My first instinct upon waking is to grab my phone and start scrolling. Sometimes I do it for 20 or 30 minutes, and it makes me feel distracted and agitated. I feel guilty, too, for wasting my first moments of the day. So recently, I committed those minutes to reading a book that would focus my mind on Jesus. I enjoy the fact that I am not scattering my attention as much. I feel more peaceful and focused on God.

Our parish family is a way of life shaped by the Beatitudes. We celebrated All Hallow’s Eve in the best possible way as a parish. We do this by gratefully receiving what God gives and becoming more like Christ in our neighborhood. This mission extends by offering our lives in service of others. On All Saints’ Day, our parish family sees that vision as a path of holiness for the whole community. The saints remind us of their friendship, intercession and model of life. When you take a closer look at their example, it encourages faithful people like yourselves to respond generously to God’s call.

When I was in seventh grade, like most boys of that age, I was constantly hungry. I could eat at any hour of the day. Then I fell head over heels for a classmate named Kristin. One evening, while lying on my bed and pondering her perfections, my mom called me to dinner. For the first time in my adolescent life, I remember thinking: “I’m not hungry.” My heart longed for Kristin more than my stomach for food. Now, I wouldn’t confuse adolescent infatuation with mature love. But it was an experience of how love can reorder everything in our lives.

Occasionally, I’ll slip into a parish I’ve never visited before, pick up the bulletin, and find one of my Gospel reflections. My heart usually swells with a bit of affection for my creation. I imprint a bit of myself into my little “literary labors of love.” Anyone who has created something — a piece of writing, a garden, a meal, a child — knows that feeling. We love the things into which we put ourselves. We are happy when they return to us.

What a beautiful sign of love it is when a parish community cares for the beauty, safety, and well-being of its church and grounds. Your generosity, time, skill, and sacrifice help make this parish a place where people can pray, celebrate, and encounter the Lord. THANK YOU for the 333 families that have helped us reach $78,848.13 towards our Parish Beautification projects since June 1st!

I’ve always thought the Parable of the Tenants could be a storyline on one of those “world’s dumbest criminals” shows.

Serial murder seems like an absolutely insane course of action simply to hoard the profits of a harvest you don’t legally own. In what world did the tenants think they would get away with that? Furthermore, they must have had a contract with their landowner ensuring payment for their labor. Why, all of a sudden, is this payment not enough?