Fr. Jim's Blog

On Tuesday I attended Mass in Anaheim to thank the Good Lord for my Grandma Esther who turned 100 years old. My mom and dad submitted her picture and biography for the Today Show for Willard Scott to acknowledge, but she wasn't included. There was no salute to centenarians on Tuesday. They were included in today's broadcast, but Grandma didn't make it. Darn! I visited with Grandma over President's Day knowing I would be gone on her birthday. She was in good spirits and is always grateful to have company. My cousins are coming down on Saturday for a more "official" celebration with the family. The picture below is a recent picture of Grandma Esther. She played tennis and golf into her late 80's and she was an outstanding cook in her day. Even though her memory has deteriorated she still has a great sense of humor and sparkle in her eyes. My favorite memory of Grandma Esther was how she handled an unwelcome guest in our home. A neighbor cat crawled ...

The Word Among Us was one of the exhibitors at the Religious Education Congress I just attended. It is by far one of my favorite devotionals because the meditations are short but powerful. Today's message really good about the message of sharing in the sufferings of Christ and not just wanting to be put above other people. (I love the reference to the Holy Spirit!) Here it is: The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus … wishing to ask him for something. (Matthew 20:20) What bad timing! Jesus had just told his disciples about his coming passion, death, and resurrection. It must have been an emotionally charged moment, but that didn’t keep James and John’s mother from asking for a favor for her sons! Even the two brothers seemed oblivious as they eagerly offered to drink from Jesus’ cup, unaware of what that “cup” entailed! To make matters worse, the other disciples grumbled against them for trying to get special treatment. But as awkward as it must have been, this...