St. Anthony's of Farnham

06/12/2026

Are you happy?

Give yourself a happiness score between one and ten over the past three months. Don't base it on how you feel today or over the past week; you might just be having a bad week. Three months gives us a better look. What's your happiness score? Scribble it somewhere.

Saint John of Sahagún found himself with a very low happiness score, so he decided to do something about it.

John was a renowned professor and famous preacher with too many degrees to count and too much money to spend. He was also breaking Church law by holding so many offices at once, and he knew it, because he was an expert in Church law. But his bishop also knew it and was allowing it, so everything should’ve been fine, right?

The only problem was, John was miserable. His lifestyle gnawed at his conscience. He knew he’d be happier with a simpler life, but he resisted happiness. Until one day he could no longer ignore the dissatisfaction in his soul. So he did something bold about it.

John resigned from all of his offices. He renounced his titles. He gave all his possessions away. He became an Augustinian monk, spending the rest of his life serving others. And he was happy.

You are on a quest for happiness. It's time to stop resisting happiness. It's time to stop destroying our own happiness.

We do it in so many ways. Do you worry about things you have no control over? Worry destroys happiness. Do you compare yourself with others in an unhealthy way? Comparison is a destroyer of happiness. Do you cling to bad relationships? Bad relationships destroy our happiness. Do you have a lot of self-doubt, or even self-loathing? They are destroyers of happiness. Do you buy things you can't afford and don't need? Debt is a destroyer of happiness and a creator of stress. Gossip, laziness, fear, excuses, negative thinking, ingratitude, and jealousy are all destroyers of happiness.

Most people think they are reasonably happy, and most people yearn to be happier. It's time to do something about that. It’s time to increase your happiness score.
Matthew Kelly

06/12/2026

Readings June 12th: Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10;
1 John 4:7-16

06/12/2026

Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord offers to relieve our burdens: “Take my yoke upon you . . . and you will find rest for yourselves.” Jesus almost always speaks in paradoxes, and this is another one. “I will put a yoke on you.” Now, if I am burdened, the last thing I want is a yoke that will make my life more burdensome.

But here’s the paradox: What is it that makes our lives heavy and weighed down? Precisely the burden of our own egos, the weight of one’s own self. When I am puffing myself up with my own self-importance, I’m laboring under all that weight. Jesus is saying, “Become a child. Take that weight off your shoulders and put on the weight of my yoke of my obedience to the Father.”

Here’s how it works: If you have two animals yoked together when they’re both pulling, they are doing each other’s work. Jesus is saying that if your life is heavy and burdensome, it’s probably because you are caught up under the weight of your own sense of self-sufficiency. Get rid of that and take the yoke of Christ’s obedience upon your shoulders. Allow yourself to be led.
Bishop Robert Barron

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

You called us when we were dead in our sins, dear God. Thank You for saving us to bloom anew in You.

06/12/2026

At just the right time . . . Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

06/12/2026

“Viva Cristo Rey! Long live Christ the King!”
-Blessed Miguel Pro

06/11/2026

Readings June 11th:
Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6;
Matthew 5:20-26

06/11/2026

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus commands us to be reconciled with one another. I want to say something about the role of forgiveness in repairing our broken relationships.

When you are at worship and realize that you need to forgive someone (or be forgiven by someone), go and do it. Go get reconciled, then come back. It’s like a rule of physics. There is something hidden in the deep mystery of God, and I can’t fully explicate it. Somehow, if there is a lack of forgiveness in you, it blocks the movement of God in you. Perhaps it’s simply because God is love, and so whatever is opposed to love in us blocks the flow of God’s power and God’s life.

One reason we do not forgive is that we feel that some injustice has been done to us, and we resent it. A good cure for this feeling is to kneel before the cross of Jesus. What do you see there? The innocent Son of God nailed to the cross—the ultimate injustice. What does he do? He forgives his persecutors. Meditate on that, and your sense of being treated unjustly will fade away.
Bishop Robert Barron

06/11/2026

How often do you need words of encouragement?

Maybe the better question is, “When do I not need words of encouragement?”

If you’re needing some encouragement, you might want to turn to the saint whose name literally means “son of encouragement”: Saint Barnabas.

We first meet Barnabas in the Book of Acts, when he sells all his property and donates the proceeds to the apostles. We can only imagine what an inspiring act this must have been to all the other early Christians.

Barnabas played a crucial role in the early church's expansion, notably through his unwavering support for Saul of Tarsus, who would become Paul the Apostle. At a time when Paul was viewed with suspicion and fear due to his past persecution of Christians, Barnabas stood by him, vouching for his conversion and integrating him into the community. This act of faith in Paul's transformation was instrumental in the spread of Christianity, showcasing Barnabas's inherent belief in redemption and the potential within every individual.

Together, Barnabas and Paul embarked on missionary journeys, with Barnabas' encouragement being a cornerstone of their success. His ability to foster unity, resolve conflicts, and inspire faith in others was remarkable. Even when disagreements arose, such as the dispute over John Mark's participation in their missions, Barnabas chose to support and stay with Mark. Barnabas cared deeply about those closest to him and refused to abandon them.

In the end, tradition has it that Saint Barnabas was killed for his faith, and that John Mark buried his body. He left a legacy that encouraged the early Christians for centuries to come, and still encourages us today.

Encouragement is a divine activity. Where did Saint Barnabas learn to be such an amazing encourager? From God himself. We have a Father who sees our potential, a Savior in Jesus who walks alongside us, and the Holy Spirit, who is the Great Encourager who lives within us.

Evil is the great discourager. It’s important to be mindful of this anytime you feel discouraged. Ask yourself, “Where is that coming from?” Because it’s not coming from God. Discouragement is a voice of impossibility. Encouragement is a voice of possibility.

What do you need encouragement for today?
Matthew Kelly