St Michael's Catholic Parish - San Antonio

06/18/2026

The Gardener in the Grief: Finding Resurrection at the Edge of the Tomb

In the quiet, heavy spaces of our lives, it is incredibly easy to find ourselves lingering at the tomb. We all have them—those places of deep loss, unexpected betrayal, or lingering regret where what we cherished feels permanently gone. It is a profoundly human instinct to set up camp in those shadows, building monuments to our past pains and endlessly replaying the sorrowful things that have happened to us....

In the quiet, heavy spaces of our lives, it is incredibly easy to find ourselves lingering at the tomb. We all have them—those places of deep loss, unexpected betrayal, or lingering regret where wh…

06/18/2026

Finding the Secret Place: A Deep Dive into the Lord’s Prayer

In today’s Gospel, we find ourselves right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus is aiming His words squarely at the crowd, His disciples, and the religious landscape of first-century Judea. Behind the scenes, there was a quiet, high-stakes battle going on for spiritual validation. The religious authorities—the scribes and the Pharisees—had turned faith into a public performance, standing on prominent street corners to pray just to be seen by men....

06/17/2026

The Audience of the Heart: Moving Beyond the Performative Faith

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus lays out a blueprint that is as much about the why of our faith as it is about the how. When He gives these explicit instructions on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, He isn't just offering a few practical tips for holy living. He is performing major surgery on the religious culture of His day....

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus lays out a blueprint that is as much about the why of our faith as it is about the how. When He gives these explicit instructions on prayer, fasting, and almsg…

06/16/2026

The Narrow Way: Discernment through the Dominican Charism

As your brother in the Dominican charism—dedicated to Veritas and the contemplative study of God's Word—I want to share a reflection on the discernment of our daily walk. In our journey toward the Truth, we must recognize that not every open path is God's path. While the world often presents us with roads that feel easier because they demand less surrender, less obedience, and less trust, we know as followers of Christ that "easy" is rarely a synonym for "aligned." A path devoid of challenge may simply be a path devoid of the Cross, and a crown without a Cross is not the promise of our faith....

As your brother in the Dominican charism—dedicated to Veritas and the contemplative study of God’s Word—I want to share a reflection on the discernment of our daily walk. In our journey towar…

06/16/2026

Perfect Love in an Imperfect World: The Radical Call of Matthew 5:43-48

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, we find ourselves standing on the mount, listening to words that are as breathtakingly beautiful as they are staggeringly difficult: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." It is tempting to look at this passage and wonder, “Why now?” After all, this radical message of love, mercy, and standard-shattering grace was the very heartbeat of Jesus’ entire earthly ministry....

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, we find ourselves standing on the mount, listening to words that are as breathtakingly beautiful as they are staggeringly difficult: “Be perfect, therefore, as…

06/15/2026

Doormats or Disciples? Reclaiming Our Dignity in Today’s Gospel

My friends, as I sit with today’s Gospel from Matthew 5:38-42, I want to be entirely transparent with you: this is a passage that haunts me. It is arguably one of the most difficult teachings in the entire New Testament, and if I am going to stand before you as a priest, I must admit that I am writing this to myself just as much as I am to you....

My friends, as I sit with today’s Gospel from Matthew 5:38-42, I want to be entirely transparent with you: this is a passage that haunts me. It is arguably one of the most difficult teachings in th…

06/14/2026

The Virtue of Moderation: A Reflection on Sirach 31:27-31

In the quiet hours of the morning, before the rush of the day begins, I often find myself reflecting on the incredible practicality of Sacred Scripture. The Book of Sirach doesn't exist in some detached, theological cloud; it meets us exactly where we live, even at the dinner table. As Dominicans, we are constantly seeking the holy balance between enjoying the beautiful gifts of God’s creation and keeping our hearts entirely ordered toward Him....

In the quiet hours of the morning, before the rush of the day begins, I often find myself reflecting on the incredible practicality of Sacred Scripture. The Book of Sirach doesn’t exist in so…

06/14/2026

A Harvest of Compassion: Becoming Laborers for the Kingdom

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, followers, and friends of St. Michael’s Catholic Parish and the Unified Old Catholic Church: Welcome. As we gather for this Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, the sacred liturgy brings us into a profound encounter with the very heart of God. In our first reading from the Book of Exodus, we hear the beautiful, comforting reminder of how the Lord delivered His people, declaring that He bore them up on eagles’ wings to bring them safely to Himself....

06/14/2026

Standing in Truth, Serving in Love: A Teaching from Father Frank

In a world that constantly measures our worth by the numbers in our bank accounts, the size of our online following, or the secular titles we accumulate, it is easy to lose sight of the eternal metric. When we eventually stand before the judgment seat of Christ, He will not ask to see our resumes, nor will He be impressed by the accomplishments the world so highly praises....

In a world that constantly measures our worth by the numbers in our bank accounts, the size of our online following, or the secular titles we accumulate, it is easy to lose sight of the eternal met…

06/13/2026

An Oath to Authenticity: Reclaiming Truth in a World of Spin

In today’s Gospel from Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus is laying it on heavy, cutting straight to the heart of truthfulness and integrity. He is building directly upon the foundations laid down by Moses and the Ten Commandments. But to really understand the weight of His words, we have to look at the story behind the story. Who was Jesus speaking to, and what prompted this intense focus on oaths?...