Browsing Pastor's Column

3-24-24 - Palm Sunday - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 3/18/24

Palm Sunday Fr. Leo

 “My God, Why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus being fully human, knew the depths of despair.  He prayed to be spared the cross and then accepted it as an act of redemption.  Later, he enters another dark moment as he is dying and prays to know where ... Read More »

3-17-24 - 5th Sunday of Lent - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 3/12/24

5th Sunday  of Lent Fr. Leo

 “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31:33)

This verse from our first reading of Jeremiah defines what it means to have a conscience.  It is that ... Read More »

3-10-24 - 4th Sunday of Lent - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 3/05/24

4th Sunday  of Lent Fr. Leo

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, And this is not from you; it is the gift of God;  It is not from works, so no one may boast.” (St. Paul)

Salvation is God’s gift to us through faith.  We don’t ... Read More »

3-03-24 - 3rd Lent - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 2/27/24

3rd Sunday  of Lent Fr. Leo

 Jesus casting out the money changers from the temple area, the story we just heard from John’s Gospel, is the most assertive, some might say aggressive, Jesus is in all of sacred Scripture. His motive was his passion for true worship from the ... Read More »

2-25-24 - 1st Sunday of Lent - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 2/20/24

2nd Sunday  of Lent Fr. Leo

 Rembrandt’s painting, “The Sacrifice of Isaac," captures all the painful drama conveyed in the story we just heard. It makes me wonder, did God really ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? Did Abraham go out to do so? I don’t have answers for ... Read More »

2-18-24 - 1st Sunday of Lent - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 2/09/24

1st Sunday  of Lent Fr. Leo

“Jesus died for you, live in his love.”

“Repent, and believe in the Gospel”

These two phrases have the same purpose, to strengthen our relationship with God.  What for me is problematic in the second phrase, Repent, and believe in the Gospel, is the ... Read More »

2-11-24 - 6th Sunday OT B - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 2/06/24

6th Sunday  in Ordinary Time- Fr. Leo

Our first reading from Leviticus and our gospel from Mark, deal with leprosy.  Leviticus demands from the sick person honesty in being identified as a person with Leprosy.  The honesty of the ill person leads to his expulsion from the community.  Isolated and alone he ... Read More »

2-04-24 - 5th Sunday OT - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 1/30/24

5th Sunday  in Ordinary Time- Fr. Leo

After a long day of preaching and healing those in need spiritually and physically, Jesus goes off to a deserted place.  When his disciples find him, they say everyone is looking for him.  The need for Jesus’ healing is never ending.  

What is interesting, ... Read More »

1-28-24 - 4th Sunday OT - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 1/23/24

4th Sunday  in Ordinary Time- Fr. Leo

The thought of exorcisms makes me anxious.  So there may be a temptation to explain away the dramatic healing of the man with an unclean spirit to today’s Gospel.  Jesus cast the veil on him out of the man causing a violent physical reaction ... Read More »

1-21-24 - 3rd Sunday OT B - Fr. Leo Schneider

Posted by Jennifer Stephan on 1/16/24

3rd Sunday  in Ordinary Time- Fr. Leo

“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

This phrase sums up our scriptures today.  It is an age old invitation to live in a right relationship with God, others, creation and ourselves.  It is not an invitation to a self-hating guilt trip.  It invites us to ... Read More »