In my second-to-last year of seminary, I woke up one September morning to devastating news: two beloved classmates had died in a car crash. I was overwhelmed with grief and anger like I had never known. I entered therapy for the first time and had intense conversations with my spiritual director. For months I felt lost in a spiritual wilderness. But something unexpected happened: I encountered Christ there. The fear and sorrow didn't destroy me. In fact, that spiritual desert was a time of intense growth in faith.

A few years into my priesthood, I hit a wall. I had taken on too many commitments: Masses, meetings, minis- tries, projects. I couldn't keep up. I was double-booking, forgetting things, running late, and letting people down. My boss at the time, a wise priest, and our shared secretary, noticed. For my birthday, the two gave me a stack of 100 flashcards, each with one word printed in a different language: "NO." It was funny, but also painfully true. If I couldn't say no, my yes was in danger.

I recently learned why zebras have stripes. Scientists used to think it was for camouflage, but new research suggests something more interesting: the stripes help zebras blend in with one another. When a predator looks at a herd, the overlapping stripes make it hard to single out one animal. But if a researcher spray-paints a dot on just one zebra, predators lock on it and eventually attack. The lesson? In the wild, blending in is protection. Standing out can be dangerous.

A priest I know was once falsely accused of a terrible crime. The claim was wild and easily disproved, but for a while, it didn't matter. In the atmosphere shaped by the abuse crisis of the early 2000s, the public assumption was guilty until proven innocent. His name was dragged through the mud, and his ministry placed on hold. I had the privilege - and the burden - of walking closely with him during that time. He was angry.

I was 22 years old, lying in bed one night while on a pilgrimage, when I suddenly sensed an idea in my mind: "Go to the seminary" There was no voice, no vision, but a gentle and unmistakable clarity. I simply prayed, "Lord, if that's from you, let me find great joy in it." Three days later, my heart was bursting with joy. I dropped everything and entered the seminary. The older I get, the stranger my rather careless and hasty departure seems to me. I followed not because it made sense, or because I was especially brave. I went because the Lord called me.

It's common to hear belief in Jesus and the Church mocked as blind faith and credulity. But in reality, it is deeply human and rational. Think about it: we rely on the testimony of others constantly. I trust chemists who certify the safety of toothpaste and cleaning products. I trust engineers when I use a microwave or drive over a bridge. Why? Because they have studied and seen what I have not, and their testimony proves itself in daily life. That kind of trust is not irrational; it is how human knowledge works.

Happy Sunday!

Today I leave for my vacation and sabbatical. I am sad to be leaving for such an extended period of time but look forward to having some vacation and time of renewal and growth while in Honduras. I will be remembering you all every day in prayer and at Mass. Thank you for your prayers for me for safe travels and renewal in the Lord.

Happy Sunday!

A very Happy Epiphany Sunday and Happy New Year to each of you! With the Feast of the Epiphany our Christmas celebrations continue as we recall the manifestation of the Lord to the nations. This is what the Church understands when she speaks of the visit of the Magi, that the nations have come from afar to worship the newborn king.

Happy Sunday!

On this Holy Family Sunday the liturgy directs our attention to the life of the Holy Family and that school of Nazareth where family life is learned. We can feel the peace and joy of Christmas abiding in them. We pray that all families may be attentive to the Word of the Lord and allow it to bear fruit in their homes!

I hope everyone had a joyful Christmas celebration. I am grateful to all of our volunteers for making the Christmas celebrations such great experiences!

A priest friend recently told me a remarkable story. One of his cousins reported having a vivid dream in which an angel told him the family needed to exhume their grandmother's body from a ceme- tery in New York and return it to her birthplace in Romania. She had been dead nearly 10 years. As you might expect, the family thought it was, well, crazy. But astonishingly they exhumed her body. It was incorrupt, showing no signs of decomposition. That experience sparked healing, faith, and reconciliation throughout the family.

When I was 11, I was riding my bike on a Friday night in Scottsdale, Arizona. I saw giant spotlights swirling in the sky. Something amazing had to be happening. I pedaled after them with excitement. Sweaty and tired, I arrived, only to find a used car lot. Bright lights, flapping banners, inflatable balloon men swaying wildly in the wind. I stood there, heart sinking. All that spectacle, and all my effort ... for this?

Happy Sunday!

This Sunday we begin the second week of Advent. Our readings hit a variety of themes. In the first reading from Isaiah we hear about the shoot that will sprout from the stump of Jesse. The second reading then speaks of unity and hope. In the Gospel John the Baptist urges those who hear him to repentance. It is the Psalm(72), that ancient prayer of the people of Israel, that captures the heart and seeks to encapsulate these themes.