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An UpWord Glance

Becoming An Exceptional Christian

In the Gospel of Saint Luke (17:11-19), we read the incredible story of Jesus healing ten lepers. All ten of them cried out to Jesus, calling Him “Master”, and asking for His mercy. He told them to go and show themselves to the priests in accordance with Jewish Laws regarding being cleansed of a skin […]

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An UpWord Glance

What are we aiming at?

“Aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you know they breed quarrels!” “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!”  Yes, that photo is of a cloudless sky. Over the years, I have […]

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An UpWord Glance

“I Am Persuaded”

“For I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day!” (2 Timothy 1:12) St. Paul writes this letter to Timothy as he knows the end of his earthly life is upon him. He is in prison and is about to be executed. […]

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An UpWord Glance

Thank You!

“We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)  Can you imagine how those Thessalonian Christians felt when they received that greeting from St. Paul?   “Thank […]

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An UpWord Glance

First Sit Down and Count the Cost

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not […]

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An UpWord Glance

The Journey of a Cross

On a recent Sunday morning during coffee hour, a dear member of our parish gifted me with a pectoral cross. He had found this cross in a store down in New Mexico and thought I should have it. It is a simple cross with a unique chain that reminded us of the chain mail worn […]

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An UpWord Glance

Miracles?

How many of us have ever wanted to see a genuine miracle happen right in front of our eyes? Perhaps we may have even prayed that such a thing would happen. What exactly does a miracle look like and what would we call a great miracle?  Let’s take a look at a passage from the […]

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An UpWord Glance

Moving a Mountain

In the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 17:14-23), the disciples of the Lord couldn’t help a young boy that had epileptic seizures. They ask Jesus why they couldn’t help and He gives this explanation: “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard […]

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An UpWord Glance

The Storms Raging Inside Our Minds and Hearts

This amazing photo was taken by a member of our parish. I had never seen a rainbow and a lightning strike captured in the same frame. Wow! It seemed to capture the intensity of the storm and the promise of the Lord that things will be okay. Have you ever been in a storm with […]

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An UpWord Glance

Look What I Have Done!

Christ is Risen!! “The passion of pride darkens the soul completely and leads to its utter downfall.” (St. John Cassian, 360 –435). That huge mule deer buck in our photo had absolutely nothing to do with the growth of his antlers! I put that caption in the photo to remind us how often we can […]