Transfiguration

The voice of God is the presence of God. 

           https://youtu.be/pNwyJR9yGm4         

Sweet Home Alabama

As far as Catholic media goes, EWTN is the daddy of em all. A few weeks back, they reached out and asked if I’d like to be on EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa. Fr. Mitch and I go way back, so with a happy heart I headed south.

It was a treat to step foot on this Holy ground. EWTN has played a big role in me learning the Catholic Faith as well as helping me hear the Lord’s call to the priesthood.

The flight down went smooth. Once settled, they put me up in a nice guest house, and the food was 5 star.

My first full day there, Fr. Mitch and I jumped in his truck and headed to Hanceville AL where Mother Angelica’s monastery is. Beautiful area.

The entire shrine is centered around the Heart of Jesus.

Inside the chapel, which she liked to call a temple, is perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

I was in the Holy Land the Easter Sunday that Mother Angelica went to her eternal rest in 2016.

Along with other deceased sisters of the order, Mother’s body rests in peace in the crypt chapel at the monastery.

Fr. Mitch comes up here once a week and does a Scripture study with the sisters. 

We also hit up the gift shop where we found a lone copy of the CCW.

That evening we met up with Fr. Peter, a buddy priest of Fr. Mitch’s, for some Chicago style pizza.

The next day, I tagged along to concelebrate a Maronite Mass with Fr. Mitch.

Beautiful liturgy.

That evening was time for the show.

First they got me all dolled up.

Then Fr. Mitch and I went to chewing the fat about the Catholic Cowboy Way of life.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5W5sH_2T-Pw&pp=ygUbRXd0biBsaXZlIGZyLiBCcnljZSBsdW5ncmVu

Here’s the whole thing.

We also had a good crew from Louisiana who came to cheer us on.

Twice I got to concelebrate Mass at the studio.

And on my last day they let me preach.

https://ondemand.ewtn.com/free/Home/Play/en/_HM20230803

Amazing! Some experiences are hard to put into words. There is so much wrapped up in my pilgrimage to EWTN. After years of benefitting from their teaching, it was truly an honor to be on their program and get to know all the people behind the scenes. Lord only knows what comes next, but it’s hard to imagine getting much better than this. Thanks Father, for the gift that EWTN continues to be to the world. 

Kingdom of Heaven

Openness and Seeking are two ways of always following Jesus. 

           https://youtu.be/FTIg96xIItI         

10 Commandments

Ways to flourish.

           https://youtu.be/tY4Y4dvzgHM         

Faith

Faith is a gift.

           https://youtu.be/7yXWFb2zTPU         

Sons of Mary 2023

With the July heat starting to set in, the boys and I headed for the hills. Each summer, our band of brother priests, gets together for some fraternity in the Bighorns. This year, six of us were able to enjoy three days of fun in the sun without cell service or the internet connection. Turns out, the world didn't stop spinning.  

Our crew of Cheyenne priests: Fr. Clark Lenz, Fr. Seth Hostetler, Fr. Brian Hess, Fr. Robert Rodgers, Fr. Linh Vu, and Fr. Bryce Lungren behind the camera. 

First order of business was to get this dead tree, which we pulled out of the creek a couple years ago, hauled out of the court yard. 

Bob finished cutting it up. 

Then we let the arms down and backed ol' White Horse underneath it. 

With a little mechanical muscle we lifted each section up. 

And hauled them off the the bone pile.

After a good mountain workout, we were ready for some LB Burgers. 

That's what I'm talking about!

The next day we set out for a hiking trip near Battle Park. 

So beautiful up here. 

Our mission was to surf Lilly Lake. Three of us took turns packing the paddle board up the 1.5 miles or so to the water. 

Then aired it up. 

I broke the ice.

And Brian and Seth got a spin as well. Awesome!

After lunch, Brian took his customary siesta by the water. 

That evening was Seth's turn to cook. Chicken wings... good choice. 

Delicious. 

As fun as all these activities were, the best part of our fraternal retreat was celebrating Mass together. 

Can't beat it with a stick. Jesus retreated with His boys to the mountains, and we continue to do the same. Breaths of fresh air like this reinvigorate us to go back to our assignments and serve the Lord and His people with joy. The priesthood is not a solo mission. We need brother priests to help keep the fire of the Holy Spirit stoked in our hearts. Through our communion with Jesus, Mary, and each other, we can serve the Father well as His sons and priests. Special thanks to Mom and Dad for lending us the cabin. Now let's get to work!

Deck Project

Plan your work and work your plan is what my daddy alway told me. Well, it paid off on our recent deck project. We had been kicking around the idea of enclosing the deck on the rectory for the past year, and this summer looked like a great time to get it done. With a project like this, though, you don't build as you go. First, you build it in your mind. Then the actual constructing of it is just following instructions. 

Two things we were after: shade and privacy. 

The deck is south facing and is in the sun 99% of the day. It is also wide open for everyone to see what you're cooking. Consequently, we rarely spent time out here. 

So with a plan in mind, we set out by taking down the old railing. 

Selecting the right wood was crucial. Not planning on treating any of it, we intentionally found fir lumber for the framework. 

Attention to detail is my style. The more work you do ahead of time, the less cleanup you have in the end. 

Ron McGinley was my righthand man of choice. 

Shorts were definitely welcome attire when working during the mid-day. 

Needing a couple 2x4's and having a 4x4 around that I mis-cut earlier, we decided to rip it in two. Ron questioned my judgement.

 She framed up nice. The north/south laterals were strong because the far post was attached to the wall of the house. The east/west needed some help, though. It is amazing how these diagonals firmed up the structure.

We also framed in a gate that opens to the inside.

For the heavy lifting I called in Jared Biegler. We didn't want the structure to carry the weight of snow, but we did want to provide for some sun shade the best we could. The 18' 2x10's did the the trick. We bridged them in the center, which I've been told doubles their weight capacity. 

Then came the big day to side it. We wanted to match our surrounding fence, so we chose 6' cedar fence panels. This way they will weather well. 

We started screwing them but splitting became an issue. So Ron brought over his air nailer and saved the day. 

We also put lattice on the top of the purlins to help cut the sun at different times of the day.

Come on in.

Giddy up.

If you think through your work before you start, you don't waste any time. I bet we spent a total of 15 daylight hours on this project. The right tools and the right people made all the difference. But so does making sure you have all your ducks in a row before you pull the trigger. Dad's advice has paid off time and time again. Now it's time to get a lawn chair or two and enjoy the rest of the summer!