin, and Sarah Peterson all retired, leaving a lasting legacy. We are now in the process of searching for a new Liturgy Coordinator and Music Coordinator.
It may feel like everything is happening at once, but that’s not quite the case. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant in life.” That rings especially true here.
Over our 47 years of marriage, we've adapted through many seasons. We raised children, then transitioned to being caregivers. We've reshaped our relationships as our children grew and started families of their own. We’ve grieved the loss of loved ones—Sarah’s mom and my parents—and learned to navigate life without them. And now, with Sarah's retirement, we’re once again adjusting to a new chapter.
But Heraclitus missed one constant: God.
Yes, life is filled with change, but God remains steadfast. While everything else shifts, He is our rock—the same yesterday, today, and forever.                                                                              
Kurt Peterson
 
June 7, 2025 – Footprints
A couple of weeks ago, Sarah and I were walking along the beach in Mexico. As our feet sank into the sand, we saw the impressions we left behind. It reminded me of the poem “Footprints.”
The poem tells of someone dreaming they walked with the Lord along a beach. Scenes from their life flashed across the sky, and in each, there were footprints—sometimes two sets, sometimes one. In the hardest moments, only one set appeared. When asked why God wasn’t there then, He said, “Those were the times I carried you.”
I remember the first time I read that poem and how it touched me. How often have I failed to notice God’s presence during my pain or struggle? Was I too caught up in my suffering to see that He was carrying me?
Now, as I grow older, I realize the Lord has always been with me—even when I didn’t recognize it. Thank you, God, for never abandoning me.                                                                                        
Kurt Peterson

June 8, 2025  – Our Amazing World
Spending a week on the beach, I watched the ocean waves continually renew the shore. Like a natural shuttle, the waves swept over sand and small creatures, burying them as they receded. The waves also create sand by eroding rocks, wood, and shells—churning and polishing them before depositing them back on the shore. This cycle shows how God created a world that sustains and heals itself.
God made us stewards of His creation. A steward is someone who manages another’s property. Earth belongs to God, and He has given us the responsibility to care for it. In Genesis 1:28, God commands us to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” In Genesis 2:15, He instructs us to “cultivate and take care of it.” These verses remind us that we are to use the earth’s resources wisely while also protecting and nurturing it.
If we respect this balance and don’t interfere with the natural order, the earth will continue to flourish. Stewardship means honoring God’s creation by caring for it as He intended.                  
Kurt Peterson

May 26, 2025 –  It’s Time
As you may have noticed I recently decided to retire from most of the ministries I’ve been a part of as a deacon.  I was ordained to Holy Orders at age 40 in the San Bernardino, Riverside Diocese in Southern California.  I don’t think that at that age I ever thought about the idea of retirement.  Ah, youth!   I have expended many years and much energy in both parish and diocesan activities and duties in both Southern and Northern California.  I’ve learned along the way the importance of praying much and listening for direction.  It has not always been easy but always ultimately fulfilling when I pause to remember that God is the one directing me.  I can’t deny that He is continually reminding me that my energy level has diminished. And just like when that happened when I retired from my secular job that I loved in order to let younger and more energetic folks step up, so it is now as a deacon:  it’s time.
Deacon David
 
 May 27, 2025 – Letting Go
I’ve had quite a few years to reflect on life which I’m doing more and more of lately.   One of the things I think about is “letting go”.  You and I  probably share some of these things but just bear with me as I ponder them.  When I was 21, I married the love of my life, but creating our own lives meant assuming adult responsibility and letting go of dependence on my parents. Having children and raising them eventually meant letting them go their own ways.  All of this brought my newfound religious belief into daily play.  Not only did I grow in human love but felt the love of God infusing my life.  Such also has been my journey with our church from “convert”  to active parishioner to ordained ministry.  And just as in secular life, so it goes in Church life:   awakening, service and then realizing that it is time to let go. And I’m looking forward to God’s retirement plan for me.
Deacon David
 
May 28, 2025 – Time Catches Up
One of the times in my life when I had all the answers to any question  was after we returned from our three years in Kenya  to all of the promises and faults of a first world country.   I had the experience of living in a third world country and had a clear vision of how things could and should change for the better, both here and there.    But time continues to give me new perspectives on how the world can turn without my help.  Jane wrote a couple of weeks ago about perspectives and of negative space.  I have to accept that, for me, time fits into the category of negative space and I am called to look at time from each new perspective given to me.  For example my faith journey began with the ignorance of my youth through being awakened to the reality of God and the gift of faith.  That faith grew into the actions of sharing and service.  It all took time and the help and love of many people.   Thanks be to God for having given me the time to see His will through those various perspectives given to me.
Deacon David
 
 May 29, 2025 – Seasons
This time of year, springtime, is one of my favorite seasons of the year.  Oh, it has its downside as allergies abound, but I revel in the promise of longer days  as I look forward to sunrise around 6 a.m. and sunset around 8 p.m.  Summer and fall also provide warmth and some long days but they are followed by winter with cold, short, dark days and S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) so the expectation is different.   As I contemplate the gifts and challenges God has given me, I reflect on my own seasons of dark and bright, cold and warm, open and closed.  I’ve had the constant presence of God through fallow seasons, birth and growth, harvest and now retirement.  Reflecting on those times reminds me that God has been the constant through every season of my life, guiding me even when I was ignorant of His presence.  
I am thankful and praise Him for all of the seasons of my life.
Deacon David
                                                                             
May 30, 2025 – Is It Bedtime?
There is a saying that Jane and I attribute to one of our grandfathers.  It involves having company in the evening and him turning to his spouse and saying out loud, “Honey, it’s time for us to go to bed and let these good folks go home.”  We enjoy the company of friends, but I’ve found myself ruminating on grandpa’s words when the clock says 10:30 p.m.  Then I think about Jesus spending his last night with friends and inviting them to go away to pray with him.  And his friends were unable to stay awake.  While I stay awake with my friends, I admit that it is difficult much of the time for me to say awake and spend time in prayer with our Lord.
Lord, teach me how to pray and stay awake.
Deacon David
  
May 31, 2025 – Saying “Goodbye”
One of the great honors I’ve had as a deacon has been to be the officiant at the time a person is laid to rest.  It is never easy to find the words which will not only console those who grieve the loss of a loved one, but also to remind them of the hope we proclaim in the resurrection.   Those who grieve often help to direct me before the ceremony when they tell me how the deceased are called and how they’ve spent their lives:  jobs, education, family, etc.  It is when I reflect those remembrances back to them that there are smiles through the tears and often sighs of relief.  What a privilege it is to remind them then that in saying goodbye to those we love here, they will be hearing Jesus say hello!
This causes me to reflect on where I am in my own life, continuing as best I can to serve the Lord, making amends to those I’ve offended and saying I love you to all who are near and dear to me.
Deacon David
 
June 1, 2025 – I Still Have Time
People have asked what I will do now that I’m “retired”.  Being retired from diaconal  privileges and responsibilities doesn’t mean I can’t continue in various ministries.  Jane and I will continue in O.C.I.A., the Belonging ministry, lectoring and serving as Eucharistic ministers.  And I will be available for filling in occasionally where needed.  We love this parish and want to remain involved as long as we are physically able and the DMV continues to renew our California driver’s licenses!  I also continue to pray that eligible men will take an interest in the diaconate and that one day women will again be welcomed into the diaconate.
Deacon David

May 19, 2025- Milestone Birthdays
Today my adoptive mom turns 90.  In almost six weeks, my birthmother will also turn 90.  It is truly a blessing that I still have both women in my life.   Celebrating these milestone birthdays is a pleasure.  At times like this, I am thankful to God for all those who are fortunate to live long lives, because I recognize that this isn’t always the case.  I think of the lives they have touched along the way and the experiences of seeing the world change in so many ways during their lifetimes.   I also appreciate the wisdom that our elders can share with us.
Loving God, thank you for parents and others who have been models of love and enriched our lives, whether they are still with us or have gone on to their heavenly reward.  
Darcy Wharton
 
May 20, 2025- A Time Set Apart
Each year, several women of the parish attend an overnight women’s retreat.  I began facilitating these yearly retreats over 15 years ago and we now fill Mercy Center Auburn to capacity with 40 women attending.  It is always heartwarming to see so many women gather with a desire to grow closer to God.  We are all nurtured by one another and nourished with great meals and a beautiful space.  God’s presence is palpable!
In times of stress, it is wonderful to find places where we can relax and feel the love of God in community.   Please pray for the 40 of us who today and tomorrow will be reflecting on our images of God.
We can’t all attend retreats, so where will you find refreshment for your soul today?
Darcy Wharton
 
May 21, 2025- Rest the Pond
What do you do when things get stirred up in your life?  I’m the type of person who likes to quickly solve problems. Someone recently shared this story with me and I love its wisdom. Imagine if you were trying to fish and the pond was stirred up.  The pond water can get murky when it’s been disturbed, and one can’t see anything!  However, if you give it some time, you can let the debris settle to the bottom of the pond and then you can clearly see the fish.  
Loving God, in times of uncertainty and confusion, allow your Spirit to fill me so that I can take a deep breath and let things settle.  Then, with your guidance, I can clearly see my path forward.
Darcy Wharton
 
May 22, 2025- Habemus Papam!
Where were you two weeks ago when it was announced that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was our new pope, taking the name of Pope Leo XIV?  It was a blessed experience for me. As soon as the white smoke appeared, my coworkers grabbed chairs and we gathered in my office.  (Coincidentally, we did this exact thing 13 years ago when Pope Francis was elected.  I was hoping we could do it again and we did!)  We were filled with joy and anticipation as we anxiously awaited the announcement.  Finally the red curtain parted and Cardinal Dominique Mamberti emerged to announce the name of our new pope.  
 I was immediately struck by our new pope’s smile and he clearly was holding back tears.  As he looked out over the throngs of people, can you imagine what he must have been thinking?
Let us pray that we will follow the words spoken by Pope Leo XIV moments after his election,
 “Together, we must look for ways to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges and encourages dialogue, a Church ever open to welcoming all those who are in need of our charity, our presence, our readiness to dialogue and our love.”
Darcy Wharton
 
May 23, 2025- Three Things
Many parishioners commented that they particularly enjoyed the Lenten reflection book this past Lent. I heard comments like, “it was direct, simple, and applicable to their lives”.   One particular reflection that I enjoyed was about three things to remember when thinking of the certainty that someday our lives will end.  The first is to Let Go, the second is to Show Love, and the third is to Celebrate Life.
It made me wonder.  In my remaining years on this earth can I continue to learn the value of letting go of things-past hurts, physical items, and therefore simplify my life?  Can I find new ways to show love to everyone around me?  Can I take the time to celebrate all that life has to offer?
Loving God, help me, with your grace, to focus on these three things.
Darcy Wharton
 
May 24, 2025- When Do You Pray?
As you might imagine, the topic of prayer comes up a lot throughout my day.  Some people share that they have a particular time during the day for dedicated prayer.  Others sprinkle conversational prayer throughout their day.  I have been asked what prayer style is best.  
Rather than answer that directly, perhaps the bigger issue is whether a person’s prayer style or habits nourish a deepening relationship with God.  It may not be a matter of how many words are being spoken, how often someone prays, or in what style, but are we able to confidently believe that we are in communication with God who is actively working in our lives?
I have found that the best type of prayer is the one that works!  In those times when I feel that prayer has gone a bit “stale”, I assume it’s a nudge from God to switch it up a bit.  One thing I’m convinced of, though, is that God is always present, patiently waiting for connection.
Darcy Wharton
 
May 25, 2025- Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled
In John’s gospel we hear Jesus tell his disciples that he will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit who will teach them everything and remind them of everything he had told them.   He also extends peace to them and tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid”.  
As followers of Jesus, I assume this is true for us as well.  However, it can be so easy to let the worries of the world trouble our hearts.   Are my loved ones okay?  What is happening with our economy?  What might the doctor say after those medical tests?   But Jesus implies that if we allow the Spirit to work in our lives, we will be filled with peace.  Do we really believe this?
Lord, in those times when worry overtakes us, help us trust that your Spirit is within us.  Let us feel your peace!
Darcy Wharton

May 12, 2025 – Moving and Changing
 
After the miscarriage of our first pregnancy, we planted a memorial rose bush in our backyard.  It always showed the most beautiful white roses, until recently when I looked outside and saw that the roses which had bloomed this spring were a deep red color.  I honestly didn’t know that roses could change color, especially after 14 years of white blooms, but whatever the reason: temperature, age, cross-pollination, genetic mutation…the fact remains that it changed.  And despite the change, the roses will continue to remind us of the presence of God’s love and comfort in times of pain and loss.  
 
I have mixed feelings as I await the start of the conclave and the election of our new pope: grief, sadness, anxious excitement and hope.  And yet, it is the beauty of our Church’s process of mourning and grieving while transitioning to the conclave that keeps us moving as a faith community in the midst of change.  During our parish retreat his year, Fr. Brendan McGuire said that during times of grief, we can find ourselves in a dark room, but we should take care not to pull up a chair in that dark room and have a seat.  It’s the paradox of grief that at the same time we don’t want things to move along or change, we also need to keep moving. 
-Katie Maynard
 
May 13, 2025 – Preparations
 
As I was walking around the church during holy week with my own checklist of preparations for Triduum and the OCIA, I came across a beautiful sight.  Two amazing volunteers from our parish were busy at work trimming the hedges around the statue of Mary in front of the church.  As I passed by, they exclaimed, “We’re getting Mary ready and making everything pretty!” 
 
I was struck by the simple act of clipping and trimming around the statue of our blessed Mother and the significance of the threshold of Triduum upon which we all stood.  It felt like a beautiful confluence of Lenten preparation and anticipation of an encounter of the paschal mystery: the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord.  We clip and snip and get things ready so that we can be moved: moved through the eucharistic fellowship and prayer of Holy Thursday, to the grief-stricken and solemn movements of Good Friday, and then to the joy and light of Easter.  
-Katie Maynard
 
May 14, 2025 – Lifted High
 
We recently visited Yosemite in the springtime, with its lush green meadows, forceful waterfalls and misty mountains…and also unpredictable weather.  In the morning, Half Dome and Upper Yosemite falls were not visible due to the cloud cover and fog…but as soon as the clouds parted or the fog lifted, the most incredible beauty was revealed.  
 
There are days in which I walk around with a cloud lingering over me, or feel like I’m living my day in a fog, and I’m reminded of an analogy I once heard about the distinction between consolation and desolation: “If you imagine a lamp shining its light towards you with your back to the light source, a shadow is cast in front of you (desolation).   However, when you turn to face the light source, the shadow is left behind and there is only light ahead (consolation).” 
 
Those clouds or fog often settle into my day-to-day living, because I’m getting in the way of God’s light…turned away from the source and casting a shadow in front of my steps.  So what needs to happen for the fog to be lifted?  What “wind” needs to be summoned so that the cloud is blown away?  The truth is that the wind of the Spirit is waiting and God’s light is shining…ready for me to turn around to reveal the most incredible beauty.
-Katie Maynard
 
 
May 15, 2025 – Running on Empty
 
I have always loved to drive; as I open the windows and feel the breeze, turn up the volume on the radio and sing along, driving has always been a source of peace, freedom and clarity for me.  In my youth, however, I was notorious for running out of gas.  Of course, those were the days before the advent of warning lights and sounds alerting me that I was low on gas.  There were at least a few times when I found myself on the side of the road with an empty gas tank calling AAA (or my dad) to come and rescue me.   
 
Running out of gas (or even running my laptop/phone battery to empty) feels silly – why not just take the time to fill it up or plug it in?  Yet, so often I keep running myself down to empty.  And so, the challenge for me is not to live back-and-forth between the extremes of “full” and “empty” but rather to be satisfied with “enough.”  Perhaps that is where freedom, peace and clarity reside: in the knowing that I am enough and that it is enough.  
-Katie Maynard
 
 
May 16, 2025 – Power and Beauty
 
Walking through the meadows on the valley floor of Yosemite National Park, one can see the most beautiful waterfalls and granite cliffs.  That being said, the only way to truly see the nooks, crannies, and crevices of the National Park is to hike.  On one hike in particular, we made our way up and through dense forest, near steep cliff faces and over a footbridge which took us across the Merced River with a view of Vernal Falls in the distance.  
 
We could have stopped at the footbridge, as the view was breathtaking and you could absolutely feel the power of the water flowing from the falls.  However, by hiking a bit farther on the Mist Trail, we were taken just across from the falls and were soaked with the mist as we climbed what felt like a giant stretch of rocky stairs.  Just when we questioned if we would ever get to the top, we edged around a wall of rock and came upon the crest of the waterfall spilling over the edge of the mountain.  
 
As we looked out over this incredible encounter with God’s power and beauty, it was now the footbridge that was our view in the distance.  We had to hike and climb in order to experience the glory and it was only then that we could cast our eyes upon the place from which we came.
-Katie Maynard
 
 
May 17, 2025 – Questions
 
Given my general state of curiosity, introspection, and many years as a teacher, I am constantly asking questions: questions that will help me get to know someone, questions that will help me understand the world around me, and questions that will bring me into deeper relationship.  Sometimes though, I can hide behind the questions…my subconscious avoiding self-revelation.  
 
The other day, I found myself in the car with my oldest daughters enroute to some sort of practice or meeting (a frequent occurrence these days).  To my surprise, the girls started peppering me with questions, “Mom, if you could have any job in the world what would it be?”  “Mom, what do you miss most about…”  “Mom, what is your favorite…?”  
It felt so good to have those questions turned around on me, and I thanked them for their curiosity.  The truth is that we want to be known, and as we hear in Psalm 139 “O’ God, you search me and you know me…you formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb.” It is a beautiful reminder that God has always known us and is always beholding us – curious and delighting in our ways. 
-Katie Maynard
 
 
May 18, 2025 – Love One Another
 
Stored in the closet of the white room in the Social Hall there is a collection of simple white lace tablecloths used for almost everything: dinners and social events, the staff Christmas party, funeral ministry, the OCIA seder meal and many retreats.
 
These are the best tablecloths because they don’t easily wrinkle, are easy to launder and clean, and are the perfect size.  As I have pulled them out for numerous occasions these past few months, I have thought to myself, “Wow, if these tablecloths could talk!”  
 
In today’s gospel we hear of a new commandment: to love one another…and these tablecloths would have a lot to say about the ways in which we love one another in our community.  They would speak of the abundance of laughter, many tears, wine stains, good food and prayer: love shared in joy, sorrow and encounter.  
-Katie Maynard
  
May 5, 2025 - The Pope Has Died
I awoke  several weeks ago, to the news that Pope Francis had died.   In my half-asleep stupor I felt  sad, but it wasn’t until I began watching news coverage of his death that the enormity of the loss struck me.  He had not only inspired me, but he had challenged the whole world to care for the marginalized, the poor,  the homeless, the immigrant, and he did this not just with homilies, writings, and exhortations, but by the way he lived.    As I meditated on how difficult it actually is to do that, I looked again at some of the choices he made.  He did not live in the papal palace but chose instead a simple apartment.  He did not use the glass cover on the Popemobile because it separated him from the people.  He denied himself the trappings of a Prince of the church and lived as simple  a life as possible given his station and responsibilities.  When I think of how difficult it is in my own case to make choices for simple living, I am overcome with admiration at how he did it, surrounded by so many temporal trappings of power. Truly his death is a loss not just to the Church, but to the world.   
May he rest in peace and may I who call myself Catholic honor him by copying his commitment to inclusive, simple living.
Jane Haproff
 
 May 6, 2025 - Perspective
The other night I awoke and noticed that the streetlight outside our bedroom window was casting strange shadows in our room.  I looked over at David and did not recognize him in that light at all.  I assumed it was the lighting, blinked and looked again.   Still, I did not see David; rather the person next to me looked like Thomas More or Erasmus, someone from an old oil painting.  I grew frightened, sat up, cleared my eyes and looked one more time.  Sure enough, it was David lying there, but by now I didn’t trust myself to be seeing correctly.  I sat still for a minute, dumbfounded at how my awareness had changed by merely changing my perspective, by looking at him differently.  I wondered how often that might happen in other areas of my life, where changing my perspective would help me to see things differently, perhaps more clearly.  For example I believe  Jesus is wholly present in the Eucharist and in the Word. I don’t just believe this, I experience His presence there.  I also believe what Jesus said about being present in the hungry, the naked, and the homeless but I struggle to see Him clearly there.  Perhaps I need to change my perspective by ceasing to look for him there and instead  finding Him there by  getting   to know them and their stories.
Lord give me the courage to change my perspective.
Jane Haproff
 
May 7, 2025 - Waving Wayne
There is a freeway overpass through a very nice neighborhood a few blocks from our house.  A nicely dressed older man sits on a concrete ledge under the overpass  waving to every car as it passes.  He is there almost all day, every day with some water and/or coffee and newspapers with him.  He doesn’t have a big smile on his face, in fact often he appears distracted by the crossword puzzles he brings with him.  But he looks up and acknowledges every single car that passes.  I don’t know his story, and I keep meaning to stop and tell him how much it has come to mean to me to see him there, greeting us all most days.   I haven’t seen him much this last few weeks and I am worried about him.  And I am bothered by my failure to stop and talk with him.  I was always too busy, in too big a hurry to get somewhere else.   But Wayne wasn’t.   He faithfully showed up and waved.  
Father, help me to slow down and see those around me; to acknowledge their presence and to be your presence to them, much like waving Wayne reminded me of your constant presence and faithfulness.
Jane Haproff
 
May 8, 2025 - Negative Space
Our daughter took a drawing class where she was asked to focus on negative space, the space between, and around the thing.  She was promised she would discover a whole world of information.
She began  to purposely notice areas where eyes do not perceive any object… cracks in the sidewalk, the air inside the handle of a coffee cup, the thick block of nothingness between the wheels of every car. She began to see that sky, although not prominent behind the tree branches, exists, nonetheless. Even the air  in the hollow of the coffee-cup handle is made up of imperceptible molecules, there all the while. A whole world of information.
She wondered if it’s the “emptiness” that creates the object or at least defines it; if  the negative space allows the positive subject to borrow from it, to shift its definition, change its shape, its meaning.  The breeze blows a branch and the space is transformed. My hand reaches for the cup and the scoop in the handle fills in. An ever-shifting of something-ness into nothingness and back again. Emptiness, the amenable partner who foretells the next move, and steps aside to make room for the dance.  She concluded:  let the shape, the unnamable but not unknowable, rest in your sights. It is there. Let it be.   And I am reminded that empty space is not negative, it is filled with the presence of God the undefinable but not unknowable that contains a whole world of meaning.
Jane Haproff
 
May 9, 2025 - Fire
In Braiding Sweetgrass , Robin Wall Kimmerer brings the ancient knowledge of indigenous people   combined with scientific investigative methods to environmental issues.  In one chapter she describes the many types of  and uses for fire and identifies four kinds of fire.  The first is the campfire, which provides warmth, a method for cooking, and brings people together in a community setting where stories are often shared.  The second fire is the Thunderbird fire, or forest fire which we usually see as destructive, overlooking the creative energy in fire that brings forth certain species of plants that go dormant without it.  The third kind of fire is ceremonial.  I thought of how on Holy Saturday the vigil service begins with the lighting of the fire, from which the Pascal candle is lit, and then each person lights a candle from that, until the dark Church is filled with light, reminding us that light always overcomes the dark.  The fourth kind of fire is the fire within.  Kimmer quotes a firekeeper:  “’the hardest one to take care of is the one right here’ he says, tapping his finger against his chest. ‘…we all carry a piece of that sacred fire within us.  We have to honor it and care for it.  You are the firekeeper.’”  Again, I return to my own tradition where the Holy Spirit descended on the heads of the disciples as tongues of fire…the Holy Spirit within.
Father help me share your fire within so that it is a creative force in a troubled world.
Jane Haproff
 
May 10 , 2025 – Story Telling
Our son is a story teller.   He turns the ordinary events of our family history into stories that are usually funny, often touching and always memorable.  Of course these stories are usually embellished and or exaggerated but they capture the essence of so many things.  
We were all together in Hawaii at his wedding last week; most of our families and his friends were able to attend.  We have met many of his friends over the years, and we’ve heard stories about most all of them, as they have heard stores of our family.  It was an amazing experience to open elevator doors at the hotel and meet someone we had heard stories about, “Oh you’re so and so…I know you!!”
It made me think of the Gospels where Jesus’ close friends tell us stories about Him in such a way that we come to know Him.  Are the stories one hundred percent factual?  Probably not, but they are truthful retellings of an experience so profound that they wanted to make us part of it.
I can imagine myself meeting Jesus after death and saying “Oh…I know you!”
Jane Haproff'

May 11, 2025 – Motherhood
Having just spent a week with our children and their families I have had ample opportunity to think about motherhood from many different perspectives.  There are the different ways each of us mother our children, as well as the sometimes critical remarks others who have no children can make out of love, concern and ignorance.  And there is the metaphor of motherhood that the Church has adopted for itself.
In each instance we have the example of Mary.  In most cases mothers fall head over heels in love with their babies when they first meet; so I think of Mary  who must have fallen in love so deeply with the infant Jesus who was born in such impoverished circumstances.
I remember telling my youngest child when she was three that I loved her so much it hurt.  She responded, “Mama, talk regular”.  How sad that that wasn’t regular.  How sad that we often think of Mother Church as a rule giver instead of a sanctuary of love.  How sad that there are children that no one has fallen drunk in love with. How sad that all of us aren’t so in love with God’s creation that we want to mother it back to health.
Mother Mary pray for us that the love you showed to Jesus might become commonplace in the world we have been given.
Jane Haproff
 

April 28, 2025 - State of Confusion
I love this time of year when the weather is confused; it wants to be Spring, but some days still feel like winter.  The days are getting longer and a spring bloom is in the air.  Additionally, the readings are from the Acts of Apostles where it feels like we are walking side by side with the Apostles as they wrestle with the disbelief of the local people regarding Jesus’ resurrection while also knowing Jesus fulfilled all he said he would.  As I read over the first reading today the words “You said by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:25) jumped out at me.  It made me think of how as a kid I would often remind my parents “but you said” when they would make statements of what we could or could not do.  It was reminiscent of the Apostles confirming that Christ fulfilled his promises and how the missing pieces from Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection now made sense.  They sounded no longer confused but assured of Jesus; however, they didn’t understand why there was still opposition to his Resurrection and Divinity.  Then as if they were answering their own questions, they were reminded that even those who oppose Christ serve a purpose and it is all part of His divine plan, even if we don’t understand it.  
Lord, help me when I am confused and do not always understand your plan, whether it be for me, my children, or our environment.  Help me to see your hand in all that surrounds me, knowing that it serves your divine purpose.
Bianca Hennager
 
April 29, 2025 -  The Greatest Story
I read a quote the other day that said, “there will be a thousand different stories about you; in some you will be the hero, and others the villain.”  It made me think about Christ’s story.  How is it that his story has withstood the test of time?  That even two thousand years later we still recount his passion, death, and resurrection.  We still recount the Last Supper during each  Eucharistic prayer.  It is mind baffling to me as I ponder this, but it helps solidify my belief that Christ is the Son of God.  Who else can say the same?
Bianca Hennager
 
 
April 30, 2025 - An In-n-Out Cup
I didn’t learn until recently that In-N-Out cup has bible verses subtlety listed on their packaging.   You can find John 3:16 on the bottom lip of a soda cup, other verses on a milkshake cup, and more verses can be located on a French fry container and burger wrappers.  It became a game for our family when we first learned about this neat little secret and we looked up the verses and meaning.  Today’s Gospel is the famous John 3:16 verse that so many Christians quote and use.  While reflecting on the Gospel I was reminded of the great sacrificial love God has for each of us so that he willingly gave up his Son for us.  Being a mother to four beautiful children I don’t know if I could make that choice: to give up one of my children for the sake of someone else?  Let alone someone who I didn’t like/trust?    I pray I am never faced with such a decision.  I am eternally grateful that God’s love is sacrificial and abundant in generosity.  Additionally, I am grateful for the bravery of our businesses who are not ashamed to brand/market their faith in a subtle way.  It was a great way to have some fun with the kids as we enjoyed In-n-Out the other day.
Bianca Hennager
 
May 1, 2025  - St. Joseph
Today on the feast day of St. Joseph, I am reminded of the importance of St. Joseph and his invaluable role in the Holy Family.  We have a unique picture of the Holy Family in our house where you can see Mary resting in the background while St. Joseph is holding the newborn baby Jesus.  It is not something you typically see and one that has taken on more meaning as the years have passed.  St. Joseph helped shape and form Jesus as a young man, teaching him a trade, modeling for him how to live his life though Jesus was divine and human. We recently celebrated the year of St. Joseph from December 2020 to November 2021.  During that year of St. Joseph, I joined a group of women who read Fr. Donald Calloway’s Consecration to St. Joseph.  I learned so much more about St. Joseph and his role as protector, and my absolute favorite saying “terror of demons”.  St. Joseph was the model husband, father, and worker for all of us to learn from.
St. Joseph the protector, guardian of Jesus, help us to come to you in times of trouble when we need your guidance on how to build our own families into being what God needs for the domestic Church.  
Bianca Hennager
 
 May 2, 2025  - Pray More Push Less
As I navigate into this new space of having adult children, I am often reminded how my role has evolved.   I now am asked to be more of a listener and guide vs. structuring an itinerary / playbook for my children to follow.   It is such a weird place to be in at times as I hold my breath and brace myself for the latest adventure my second son has taken or hold my heart as I hear the stress my oldest son is feeling while wrapping up his clinicals in nursing school.  I bite my tongue more times than I can count and I try to give a gentle nudge or a friendly reminder when we chat.  Much like any new stage of parenting, I feel woefully unprepared and seek out any available resource.  One thing that I am reminded of is to pray more and push less.  Though I may have the answers to my older children’s questions and have had similar life experiences, I am learning the importance of praying for them and walking with them as they walk their own path.  I find that our heavenly Father is much the same, quiet yet attentive, waiting to listen to our prayers, and ready to greet us as we come to him.
Bianca Hennager
 
May 3, 2025 - Why Do I Have to Slay the Dragon?
One of my favorite Saint stories that I read to our kids when they were little was the story of St. George slaying a dragon.  It is a lovely tale that has all the makings of a great medieval plot:  A knight, a dragon, good triumphing over evil, etc.  As I ponder over the lives of the saints, I often wonder what if St. George complained about having to slay a dragon.   I wonder if he told God to pick someone else; that the thought of slaying a dragon just seemed to be too much of an ask.  Today’s “dragons” may not be as we envisioned them once upon a time.  I imagine my “dragons” to be more figurative i.e. a friend battling cancer, life’s trials and tribulations, etc.  I look to the lives of the saints and those heroic people like St. George to give me courage and faith if I am called to be a dragon slayer; and to look upon my own difficulties as dragons to be slain. These experiences of slaying dragons offer us opportunities to grow in faith; and to grow more closely with God.
Bianca Hennager
 
May 4, 2025 - Feed my Sheep
Today’s Gospel is one of my favorite stories because two weeks ago we just heard about Peter’s denial of Jesus in the Passion narrative. No we read about Peter’s restored relationship with Christ and his call to be an example of Christ’s love and service.   It is such a beautiful comparison as the 3 denials are juxtaposed to the 3 requests to “feed my lambs”; “tend my sheep”; and “feed my sheep”.  I imagine Peter being redeemed in this moment and that despite his failings, Jesus is entrusting him to carry on the work Jesus began.  What an awesome responsibility to be given despite having deeply hurting Jesus at his lowest moment when he was arrested.  It gives me hope that despite my many failings and the times when I have denied Christ in action or word that he could look to me and ask me to “feed his sheep”.   
Lord, may I be reminded of your unfailing love despite my many shortcomings.  May I be open to your call of love and service to those in my midst even when I cannot see your face before me.  May I seek to restore any broken relationships with the help of your grace as you modeled for us.
Bianca Hennager

April 21, 2025 -  Meeting Jesus 
The Gospel reading for the Monday after Easter is of Mary Magdalene and ‘the other Mary leaving the empty tomb ‘fearful yet overjoyed’. This Gospel account from Matthew includes layers of meaning that instruct us on our journey of faith. First, Mary Magdalene is present in all four Gospels as first witness of the empty tomb of Jesus. As a faithful follower of Jesus, she was present at the cross and first to the empty tomb. In Matthew’s account, while on her way to tell the other disciples of the empty tomb, Jesus arrives and tells her not to be afraid.  
In an early tribute to the faith of women, all four Gospels note that Mary Magdalene is first witness to the resurrection. I would guess that all of us can name a faithful woman of the Gospel who has been critical in our journey of faith. Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, teachers, catechists, religious sisters, theologians, artists, and other women who have gifted the People of God and society at large with their witness.   
Second, Jesus met them along the way, told them not to be afraid, and commissioned them to go forth. Life often has tragedies, illnesses, setbacks and challenges. Yet, in all of those cases, Jesus meets us and tells us not to be afraid. Jesus told Mary Magdalene he would meet his disciples in Galilee, with the same message, ‘peace’ and go forth. Likewise, he meets me wherever I am with that same message.
Daryl Grigsby  
 
 April 22, 2025 -  Changed 
The Gospel reading for today’s Mass is John 20:11-18. Several years ago I had the pleasure of hearing a lecture from Sister Sandra Schneiders on John 20. Over the course of eight hours, she gave rich insights from this chapter of the Gospel. If you ever have a chance, I recommend viewing one of her lectures on YouTube, or, reading her book, ‘Written That You Might Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel’.  
In the workshop I attended, she highlighted Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus outside the empty tomb. Seeing Jesus was not there, Mary Magdalene wept, and responded to the angels inside that she did not know where the body of Jesus was. She then turned and faced Jesus, and thought he was the gardener. He asked why she was weeping and who she was looking for.  Still thinking he was the gardener, she asked if he had carried Jesus away, and where he was so she could take his body. When he calls her by name, she ‘turns’ and realizes it is Jesus. Sandra Schneiders pointed out the significance of her ‘turn’:  Mary Magdalene had already physically turned to face Jesus (verse 14). Thus, the turning in verse 16 was a spiritual turning and transformation from encountering the Risen Christ. Further, this change came after Jesus called her by name. Thus, it is with all of us. Jesus calls me by my own name, and my heart is ‘turned’ and I am changed.
Daryl Grigsby  
 
 April 23, 2025 - Love 
Today’s Gospel reading is the beautiful story of two people encountering Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. There have been countless homilies, paintings and other expressions of this incredible Gospel account. This story resonates with so many Christians because the road to Emmaus often represents our own journey. We are often walking along, troubled by recent events, unsure of our destination or future – and Jesus meets us along the way. In the Gospel account and in our lives, Jesus comes alongside and asks what we are thinking about, talking about, or troubled by. In the Gospel account he even asks for clarification, when he asks, ‘what things?’  He walks with the two all the way to Emmaus, all the time speaking to them of the scriptures, the Word of God as revealed to humanity. In doing so He reminds us all that the scriptures are not just words, they speak of Jesus, and they are how Jesus speaks with us. 
Once in Emmaus, they shared a meal. Jesus took the bread, blessed it, and gave it to them. After they received the Bread of Life, their eyes were opened, and they recognized it was Jesus. Just as the two saw Jesus in the breaking of bread together, so we too encounter the Real and Risen Jesus in the Eucharist. Every Eucharist includes those same words, bread taken, broken, blessed and given, and I am reminded that God is Love. I am also asked to love as Jesus loves. 
Daryl Grigsby  
  
 April 24, 2025 -  Peace 
Today’s Gospel reading has the two followers on the Emmaus road returning to Jerusalem to meet with the eleven disciples. While speaking of their encounter, Jesus appears and stands in their midst. The first words he speaks to them are: ‘Peace be with you.’ I have often wondered why, of all the words to say to his followers, why is ‘peace’ the word of greeting. He also says the same to his followers in John 20, not once, but on two different occasions. He doesn’t demand worship, call for repentance or have words of judgement or criticism. Instead, his first words to his followers, after arising from the dead, is a greeting of peace.  
I can imagine that those are the first words Jesus has for us. Before we begin our day, head off for school, work or other obligations, imagine if we heard Jesus speak to us clearly, a word of peace. Peace is God’s reminder to us to rest in the knowledge that God is with us. All the anxieties, doubts, and challenges of life are a reality. Yet, we are asked to be at peace. Further, some have noted the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is a wish for our well-being. The Risen Jesus wished for his followers, and for me,  peace, wholeness, and well-being. He knows that for me to go forth in love, for us to fulfil our obligations to ourselves, our families, our parish and others, we must all first be whole and well.  
Daryl Grigsby  
  
April 25, 2025 -   A Personal Invitation
Todays Gospel reading is from the final chapter of John 21, which describes six of Jesus’ followers following Simon Peter to go fishing on the Sea of Tiberias. They later saw Jesus, who they did not recognize, standing on the shore. He asked if they had caught any fish, and after hearing they caught none, he told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. Following these instructions they ended with a large catch. Realizing it was Jesus, Peter jumped in the water and swam to shore, and the other six rowed to shore as well. 
There on the shore was Jesus, with a charcoal fire, fish and bread. In one of the   passages of scripture I find most fascinating, Jesus invites the seven to, ‘Come, have breakfast.’ Jesus the teacher and healer, Jesus the Risen One; invites the tired and confused disciples to join him for breakfast. Cooking breakfast is that era was most likely done by women. Yet, here is Jesus Christ, assuming the role of servant, cook and friend to his disciples. Imagine that in our own lives. In the midst of uncertainty, sadness, grief, and other challenges of life, Jesus invites me to join him for breakfast. He invites me to join him in conversation, sharing with him my joys and sorrows. Of all the invitations Jesus offers in the four Gospels, perhaps the most personal and most transformative is, ‘Come, have breakfast.’ 
Daryl Grigsby  
  
April 26, 2025 -  Companions of Jesus
The first reading for today’s Mass is from the Book of Acts, and notes that the religious leaders were amazed at the preaching and healings of Peter and John. The leaders saw them as uneducated and quite ordinary. Yet their words and deeds were too compelling to be ignored. Further, the religious elders and scribes recognized Peter and John as companions of Jesus. One can but imagine what the leaders were thinking. They knew that Jesus was crucified; many of them were at his trial, saw him beaten, watched him carry his cross, and witnessed his final breath. Yet, here we are, weeks later, and his followers are not frightened, hiding, or ashamed. Instead, they are publicly preaching that Jesus is alive, and they are offering healing and salvation in his name. 
The book of Acts also notes the religious leaders conferred among themselves and asked, ‘what are we to do’ with these people? This reading has implications for all of us who follow Jesus today. I imagine if those around me, after hearing my words, and watching my deeds, recognized me as a ‘companion of Jesus.’ I was not present at the Last Supper, the trial, the crucifixion, the resurrection, or Pentecost; I have nevertheless come to believe in Jesus Christ. I have been baptized, confirmed, and have participated in the Eucharist. Through Jesus Christ I have access to the Father and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thus, like the early disciples, I too can be recognized as ‘companion’ of Jesus.
Daryl Grigsby  
 
 April 27, 2025 – Encountering the Risen Lord
Today’s Gospel reading is perhaps one of the most well-known post-resurrection appearances. The reading from John 20 has Jesus appearing first to the disciples without Thomas, and then, a second time, with Thomas present. As many know from the Gospel, the disciples who saw Jesus the first time tell Thomas that He is Risen. Thomas does not believe their words and further insists that he will not believe such a thing unless he can touch the nail marks in his hands and the wound at his side. He boldly asserts that is the only way he will believe that Jesus is risen. 
A week later, Jesus appears to the disciples again, and Thomas is among them. Jesus offers his body to Thomas and tells him to touch his wounds and see his hands. The scripture does not say whether Thomas ever touched the wounds. One could surmise that since the scripture was clear about Thomas’s claim of doubting until he could touch the wounds, that such an act would be recorded. The Gospel merely says Thomas responded, ‘My Lord and My God!’. While Thomas is often referred to as ‘doubting Thomas’, in many ways he is much like me. While it is good to hear of another’s experience with the Risen Christ, what matters most is my own encounter. Jesus offered  Thomas the opportunity to  see Jesus as he is, and Thomas believed. May we all see Jesus for ourselves, and exclaim, ‘My Lord and My God.’ 
Daryl Grigsby  

April 14, 2025 - Do You Recognize Him?
Oftentimes when I watch a movie or TV show with my parents there is bound to be an actor or actress from something we’ve seen before. My parents will ask “Do you recognize him?” or “Does her voice sound familiar?” I am not very good at this game. Most of the time I give up and then kick myself for not recognizing the actor sooner. I often get that same feeling when God acts within my life. I may not recognize it at the time, but upon reflection I see His hand in my life and regret not noticing sooner.
Sarah Pipitone
  
April 15, 2025 - Stumble Through
In the theatre there is a rehearsal known as a “stumble through.” This is the first time we are without our scripts and there is no one feeding us our lines. We must continue with the scene as if we were performing it live, which usually results in a large amount of stumbling. Although often frustrating in the moment, these stumble throughs show us what we need to work on to become better actors. When I am stumbling through life and getting frustrated, I feel as though God is simply showing me where I need to put in work to become a better person.
Sarah Pipitone
  
April 16, 2025 - Winning
I am a very competitive person in a very competitive family. No one ever “let me win” growing up, and we tend to find a way to make fun things into a competition. Even when we are just doing something that is definitely not a competition, we’ll refer to it as winning. Finished a library book a week before it was due? Winning! Finished your to-do list? Winning! Made it to stations of the cross every Friday this year? Definitely winning. While this mentality is fun, it puts things out of perspective. Life is not a competition. Though it is important to celebrate the little things, we are all winners and equals in the eyes of the Lord.
Sarah Pipitone
 
April 17, 2025 - Letters of Recommendation
Recently I have had to apply to various colleges, scholarships, and internships that require letters of recommendation. While it is nerve wracking to request them from the people in my life who I look up to and respect, these same people have written beautiful testimonies to my character. It made me wonder what kind of a letter I would have gotten from God, had I asked. He knows me better than anyone as He has seen everything I’ve done from the moment I was born. How does He see me? What witty anecdotes would He share? Am I living a life worthy of His recommendation?
Sarah Pipitone
 
 April 18, 2025 - Modern Shepherd
The Lord is often referred to as a shepherd, which is a metaphor for Him being someone who guides us. This made waaay more sense when every town had their local shepherds. I think in the modern world He would be called an influencer. Imagine how quick His message could have spread if it were live streamed. So the question becomes: do we invest as much time and trust in Jesus as we do in influencers on our screens? Personally, I know that is definitely something I could work on.
Sarah Pipitone
  
April 19, 2025 - Forgiveness
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us to forgive four hundred ninety times (7 x 70). In other words, stop harboring grudges. My best friend is the best grudge harborer I’ve ever seen. I doubt she would take well to this particular teaching. But picking and choosing is so not how the Gospels work. So if you are like my friend (or even me . . .) I implore you to let go of those grudges and forgive a four hundred ninety-first time.
Sarah Pipitone
 
April 20, 2025 - Dory
If you are unfamiliar with the character Dory from the Pixar film Finding Nemo, she is a fish with short term memory loss who constantly needs reminders about what she is doing, much to the initial annoyance of her companions. Sometimes I feel like Dory, forgetting God in my day to day activities and needing constant reminders. Thank goodness He is a patient and loving God who continues to remind me of his love even in my times of forgetfulness.
Sarah Pipitone

April 7, 2025 - The Light 
 
It’s wonderful having more hours of sunshine this time of year. The increased daylight has a significant effect on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I feel happier, more energetic, more motivated, and acutely aware of God’s blessings all around me. 
 
Light has so many positive characteristics and connotations. Light at the end of a tunnel means there is hope and a bright future ahead. Light conquering darkness implies goodness defeating evil. We are known to “light up” when we are happy, have gained knowledge, or have a great idea. The light of the sun, moon, and stars creates some of the most incredible images we’ll ever see. Light illuminates, reveals, clarifies, guides. Light warms and comforts us. 
 
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 
(John 8:12)
 
God, the creator of all light and the giver of life, sent us an amazing gift in Jesus Christ!  He is our light, our source, our power to affect positive change in ourselves and the world. He can light up all aspects of our daily living — if we choose to follow Him. 
 
Accepting this invitation means I am called not only to walk with Him, but to reflect God’s light and love to others. 
Every day is an opportunity to embrace The Light of Christ and share it with others. How will I follow His example and be The Light for someone today? 
Maria Montalvo
 
 April 8, 2025 - Love is Like a Sunset 
 
Looking at a beautiful sunset is one of my favorite things to do. Fortunately, with a west facing backyard, I can simply look out my family room windows to see it. I also live around the corner from a park which has an unobstructed view of the sunset. If I happen to be driving, sometimes I will pull over to admire God’s magnificent display of light and color.   There's nothing like an awesome sunset to stop me in my tracks and remind me how incredibly fortunate I am to be loved and alive. 
 
One night while watching the setting sun, I began to think about how real love is like a gorgeous sunset…Its stunning beauty can make us pause and take notice, producing in us profound feelings of awe and appreciation. Sometimes, cloudy skies will create the most remarkable and impressive changes. Its manifestation may vary, but it is unfailing makes an impact on a daily basis. Like love its intensity can literally take our breath away. Its promise is true. 
 
Whatever you do today, try to carve out a little time to experience the sunset. You will not be disappointed. And, while you enjoy its splendor, remember how much God loves you!  
Maria Montalvo 
 
 April 9, 2025 - Hope
As we all grapple with the challenges of our current political climate and the turmoil all around the world, I pray to remember that God is always present to help and guide us.   While there is turmoil in this big complicated world, there is far more goodness throughout. Let us cherish each day, stay humble and take nothing for granted. If I feel stressed, confused, or angry there is something I can always hold on to…I describe it like this: a brightness that can be seen at the end of a tunnel. It can lift spirits from the deepest darkest abyss. It can inspire the weary, ignite change, and bring millions of people together. It can be felt, but not touched. Without it, I can feel defeated and just a glimmer of it can save a life. 
Sometimes life can feel like a series of complex riddles, for which there are no answers. But, no matter what happens, I pray that all people can feel God’s presence, realize how much they are loved, and never lose hope.
In the 2025 Jubilee Prayer we are called to be Pilgrims of Hope:
“…May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. Amen.
Maria Montalvo
 
 
April 10, 2025 - Faithful Unions
 
Recently my family celebrated the lives of my aunt and uncle who entered the gates of heaven. They were married over 77 years! This is the longest marriage of any couple I know. I am fortunate to have witnessed their relationship as well as other long-lasting, successful marriages in my family. I have multiple relatives with 50+ years of marriage, another aunt and uncle who were married nearly 63 years, and my own parents who will be celebrating their 67th anniversary this June! It’s pretty remarkable when I think about it. 
 
While they all have several things in common such as patience, communication, forgiveness, and understanding, I learned long ago that the most important factor in their unions was their Catholic faith. Ever since I was young, my parents said repeatedly “A marriage takes three,” to last a lifetime. Their vows are a faithful union of husband, wife, and Jesus Christ. There is no better example of steadfast and unconditional love than what God has for each of us. To know that kind of immense love, and incorporate it into one’s relationship with a spouse, will undoubtedly make a marriage stronger. Being raised in the faith and having the living examples of such unwavering commitment has been an absolute blessing. 
 
I pray that all people will welcome Christ into their relationships as an active and essential part of their faithful unions. 
 
“Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
1 Corinthians 13: 7, 8a
Maria Montalvo 
 
 April 11, 2025 - Misunderstood 
 
This week’s Gospel readings recounted some of the experiences Jesus had trying to explain who he was and why people should follow him. While some understood and came to believe in him, others remained confused. Some considered him blasphemous and wanted to stone him. As we know, this escalated in the days to follow and resulted in his crucifixion.
 
It saddens me to think about the days preceding his death, when he was misunderstood by so many. He used simple words to convey complex ideas which people simply could not grasp or refused to accept. Even his own apostles had a hard time understanding what his words meant when he foretold his fate. This must have been extremely frustrating for him, and frightening too, knowing what was to come. 
 
Lord, 
I ask for your continued guidance when life gets complicated, and I don’t understand the ways you are speaking to us. May I trust in your loving presence, especially when I are overcome with confusion or frustration. Help me to be patient with others when I am misunderstood. Lead me on the path to being more like you. Amen 
Maria Montalvo
 
  
April 12, 2025 - Easter Sunday in the Snow
 
This Lent I am reminded of the time our family celebrated Easter in the snow. Our walk on that Easter Sunday was a beautiful experience I’ll never forget. I can picture it now:  warm rays of springtime beamed through the trees, as the sun slowly descended over the tall mountains. The light shone upon the landscape of a melting winter and danced over the surface of the snow. Between the shadows of the trees, the ice crystals reflected the early evening sunlight, making the ground's snow-white layer sparkle like a field of mirrored glass. The reflection produced a rainbow in the snow with bright purple as the dominant color. Our son noticed this and captured the most amazing photo. Purple, symbolic of Lent, represents honor, the sovereignty of our King and Savior, his power over death and sin. How timely was God's revelation!  As the cold of winter is replaced with the warmth of spring, the snow melts and new life emerges. We too make a transition as we travel from darkness to light through the sacrifice of Lent to the miracle of Christ's resurrection. 
 
I will always remember that enlightening walk in the mountains, when purple crystals glistened on our sparkling white path, leading us to the light of Christ, on that Easter Sunday in the snow. 
What signs is God revealing to me this Lent? Let me slow down and open my eyes, ears, and heart to the ways He speaks to me... or I just might pass them by. 
Maria Montalvo 
 
April 13, 2025 - Forgiveness 
 
Today is Palm Sunday, the day we remember Jesus’ triumphant yet humble entrance into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week. Jesus was welcomed by people, many waving palm branches, symbolic of life and victory. It was a joyous occasion which soon took an opposite turn, leading to Jesus’ awful torture and death. When I think about the events that took place at that time, I’m filled with an unsettling mix of emotions. I feel sadness, pain, disbelief, anger and even joy.  I question how such an injustice could’ve happened, although I know it was all in God’s plan. 
 
In the midst of Jesus’ suffering, right before he died, he prayed, asking God to forgive those who were crucifying him. He said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
This act of ultimate forgiveness has a huge impact on me every time I hear it. Of all the emotions I feel recounting the Passion of The Lord, forgiveness is not one of them. It isn’t until I hear Jesus’ words that I am reminded of how important it is to forgive. For most people forgiveness does not come naturally. It takes a great deal of effort. But it is essential for us to forgive in order to move forward with peace. Then I remember that Lent is not only a time for repenting our sins, but also a time to forgive others. Letting go of resentment and ill feelings allows me to enter into the Easter season ready for new beginnings.
Maria Montalvo

March 31, 2025 - Half the Battle
          This expression comes from an 18th-century proverb, "The first blow is half the battle". This means that if you can withstand the first blow, then you have endured what is typically the hardest part of the battle.  The expression was used by my dad and I adopted it.   I reflected that taking the first step on a journey or task or recognizing a personal fault and asking forgiveness is ‘half the battle’.  
          I do jobs and repairs around the house as you all do.  At times I have a problem which I know nothing about how to address.  After a little research and prayer, I launch into the task.  Sometime it proceeds smoothly, sometimes it’s a real bumpy road.  In all cases, I realize that just committing to the start is ‘half the battle’.  Once I have begun, the initial reluctance, fear of failure, or making matters worse goes away because I’ve endured ‘half the battle’.
          Jesus must be aware of my human frailties when it comes to problems of the world and problems of my spirit and soul.  My church must know this with the timing of Lent. Jesus’ recurrent message is to not be afraid, including failure, and to always remember that he is present and acting through the Holy Spirit.  To have tried is to know that the effort is equally important as the result.  Deciding to and starting to love the world the way God does is ‘half the battle’.
Ray Frink
  
April 1, 2025
 Conversion not Coercion
When discussing a patient’s needs, a habit guided me in my medical practice.  I’d ask myself if I was seeing the patient from 10,000 feet, the big picture, encompassing the patient, her family, and community, and only then focusing on the person in front of me.  This approach goes beyond medicine to my Church and my country.   When I view an issue from 10,000 feet, I appreciate the scope and implications, but I lose sight of what is right in front of me.  The danger is that when I only look at an issue from 10,000 feet, the earthbound view is lost.  The earthbound view is where life is lived.  
          The issue at hand could be LGBTQ Catholics, immigration, the environment, hunger or homelessness.  Often the solution that different opinions try is the simplest:  make a regulation, pass a law, impose a penalty.  This was very common to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time.  What Jesus points out in Mark 2:23-28 is that if this is the only view, then the loving and the compassionate act and perhaps a better solution is lost.  I believe that my role is to convert, not coerce, and conversion happens with my words and actions.   As I daily examine the needs of my world, while asking the Lord what we are to do today, I will try to remember that although I may see the 10,000 ft view, I and those I encounter live here on the ground. 
Ray Frink
 
 April 2, 2025 - Labels
          I don’t like labels.  They tell me nothing about the person or situation about which I am often asked to judge.  In my faith I hear that someone is a pre-Vatican II or post-Vatican II Catholic.   In a broader view, labels I use can involve mental state, political view, citizenship, regard or disregard for life, intelligence, etc.  In quality journalism there is an unspoken rule:  never use a label when you can describe a person or situation.  When I heard this, I realized how often it is easy to use a label.  I will try to use labels less in the future and when I hear a label, I will question it.   I surprised myself because I am a data collector, which is itself, a label of sorts.  This is how I conduct myself:  I gather enough quality information until I can come as close as I can to making an unbiased and loving decision. Describing a person or situation should rarely involve a label.  
          In the gospels, Jesus avoided labels.   Labels limit and bind me in my ideas about others.  In a previous reflection I referred to the 4 Ds of evil: deception, division, diversion, and discouragement.  I think labels meet the first three of these.  Jesus addressed individuals and their needs.  He spoke to the hearts of people and called them beyond themselves.  If Jesus listened to labels would Matthew have been called, the Samaritan women reformed, or the slave of a Roman Centurion healed?  
Ray Frink
 
 April 3, 2025 - Hero or Saint
          St.   Ignatius Loyola’s history is well known as a soldier, wounded in battle and discovering his faith through study of the lives of the saints.  A modern-day soldier, Adm William McRaven, gave a virtual commencement address to the 2020 graduating class of MIT.  In his address Adm McRaven speaks clearly about what it is to be a true hero:   moral courage, humility, sacrifice, perseverance, integrity and compassion.   My Catholic faith bestows a different title on those who live exemplary lives with these characteristics:  saints.  Reinforced by faith, prayer, and the sacraments, saints live lives of unequaled courage, profound humility, great sacrifice and unmeasurable perseverance, integrity, and compassion. 
          I do not have what it takes to be a saint. I understand what moral courage, humility, sacrifice, perseverance, integrity, and compassion involve.    I think I have the perseverance.  The sacrifice and courage items need work.  I strive for integrity and compassion. Humility is the toughest because society so emphasizes that humility is weakness, when my heart tells me that it is profound strength.  So I reflect on Micah 6:8 “…what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right, to love goodness, and walk humbly with your God” (NAB).   Adm McRaven’s address concludes with these words: “For what hero (or saint) gives so much of themselves without caring for those they are trying to save.”
Ray Frink
 
 Friday April 4, 2025 - Let’s Make a Deal
          When my wife, Cathy, and I met she thought I would be a scientist.  She watched me through grad school and my post-PhD work.  One day I announced that I wanted to go to medical school.  Though surprised at first, and reassured by me that I was serious and would only try one admissions cycle, she gave her full support and assurance that I could do it.   When Cathy told a female friend of this, her friend’s response was, “What are you getting in return?”   If Cathy was going along with this, what would Cathy get?  What is Cathy’s part of the transaction?  
          This question never occurred to my wonderful wife.  We take the team approach. If this is what I felt I was called to do, then I should do it.   Cathy also knew that if she chose not to use her degrees in the usual fashion, or change careers, I would fully support her with no thought of ‘Let’s Make a Deal’.   I see in many relationships and throughout government, society and sports the transactional approach.  Put another way, I won’t give to you unless you give to me something of equal or greater value.  This is not part of my life in the Body of Christ.  Jesus asks me to love as he loved and live with mercy and compassion without worldly reward.  What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Luke 9: 22-25.    
Ray Frink
 
 April 5, 2025 - Truth
          I have a travel mug emblazoned with “Mission Made”, because I was raised in the Mission District of San Francisco.   I am grateful that I am “Mission Made”.  My block was the ‘United Nations’ with inhabitants whose ancestors came from Northern Europe, Italy, Africa, Ireland, Germany, Russia, and the Philippines.  My Catholic grammar school was ethnically mixed.  My first piano teacher was a woman who chain smoked, drank regular caffeinated Coca-Cola and spoke with a Texas drawl.  I knew gang members, police officers, and, in high school, the sons of the rich and powerful.  Everything I have said is true.   You will likely never meet any of them.  You likely believe me but I could be lying.  It is easy for the speaker to lie to the listener about someone the listener will never meet.  It is just as easy to believe a lie about a person or group you have never met, especially if that lie is repeated.   Benjamin Franklin said,” Half a truth is often a great lie”.
          Scripture is clear about telling the truth.  I have the Ten Commandments.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Jesus repeatedly chastises the Pharisees for using the law to obscure the truth of his message:  that He came for all.  I always speak the truth about the people from my past and who surround me in the present.   I seek the truth both in faith and in public discourse, and the truth will set me free. 
Ray Frink
 
 April 6, 2025  - It’s Not Pie
As a scientist/physician, I rarely say something absolute, and I try to avoid making judgements. But I say absolutely: there is no place for ‘zero-sum’ in Christianity.  Zero-sum means: relating to or denoting a situation in which whatever is gained by one side is lost by the other (Oxford Dictionary).  I reject zero-sum because it contradicts what I believe about the love, mercy, and compassion that Jesus lived. But a zero-sum attitude, an attitude of scarcity, seems dominant in the secular and political world: if you have more, then I must have less. If you have more freedom, I have less. If you have more opportunity, then I have less. In the Christianity I believe, more blessings for you does not mean less for me.  It’s not pie.  Some in professional sports know this. To quote JJ Watt, a retired football star: “As I grew older and wiser, I learned that life isn’t about how many people you can knock down, it’s about how many people you can lift up.”
    So I believe that God provides whatever I need. I believe that love shared is doubled and sorrow shared is reduced by half. I believe that all I possess began as a gift to me and I believe Micah 6:8: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. I try to live these beliefs as I know many of you do. Now the challenge is: how do we lift each other up in a world that believes otherwise?
Ray Frink

March 24, 2023 - The Samaritan Woman at the Well
This is a favorite of mine!   From the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke, I learned that the Samaritans were the classic “other” for the Jews—not liked, not trusted, the alien at the border, etc.  Enter Jesus at a well in Samaritan territory… The well is a source of water, essential for life, and especially important in the deserts of the middle east.  In dreamwork, a well is a symbol of access to the depths.  The well taps into the Life Source, the underground stream. Not only does Jesus approach the Samaritan woman without distain, he asks her for water.   I wonder if he is metaphorically inviting her to see her own depths, her beloved-ness, her own soul?  As I image the scene, he allows her to banter with him.   It feels almost playful. In my imagining, she says, You want a drink from me? From my unclean hands?  And then Jesus reveals that he IS the Source of living water. Maybe a little confused now, she says, “you don’t even have a bucket.” But she wants what he is offering. She’s hooked.  He breaks the boundary, shows her who He is and who she is through His eyes, God’s eyes.  
Thank you, Jesus, for breaking all boundaries to reach each of us. Thank you for the gift of your living water and the example of how to treat the stranger.
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   
 
March 25, 20225 - Mid-Lent
Isn’t it interesting that Lent always begins with the story of Jesus being led into the desert to be tempted?  When I let myself sink into Lent, I can experience the grace of being led into the desert. For me, going into the desert is being vulnerable and aware of the whole of who I am…including the parts of me I am less fond of.  The desert is not a popular place, but it is a place of clarity and honesty.  There are no pretenses in the desert. Pretending can get one hurt. Knowing the difference between a mirage and an oasis requires clear vision and discernment.
At the threshold of my human frailty, on my pilgrimage to the desert, I meet my missed opportunities, my misplaced anger, my failures and my fears. But the desert is also the place where I am met with grace, not because I passed the test, but because I saw the truth and realized I am still God’s beloved.
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   
 
March 26, 2025 - When Practices “Don’t Work”
In a recent conversation with one of my dear soul friends, we reflected on a common feeling which we have both experienced at times—the feeling that a spiritual practice seems dry, that a prayer practice or meditation that used to feel fruitful for years suddenly seems “not to work.”   It caused us both to pause and think about what it means to “not work.”  That very human expression reveals an unspoken expectation. Not only do I enjoy the consolation that is felt in a prayer practice, but I come to expect it as confirmation that I'm doing the right thing. Perhaps I also see it as confirmation that God is listening, that God is there with me. We laughed as we recognized the implications. How could God ever not be there?? Does wanting a felt sense that my practice “is working” mean that I think it's about what I do rather than what God does??  We also talked about the seasons of our lives and the winters when we cannot see the work that is taking place. That is often the deepest work. Sometimes God’s deepest work in me is happening when I can’t “feel it.” When I cannot rely on my expectations and my felt sense, I can then be open to ask if God is inviting me to a different form of prayer, or am I being invited to show up and trust God’s work in me even when the results are not apparent?
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   
  
March 27, 2025 - Celebrating Jubilee
I wrote a reflection on the Jubilee last fall… Normally, I try not to repeat a theme, but the recent materials from our diocese stimulated my thinking and how I might celebrate the Jubilee Year. As I shared before, the Jubilee is something I learned about as a young adult. In Leviticus, every 50 years God's people redistributed land, forgave debts, and set slaves free. It was a form of rebalancing the scales, grounded in an understanding of God's justice. For me, these historical roots are important. In the Jubilee Prayer we ask:  May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth…  How can I cooperate to cultivate God’s transforming seeds?  Perhaps my pilgrimage visits will include soup kitchens and homeless shelters…  I want to be aware and attentive to the 9.2 percent of the world that lives in extreme poverty and the one out of every 69 people in the world who are displaced refugees. How can I find ways to redistribute the things I have accumulated over the last 50 years that I have been privileged to be an educated American, with access to resources, in a house that I own, at a time of relative peace?  Loving God of justice, may your grace transform me.
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   

March 28,  2025 - The Prodigal Son 
This coming Sunday we will hear the parable of the “Prodigal Son” from Luke 15.  For the next three days, I would like to reflect on this story through a practice called praying with the imagination in which we put ourselves into the scripture story and image what it is like to be there, to be one of the characters. This practice gives me three different lenses to look at Luke 15. 
First, I want to look at the typical focus of the story, the younger son who squanders his inheritance and returns home penniless and penitent. I think about how often “I waste my inheritance.” When have I been unaware of being created in God’s image, being baptized into God’s family as a daughter?  How hard it is to keep that perspective throughout my daily life!  
It also raises questions for me such as, what does it mean as a human being to hit bottom? How often is this the beginning of possibility and transformation?? Perhaps the younger son is one who has lived, faced his shadows, and come to a deeper understanding of the meaning of life. He realizes our interconnectedness with God and each other. He returns home to God the Father and home to his authentic sense of self as unconditionally loved. The story doesn’t tell us what he does next, but if I were to guess, I would say he is the son most likely to imitate his father in the years to come.
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   
  
March 29, 2025 - My Older Brother Complex
The older brother in the parable I imagine to be ungrateful and petty. He’s a score keeper who makes sure he gets what he thinks is his. What part of me is still invested in earning approval, status, and getting what I think I deserve?  In some ways, the older brother represents the human being working the system, expecting appropriately “earned” rewards for hard work and good behavior.  He is very transactional.  I realize he represents many of our cultural values.  I was raised with a strong work ethic and a belief that hard work should pay off.…And while these qualities are not all bad, I know that I can easily slip into a critique of those who have not succeeded by my standards. Are there people I unconsciously perceive as weaker, less capable, less worthy?  I need to be on the lookout for my older brother complex that is ready to surface.  Those might be cultural values, but they are not God’s values.
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   
 
March 30, 2025 - Our Prodigal God
Prodigal: “recklessly wasteful, extravagant; giving lavishly and foolishly.” I heard the perspective that it is God who is “prodigal” in a homily before Timothy Keller wrote, The Prodigal God. God’s love and grace are not measured out for the deserving, but freely given, wastefully and extravagantly. For this I am deeply grateful.  It’s hard to imagine myself as the father in Luke’s story. I confess that I am usually a measurer of outcomes, a holder of expectations, a scorekeeper.  But, as the Body of Christ, I/we are called to be the father in the story.  Have I ever shown unconditional love?  There were times when I embodied a bit of the father’s lavish love with my own children as they were learning to make decisions for themselves… We were there to support them when they tried out their “younger son” independence.  There were times when I realized that only love matters.
The thing that I find particularly meaningful about the father’s behavior in Luke is that he meets the younger son on the road.  He does not wait for him to make his confession.  He meets him with love, welcome and acceptance before.   The father runs to the son “while he is still a long way off…embraces him and kisses him.”  And then he provides not what the son thinks he deserves, but a beautiful, wasteful celebration of love. God, help me, at least once in a while, to have the grace and the courage to do likewise. 
Renee Regacho-Anaclerio   

March 17, 2025—Community Fruit
One day last month, my daughter came home from a walk through the neighborhood with two grapefruits. She carried them for over a mile because she knew I liked grapefruit. In this season there are often boxes of lemons or grapefruit with “FREE” handwritten on the box. There is even one home that has a beautiful, professionally printed sign inviting neighbors to pick fruit off the trees. And yet another neighbor who has mint and oregano growing on the street side of his fence. He leaves a pair of scissors attached to a long string so that we make take freely what we need.
I think about what this sharing of God’s creation and abundance means in this world. In a culture of “me” this small gesture is a gift to others—to neighbors they love and neighbors they have never met. This community fruit is a sign that we are caring for one another and sharing the gifts that God has given us.                                                                         Erin Gallawa
 
March 18, 2025—Weed Barriers
If there is one thing I have learned about weed barriers, it is that they don’t work.
Oh, sure, they keep weeds from growing for the first season or two. But like the famous line from Jurassic Park, “Nature finds a way.” I watched as a house in our neighborhood pulled up all of their landscaping and replaced it with rock over weed barrier. It looked amazing for just one year before weeds started popping through.
How often do I feel that my  faith is impenetrable? Do I feel like I am  strong against sin? The Church and our faith community offer me so many ways to guard against this. I can attend Mass, go to Reconciliation, study the Bible and pray daily. I can choose to surround myself with other believers. But without careful tending and maintenance, doubt and sin will start to push through.
May we guard our hearts to keep out the weeds of sin!
Erin Gallawa
  
March 19, 2025—Google Maps
Sometimes knowing more is more disappointing than knowing less. I remember that in the early days of Google Maps, the instructions might tell you that your destination was 47 minutes away. As a serially late person, I accepted the time estimate as a challenge. I would find a way to turn 47 minutes into 43 minutes! But these days the technology has gotten too good. The estimated time of arrival changes now to reflect current traffic. Sure, it is theoretically better to know exactly when I will get there, but the mystery and the challenge is gone.
There are a lot of things about the Church and the Trinity that I cannot explain… and that is what we call mystery. The mystery of the church keeps me humble, reminding me that only God knows all and that I cannot shortcut or speed my way up to getting to God sooner. There is no estimated time of arrival with our faith—we must trust in the map that God has laid out before us and believe that we will arrive exactly in the time that he wants us to!
Erin Gallawa
 
March 20, 2025—Daylight Savings Time
I am an outspoken hater of Daylight Savings Time. In fact, I call it Daylight Stealing Time. As someone who spends so much time running and hiking before 7am, I love my morning light. But every March, daylight is stolen from me when we push the daylight hour to the evening. This year was no exception, and I was grumpy about the change.
I went to mass alone that first evening in DST two weeks ago. When I walked out of the church, I was greeted by a beautiful evening with soft light and children playing under the bell tower. It was a moment for me to practice gratitude—gratitude for the changing of the light that allowed for a beautiful late winter evening to be a source of joy. And while I will miss the morning light for the next few weeks, today I choose to be grateful for what the evening light has afforded me.
Erin Gallawa
 
March 21, 2025—First Name
You may notice that the majority of our most known and beloved Bible characters are called by their first names only. No one has ever questioned if Moses or David or John had a last name! And yet they do not need a last name, for there is no question of whom we are speaking when we discuss them by name.
Over the last two decades my phone contacts list has been filled with names—with friends, acquaintances, employees, professional contacts and more. There are probably hundreds in my phone! But every once in a while, I am surprised to find a contact in my phone that has only a first name. My immediate family, for example. But they aren’t the only ones. There are the friends I have had since the beginning of cell phones—back when I didn’t call enough Stephanies to need to distinguish between them. It is an intimacy, almost, to not need another identifier to recognize someone you love.
Like the Bible characters who need no last name, I am grateful for the friends and family who don’t need a second name to be known.
Erin Gallawa
 
March 22, 2025—Retreat
My daughter just returned from her Confirmation retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Applegate. As I was driving on the road to pick her up, I was flooded with memories of the many retreats I have attended there. The first was a retreat in high school, then my Cursillo in 2005. I returned there as a leader for many retreats when I was a Catholic high school teacher. The last time I was there was for an RCIA retreat probably a decade ago. And now my daughter had the privilege of walking those same grounds and praying in those same sacred spaces.
While each retreat is unique and every individual has their own experience, there is something powerful about the connection of a holy place like that. For decades, that retreat center has celebrated with men and women exploring their Catholic faith. What a gift it is for the Spirit to live on through the holy men and women who have retreated there!
Erin Gallawa
 
March 23, 2025—The Desert
During the season of Lent we are often called to reflect on Jesus’ time in the desert and our own calling to the spiritual desert as we prepare for Easter. Growing up, I always imagined that the desert must be destitute and devoid of anything beautiful. I could see only sand, heat and suffering.
In the last decade I have had the opportunity to visit the Palm Desert area many times. My understanding of the desert is so different now. First, the desert is full of life! There are so many beautiful plants that thrive in this climate. There are animals that have adapted to living in these stark places. Second, the desert can be a place of reprieve. People leave their homes in the cold and snow to seek refuge in the mild winters and spring of the desert. The desert is not a place to avoid—it is a place to embrace.
It is true that life in the desert is not easy. But Jesus does not invite us to the desert because it is easy. In this season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, may we accept the invitation to the desert and remember that there is beauty in the desolation.
Erin Gallawa