With our diocesan pilgrimage in Nazareth, in front of the Church of the Annunciation, where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Holy Virgin Mary. How often do we stand before moments that feel too big for us? A new responsibility. An unexpected burden. A difficult transition. A calling that stretches our faith beyond what feels comfortable. In those moments, fear speaks loudly and questions fill the heart. But when God calls us, He also gives grace for the journey. Today, w

Opposite the tomb of Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem Years ago, while I was serving as a parish priest in NYC, one of my parishioners lost her husband. After the funeral she would faithfully visit her beloved husband’s grave at the cemetery. She would bring a small chair with her, and sit by the headstone for hours. I would accompany her on occasion, whenever she asked me to offer formal blessings at his burial site. But in my youth, I struggled to understand why

On Holy Friday, we stand before the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and look upon the deepest mystery of our faith. Many people looked at the crucified Jesus on that day and saw only a suffering man. They saw His wounds. They saw the nails. They mocked Him and treated Him like just another condemned person. But the One hanging on the cross was the eternal Son of God. The hands pierced for us were the same hands that created the world. The head crowned with thorns was the head