Prayer is the natural result of our close relationship with the Lord. Prayer is a conversation. It starts as a child when we are taught to speak to Jesus as a friend. It is a matter of speaking with a very good friend. Since prayer is a conversation you also have to learn to listen to what he is telling you

Perhaps you've heard the story. A young Catholic Priest watched a video of his baptism and noticed something was wrong. The Catholic Deacon said, "We baptize you..." He should have said, "I baptize you..." thus making the baptism invalid. I'll explain.

We all have our doubts. And, The Pew Research Center supports that. I say a prayer every time I look at the host and the wine and say, “I believe, but help thou my unbelief.” It takes a lot of faith to believe I’m consuming the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. That’s why I believe in payer.

You probably never met Jamie Samuelsen and that's unfortunate. He was an iconic sports broadcaster. Married and had 3 children sixteen and under. He passed on August 1st from colon cancer at 48. He was my brief radio partner and a very close friend. I needed Fr. Joe to help me understand why God would take such a decent human so young?

In Mt 12:46-50 we read While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him.” This is where we get in to translation. I’ll try to explain. Stay safe my brothers and sisters.

This can be confusing. Diocesan clergy do not take vows, and they live in the world at large (secularity). Yet, they remain celibate. Priestly celibacy is rooted in tradition. Let me explain. 

Read, pray, write and reflect. They say that public speaking is one of the most difficult things a person can do. My homily could be a potential threat to my credibility, my image, and chance to reach my parishioners. But I trust in the hand of God.

Pope Francis’ vision of Catholicism embrace of change, a Church for modern people in modern times. Benedict advocated for strict adherence to tradition & doctrine, a Church rigid in its foundations. ©biography.com

When the Archdiocese of Detroit transitions to a new “families of parishes” model starting this Advent, it will look very different from the traditional clustered or merged parish model with which parishioners might be familiar.

Why me? Why now? Good question. A lot of us don't recognize the hand of God. Life's direction features many twists and turns. They're often hard to understand. The operative word is trust. Trust in the hand of God for both the good and the bad. Believe.