Saturday, April 26, 2014

losing my voice

Giving Eucharistic Benediction on Easter Sunday
Dear Family and Friends,

I lost my voice while hearing confessions on Good Friday. I can’t sing, I can speak, I can kind of croak.

Playing soccer the other day, I couldn’t shout to ask for a pass. Celebrating mass with other priests on Easter, I couldn’t speak in more than a whisper. At lunch and dinner, I couldn’t make any witty comments. That’s tough!

But amazingly enough, this has been a huge eye-opener for me. I never realized how much I like to speak, and how often my comments are unnecessary! The soccer game was fine without my shouts and jokes. The mass was just as valid in a whisper as with a full voice. Lunch and dinner went fine (if not better!) without my witty comments!

We love to use our tongues, we feel at a loss without them. But we need to ask ourselves, above all, if we’re using our tongues to the glory of God. And many times, silence is so much better than speaking!

Happy Easter!

Father Kevin 

Sunday, April 6, 2014

first mass at home

during the homily
Dear Family and Friends,

Last Sunday I had the gift of celebrating mass at my home parish of Saint Mary Magdalen in Brentwood, Missouri. Father Jack Siefert and the whole parish gave me and my family a huge welcome.
 
concelebrating with my old classmate Father John O'brien
After mass the parish offered a reception and luncheon. I was able to meet many old friends, including Father John O’Brien. He is one of four of us from my 5th grade class at Gateway Academy in 1992-93 who followed religious vocations. We are three priests and one consecrated woman. We owe a lot to our teacher, Miss Hurley.
with mom before mass

After so many years of preparation – and lots of counting on the prayers of those in the parish – it was so amazing to come home again, this time as a priest. Words can’t describe it! I think I now know a little of what inspired Mary to sing the Magnificat, her song of thanksgiving. God is soooo good!
 
with some of my family members
Here are a few pictures. May God bless you!
Father Kevin
 
I spent many hours as a boy trying to understand all the intricacies of this painting group
PS Next Saturday, the 12th, I will be at Queen of Apostles Family Center near Indianapolis, Indiana with many friends for a special mass at 2:15pm. Beforehand we are planning to help at a local Charity, the Midwest Food Bank. If anyone would like to join us, just let me know!


mom and dad bringing up the gifts
PPS My first mass was Gaudete Sunday, one of the only two times in the year when the priest gets to wear rose-colored vestments. Providence would have it that my first mass at home was Laetare Sunday – the only other day you wear rose vestments. Pink was never my favorite color, I’ll tell you that much. God sure has a sense of humor!