Blog & Pastor Letters

The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted – Psalm 34: 18

07-31-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Victor C. Yakubu

By the time you are reading this, I would be in the airplane on my way to Nigeria with Fr. Ishaya Samaila, Fr. Raymond Ogboji and Dr. Susan Moravec, a friend to our diocese. As you have known, I am returning to Zaria, my home diocese, to pay my respects to Most Rev. George J. Dodo (1956-2022) the first bishop of our diocese. He died on July 8th of natural causes. Eternal rest unto him.

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Abraham Drew Nearer

07-24-2022Weekly ReflectionColleen Jurkiewicz Dorman

I’m from the Midwest. My parents and grandparents were all born, raised, and lived their lives in the Midwest. There is a pathological politeness that has worked its way into our genetic code and the thought of inconveniencing another person causes us actual physical discomfort, so we find it impossible to ask for help unless we preface the request with five minutes of apologies and explanation.

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Distracted Visits with Jesus

07-17-2022Weekly ReflectionAllison Gingras

Martha, busy serving and fretting, loses sight of just who this special guest is that has come to her home to dine. There is a subtle connection between this week’s Gospel story and the Eucharist. We can come to Mass so busy and distracted that we perfunctorily go through the motions of Mass, forgetting whom we are so privileged to receive. We all easily forget to be like Mary and choose the best part.

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Who Is My Neighbor?

07-10-2022Weekly ReflectionRev. Mark Suslenko

“Brother Sun, Sister Moon I seldom see you seldom hear your tune. Preoccupied with selfish misery. Brother Wind and Sister Air open my eyes to visions pure and fair. That I may see the glory around me. I am God’s creature, of Him I am part. I feel His love awakening my heart. Brother Sun and Sister Moon I now do see you, I can hear your tune. So much in love with all that I survey.” These lyrics by Donovan are part of the soundtrack for the 1972 movie, “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” that is based on the life of St. Francis of Assisi. They beautifully and simply capture the spirituality of this great saint as they reflect the sentiments found in his Canticle of the Sun.

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Called to Make the Kingdom a Reality

07-03-2022Weekly ReflectionBr. Silas Henderson

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
—Luke 10:1

>When we think about the great saints of our Catholic tradition, we realize that they very often come in pairs: Paul and Barnabas, Perpetua and Felicity, Benedict and Scholastica, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac, to name only a few examples. Even within my own Salvatorian community, we often see our founder, Blessed Francis Jordan, paired with Blessed Mary of the Apostles (of the Salvatorian Sisters).

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