On the Inside; On the Outside


 
Jul 31 2012
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Mission Trip 2012: Winnebago, Nebraska

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Last week, my wife and I (and two additional chaperones) took 14 teens from our parish on our annual Summer Mission Trip.  This summer, we chose to go to a Native American Reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska.
 
It was in Winnebago where we lived in community with other teens from Nebraska, Missouri, California and Massachusetts at St. Augustine’s Indian Mission. The Winnebago Reservation is home to the Ho-Chunk tribe, and was founded in 1909 by Saint Catherine Drexel.  She actually had walked on the grounds where we walked, and we all thought that was really cool. Read More
Jul 19 2012
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The Burdens We Carry

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Are you tired? Are the worries of life slowing you down? Is there a heavy weight upon your shoulders? Then today’s Gospel reading from Matthew should be of interest to you:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.”

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Jul 10 2012
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Today is a Special Day

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

It is so easy for us to take things for granted. It is so easy for us to become negative because of all of the bad things that are going on around us. It is so easy for us to get wrapped up in the drama of our lives, along with our ups and downs and troubles and trials.

Now more than ever, there is a need for us to try and live our lives more fully, and always in the present moment and not letting our heartaches about the past or our anxieties about tomorrow cheat us out of the riches of today. Read More

Jul 05 2012
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Refreshed on a Hot Summer Day

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It’s the fifth of July, and it’s going to be another hot summer day. After surviving a scorching July 4th of 102 degrees, it should be interesting how this day will shape up. Temperatures are climbing again, forecasted to be around 103 degrees or so, with high humidity. It is very important to stay hydrated, and to begin the day on the right foot. Read More

Jun 28 2012
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The Foundation of Jesus Christ

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Back in 2006, I was blessed to be on a mission trip with a group of teens from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We had the opportunity to go to New Orleans to work with the people who were suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We were there one year after the hurricane had hit, but you would never know this by the devastation and destruction that we saw. You would have thought that the hurricane had just hit a few weeks prior. Yes, it was as bad as it looked on TV, and it was even worse being there in person. Read More
Jun 12 2012
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Prayer for Frustrated Catholics

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This was printed in America Magazine, written by Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Dear God, sometimes I get so frustrated with your church.

I know that I’m not alone.  So many people who love your church feel frustrated with the Body of Christ on earth.  Priests and deacons, and brothers and sisters, can feel frustrated, too.  And I’ll bet that even bishops and popes feel frustrated.  We grow worried and concerned and bothered and angry and sometimes scandalized because your divine institution, our home, is filled with human beings who are sinful.  Just like me. Read More
Jun 05 2012
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Crazy English Rules Poem

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Someone shared this with me today, and I thought it was a fun way to start the month of June. This poem is about the crazy rules we find in the English language on a daily basis.  Enjoy!

We’ll Begin with a Box
We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes. Read More
May 27 2012
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It’s Time to Leave our Upper Room!

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The apostles were commissioned by Jesus to be his witnesses to the world. But as soon as Jesus leaves them, they go to their upper room and hide themselves. And we are left only to imagine what they talked about in that room. Someone may have said that there was no way that they could afford to go into the entire world. Someone else may have suggested that it was dangerous to leave that upper room, for who would do the work if they were killed or thrown in prison. Perhaps another disciple said that they were no good at evangelism, or they were too old, too tired, or too poorly educated to speak of what moves them towards God. That upper room must have felt so safe, so comfortable. They were afraid of the Jews. They knew that the people did not like them. They knew that their message was different than the popular message of the time, and they just felt like not going out to face the hostile society. Read More