One of the first lessons I learned in life was “First things first.” I needed to put on my socks before my shoes. I needed to put on my shirt before I brushed my hair. “First things first.” Over the years, I added other “first things” like turn on the oven first, then make the pie. But of all the first things, the key one is to pray. Pray before I start my day, pray before I start my trip, pray before I start the class, pray before we eat our meal. Pray first.   We will learn

Date: Tuesday after Epiphany Scripture Text:   1 John 4:7-10 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.   Br

If you know me, you know that one of my frequent responses to “How are you?” is “If I were any better, I’d be in a pub in Ireland with some of my best friends.” It’s my way of saying I’m in a good place and I’m doing well.   When I was a child, I loved to sit with my friend Brenda and pretend that we were rich beyond belief. We’d talk about the things we’d have and about our homes. We’d even sit with the Sears and Roebucks catalogs and pick out things we’d buy.   Then, as a y

Date: Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop Scripture Text:   Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,