“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.’” (John 20:27)

In my early 20s, I volunteered at a parish youth group. I witnessed teens encountering Jesus with a fresh, romantic wonder that reminded me of my own teenage conversion. But something had changed in me.

Happy Easter!

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! On this Easter Sunday we are invited to stand at the empty tomb with Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John where the first instances of light penetrate the darkness of Good Friday. Upon arriving at the tomb in the early hours of the morning, these witnesses encounter signs that shatter despair: the stone rolled away, the linens left behind, the head cloth neatly folded.

Happy Palm Sunday!

As we draw near to the heart of our liturgical year, “Jesus' entry into Jerusalem manifested the coming of the kingdom that the King- Messiah was going to accomplish by the Passover of his Death and Resurrection. It is with the celebration of that entry on Palm Sunday that the Church's liturgy solemnly opens Holy Week.” -Catechism #560. It invites us to process with him into the mystery of our salvation.

Happy Lent!

As we journey deeper into Lent, the Gospel of John 11:1-45 on the raising of Lazarus, invites us to contemplate Jesus' power over death and our own need for spiritual awakening. Just as Lazarus is raised from the tomb after four days, bound yet alive at Christ's command, so too can a parish Lenten mission call us forth from the "tombs" of sin, indifference, and spiritual slumber.

Happy Laetare Sunday!

The Church invites us to rejoice during our penitential journey. The rose vestments remind us that Easter’s light draws near, even as we continue our Lenten disciplines. Today’s Gospel from John 9:1-41 presents the healing of the man born blind, a profound story of physical sight restored, spiritual vision awakened, and the challenge to see Christ truly as the light of the world.

Recently, I received a note from a teenager I met years ago. He wrote, “Dear Father Muir, you probably do not remember me, but I wanted to thank you for your inspiring and humorous homilies at the parish. They helped me appreciate the beauty of Catholicism, which I have now embraced in a personal way.” That small note moved me more than he probably imagined. I had no idea my words had taken root in him. I was simply sowing seeds — week by week, Mass by Mass.

Happy Lent!

As we continue this sacred journey of Lent, our Blessed Lord provides a glimpse of the promised resurrection glory He longs to share with each of us. Our first reading from Genesis reveals God’s promise to Abram, a 75-year-old man called by God to leave the security of his homeland, his family, and all that was familiar. Without any hesitation, Abram obeyed and stepped into the unknown with faith.