Reflections

The Sacraments: Holy Matrimony

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony We have now completed the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick), and will now move to the Sacraments of Service (Marriage, Holy Orders). The Sacrament [read more...]

Christ is the Good Shepherd

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. We are halfway between Christ rising from the dead on Easter Sunday and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Two weeks ago, we were reminded of God’s mercy on Divine [read more...]

Jesus Let His Hair Down, Too

Many people think Jesus was stoic or pious, but the opposite is true. Jesus enjoyed life to the fullest. He gathered with friends. He attended wedding celebrations. He celebrated holidays with family. Jesus understood the need for social interaction and [read more...]

The Cardinal’s Call-to-Action for Next 70 Years

In Cardinal Cupich’s beautiful Homily delivered at Our Lady of the Wayside’s Celebrate 70 Family Mass, he congratulated our Parish for 70 years of growth, and challenged Waysiders to live the Gospel and carry Jesus’ message and mission into the [read more...]

Their Eyes Were Opened

God Loves us, and His Love is eternal. God gives us, mortal human beings, the gift of immortality. This is the reason why we should be full of joy during this time of Easter. It is true that we experience [read more...]

Jesus Felt Alone, Too

Jesus understood loneliness. Jesus gained meteoric popularity only to watch thousands of his followers, just as quickly, walk away from him. As he was being prosecuted for crimes he didn’t commit, his closest friends abandoned him out of fear. He [read more...]

Deacon’s Beacon: “Lose the Bunny!”

“Lose the Bunny!” Going into stores and restaurants during the past 40+ days, I saw Easter seasonal decorations of bunnies, chicks, colored eggs, lilies, and – Oh, did I say -bunnies. People wanted to brighten their facility with seasonal signs [read more...]

The Sacraments: Anointing of the Sick

The second Sacrament of Healing is Anointing of the Sick. An often-asked question is if this is the same as Last Rites. While Anointing of the Sick can take place prior to death, it could also be considered Last Rites [read more...]

Jesus’ Divine Mercy

In 1936, something extraordinary occurred in Poland; Jesus spoke the following words to a simple Polish nun named Sr. Faustina Kowalska: “My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a [read more...]

Jesus Struggled to Make Ends Meet, Too.

But Jesus couldn’t have cared less about money. He wasn’t building a personal estate, or an army, or a nation, or an empire. He followed what he believed was his true calling and identity – to demonstrate how the tenants [read more...]