So, were you aware that the new pope is an art critic? Pope Leo XIV, in his first-ever Wednesday audience, used a painting from Van Gogh called “Sower at Sunset.” In this painting, Pope Leo explains that the sower, the one who plants the seeds, is not the focal point of the painting. The focal point of the painting is the sun. It is the sun that produces the fruit. It is the sun that creates the life. And that is our…

So we just got back from Italian. Everywhere we went, Christians were killed in those places. Those Christians who were killed. All the thousands and thousands of Christians who were martyred for the faith chose to love all those who caused them suffering. They decided to love until the end. In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus commands very clearly. This is how you are to love that. Love demands something from us…

When I was a kid, my mom would tell me very often, Tim, that those chores I told you to do were not a suggestion. Saying, I am your mother. Now, do it. Very similarly, in the gospel for the Sunday, Jesus gives us a commandment to love one another. This is a commandment that we are not given a suggestion. We are not given a philosophy. We are not given a soft ask that the Lord provides us with a commandment…

A Google review was left for me on my old parish’s website, and the Google Review said I avoid his masses. I should have been up in arms by it, trying to defend myself, but I was just sad, but I wasn’t offended. In the first reading for this Sunday, the apostles are called to go out and proclaim the good news to the world, and if they are rejected or persecuted, they shake the dust from their feet, not becoming…

If you are a human being, you’ve probably used this phrase before, “I told you so.” I don’t use that phrase often, but it’s told to me a lot. In the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus has the perfect opportunity to say to Peter, “I told you so. Peter, I said you would deny me. I told you so.” Instead of rubbing Peter’s sins in his face, Jesus takes the worst moment in Peter’s life and redeems it into the most beautiful moment of his…

The Vatican said we must Google Image the Divine Mercy on our phones and put it as our background. And when I say the “Vatican,” I mean “me.” The Divine Mercy Sunday is an incredible Sunday where we witness Jesus pursuing us. We look at the image of Divine Mercy and see that Jesus is not standing still. He has one foot forward, walking towards us, running after us, pursuing us. This is the Divine Mercy…

Several years ago, I got to meet Pope Francis. I didn’t have much time with him, so I asked him one question: “Holy Father, can you please pray for my sister and her future spouse, whoever that might be?” Two weeks later, my sister began to date her now husband, which is incredible. However, what struck me the most was how Pope Francis responded to me. He said, “I will, of course, pray for your sister, but I need…

Happy Easter. He is risen. Jesus Christ is victorious over all sin and death, and we never have to be afraid again. Hallelujah. One of our students at the Newman Center created this artwork on our chalkboard, saying, A bunny will never love you like Jesus. And yes, it’s a little cheesy, but it is so true that we cling to so many other things than Jesus to make us happy. Jesus proved his love for us by dying and rising from the…