Transcript

Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

Amen.

Hallelujah.

What happens during morning prayer really is the start of our day with God, uh, the sacrifice of what is to come for God.

But then in a special way, uh, this morning, I was doing especially doing the intercessions as I know a lot of the people that I'm gonna be interacting with today.

So, already bringing, uh, them, those occasions, uh, to, to God before, um, before we meet.

Hey, good morning.

Good morning.

Father, do you want coffee?

Yes, please.

Thank you.

We have men of virtue this morning, so a bunch of high school guys getting together for Lectio Divina and discussion about virtue for an hour before school.

for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, How hard is it for those who have worked to enter the Kingdom of God?

The disciples were amazed at his word.

So just take a couple minutes, maybe two minutes in silence.

We'll meditate on the word.

You've got the word in front of you, so if something in particular sticks out, then just focus on whatever from the reading, uh, is striking to you.

Hi, Mary Clara.

Hi, Grace.

Hi.

Um-

For the martyr.

Oh, red.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Red, for the martyr, yep.

We have prayers that we pray as we're vesting ourselves here, so, um, you know, the prayers are written there that I use.

Something that from the first time that I ever celebrated mass to now, I've been surprised at how easy it is to pray as the celebrant, the role that I have in offering.

And the thing that's been really with me this year is the three points during the mass, the first is when I offer bread and wine.

And the second is right after I say, uh, the words of the institution of the Eucharist and, um, showing them, uh, the body and blood of Christ.

And then, um, the third is when at the very end of the Eucharistic prayer, when I hold up both the chalice and the paten, um, and that, uh, that offering there.

Those three parts during the mass have just had such rich, uh, meaning with those that I'm offering the mass with and, and for.

Amen.

Go in peace.

Thanks be to God.

Good morning, Father.

Hey, good morning.

So I think I know which grade is, uh, coming to us today, but sometimes it's a surprise.

It's a, it's a real, uh, joy to bring love, peace, forgiveness of Christ.

And so, it's a, a really wonderful celebration that we have individually together but really as a, um, as a, as a community, as a school all together as well.

All right.

Good morning.

Good morning, Father Paolo.

Good morning.

Jenny is the one who oftentimes wants my signature, but that's because, that's because Jenny is in charge of all these sacramental records and sometimes we need our signature to, to, uh-

Make it official.

make it official, yeah.

So nothing in here this morning and nothing in my, uh, mailbox yet.

So something like a pretty easy morning.

Morning, Pastor.

Good morning, Parochial Vicar.

Another easy morning for you.

Yeah.

Like every morning.

It's just, it's just, it's just Father, Father, Father Patrick and I doing all the work.

You know.

What are you doing in the office this morning?

You're never here this early in the morning.

Yeah.

I really, uh, this is a really important space 'cause of the folks that, uh, come and meet in here are frequently not, um, uh, someone who I see on a day to day or even a week to week basis.

Uh, someone who's, uh, uh, um, coming to us in a moment of crisis, who hasn't been to the church in a very long time, this would be the space where we meet.

Uh, so I try to take special care for this to be organized and beautiful, um, because the way that the faith is being portrayed is, uh, is really important.

That kind of first impressions is, uh, really important.

As well as around the office, there's, uh, different opportunities that I have when I'm with someone to be able to, uh, give an explanation that's kind of guided.

So for instance, I find it helpful to have, uh, my family and friends here, so that when they come up and I'm talking about them, uh, there's a re- reference, uh, there and a guide there.

Uh, some other images that, uh, come up frequently, for instance, um, is, uh, this image, uh, which a lot of people, I've been surprised have not ever heard the story of, uh, uh, Jesus washing, washing the disciples' feet.

It's a really important, uh, story, uh, and really shows that service and love, uh, that he has for us.

So that's a, a great opportunity to tell that story.

And then right behind you over there, I really love, um, uh, that image.

Um, so that's the image of the, um, woman when she, uh, reaches out and wants to touch, uh, the tassel on Jesus' cloak and receives healing after having been, uh, sick for 12 years.

A lot of people when they come in here, there's something that we've been carrying around for a really long time, so it's not just like an immediate crisis of something that just happened today, but it's just there's been something that's been, um, h- heavy or been really, uh, tough for a very long time.

So that's also a, a helpful image there to be able to, um, to tell that story.

So, um, and those things, having those around makes it easier, easier pedagogy, you know, presenting, presenting things, so.A lot of times when I'm in the car and if there's, if there's no one with me, then I'm, uh, then I'm podcasting.

Um, so, uh, gonna, um I've got several podcasts.

You know, even our bishop has, uh, his own podcast, the Walk Humbly podcast.

But, um, I also, uh, have ones of, uh, history, um, for, uh, exercise, like the science, uh, behind, uh, different workouts.

Sometimes an audiobook, sometimes podcasts, but, um, I'm on a bit of a podcast kick.

And we're headed right now to, uh, the courthouse.

This is, uh Something that happens in the day of a life of a priest is, uh, the thing that you've never done before.

Uh, so that's a frequent, um, that's a, that's a, a common occurrence is the thing that's incredibly uncommon.

And I've never done this before, so it's a, it's a family who's going to have a really, uh, tense day today, uh, at court.

And they just want me to be present there.

I brought my rosary, and I'll probably just be sitting there in silence praying the rosary with the family.

And, uh, some of the things that will probably need to be said will be really, uh, difficult to listen to, especially for the families.

But, uh, we'll, we'll, we'll be there together.

That's, um So that's what we're, that's what we're off to.

Well, that took longer than, uh, expected, so I'm gonna be adjusting some of the things that I'm doing today and called some of the meetings that I had to move things around a little bit.

It was a pretty, uh, intense time together.

It wasn't just a long time, but, uh, it felt, uh, it felt even longer together.

So I was really happy that I was there, uh, with those, uh, with those families and continue to be with them.

Now, we transition right from that to, uh, heading to go and be with our, our kindergarten students here at the school before, uh, they're dismissed for the day.

How are you all?

Hey, good.

Good to see you guys.

Good, sir.

Jesus has come to give us life.

What do you think about that?

Why do you think Jesus did that?

To make

What's that?

Make

To make us be with him.

What else?

Why would Jesus do something like that?

Yeah.

He made the planets.

And he made all of the planets.

Yeah.

God made the planets.

God made the planets.

I'm gonna be actually reading about planets later this afternoon and about God making them.

And may almighty God bless all of you, the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Amen.

All right.

I'll see more of you guys later.

Bye.

All right.

I'm gonna go head, head and have lunch with a recent convert to the faith and good friend here at the parish.

Uh, right now they're having dismissal here at the school.

So, the parking lot's full of all of the parents who've come in to pick everyone up.

Hi, Jenny, speaking of converts.

Hi.

From just this past Easter.

Okay, good.

Yeah, we'll head out.

That was great.

Just got lunch with a parishioner.

And it's been kind of a, a crazy morning this morning.

Some things got delayed.

Typically, I like to pray my meditation earlier.

But, uh, now I'm gonna head off, uh, to pray a holy hour over at the church.

So, just finished a holy hour.

That's a really, uh, important part of the day, silence, meditation, meditating on the word of God.

Just spending time and receiving from Him.

There's a lot going on during the day so having that time where we're just together, the simplicity of it, silence of it, uh, is really important.

Uh, I started making times of meditation when I was about, uh, 15.

And it was in that silence, especially in my first year of college I'd do this at the beginning of the day, um, before classes get started.

And it, it really changes, uh, the whole, uh, the whole day in that communion with Him.

So, I'm gonna go for a, a quick trail run.

Um, I'm actually in, um, some long distance training and today's a short day, uh, just 'cause yesterday was, uh, a long run.

So, today will actually be, uh, nice and quick.

All right, almost done.

Right.

Here it is.

That's a fun trail 'cause it's pretty, uh, pretty high traffic so you end up seeing, inevitably, parishioners along the way.

When I first arrived here, no one knew who I was, and I didn't know who they were.

So, you didn't recognize each other.

And then I think I beat them, too.

I started recognizing people from the pews before they recognized me out of, uh, out of priest clothes.

But now, now we all recognize each other.

So

God, come to my assistance.

Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

Amen.

So, how many?

There six of us?

Yeah.

So, two more or five steps.There's the importance of eating dinner and then there's the importance of eating dinner together.

We're all very hungry and we'll be very angry with each other if we don't eat.

So- So we're going to make sure we eat.

Particularly angry, particularly angry with me.

Yeah.

Because I'm the pastor and I get to eat.

Yeah.

So we're gonna, we're gonna have some dinner together.

It's a good way for us to also catch up on, um, because you've seen them maybe throughout the day, but we just had a sit down for our calendar meeting which is a half hour, and then we had evening prayer together, and now we can have dinner together in one station, see how, see how everybody is doing.

Amen.

Amen.

I don't really know what this game is.

They say it's called Scopa.

Just have something that we can do together that, at the same time, we, we usually chat and catch up sort of about what, you know, what the day was like, um, if we're not too intent on beating the other person.

So but yeah, so it just depends.

Heading into the classroom right now to go teach OCIA, so all of those who are inquiring and becoming members of the Catholic Church are going to be here this evening.

We teach a class every single week that walks them through the, the creed, the understanding of faith, and the living out Christ's teachings.

And so tonight I'm going to be teaching them about how to read the New Testament.

So my encouragement continuously for you is for you to be living the devotional life with us, so that's a daily life of prayer, that's mass on Sunday even though you can't receive the Eucharist, you're still there present with us in the offering of the sacrifice and in the worship, um, and in the, also the life of charity and our communal life of living together.

One of the things that I've been most surprised about since becoming a priest is that my life as a priest is far more similar to the dream that I had than I would have thought possible.

There's a lot of things that happen throughout the day, but each in their own way actually is very life-giving and refreshing even.

I spend time with people who want to be close to Jesus, and there's nothing that's exhausting about the people that I spend time with.

At the beginning of today, I had certain things that I asked for, um, for today for Christ to, um, uh, use me for, and at this point, I've tried to give myself, um, to him, and it's a relationship of friendship, of love, and of trust.

And so I really can rest and sleep and be, uh, at peace, um, easy just continuing to, uh, live this life with him day in, day out.

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace.

Your word has been fulfilled.

My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people, Israel.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

Amen.