Stained Glass - El Salvador Mission Book

Lent.  In general, Lent is supposed to be a time for reflection, penance, and self-denial.  I asked my kids today, "so what are you giving up this year?"  My one son told me he is giving up Lent, "that way I'm killing two birds with one stone," he says.  One time a friend of mine asked me, "what are you giving up for Lent this year?"  I said, "potato chips."  He said, "way to stretch yourself."  I had given up potato chips for Lent every year for the past 15 years.  This year I thought about trying something different, "stretching" myself a little bit more.  I decided to give up trying to be all things to all people.  Instead of looking others in the eye and trying to please them, I am going to try and look Jesus in the eyes and please him.  Do you think that  is going to be easy?  Heck no!  You try and see if you come up short. For as long as I can remember I have been trying to make others happy (unsuccessfully I ...

Did you ever wonder what it takes to be a good parent, spouse, friend, Christian?  Growing up in a family of 8 children I saw what it took for my parents to be good parents.  They sacrificed a great deal.  My son John exclaimed at this past Christmas dinner, "it must have been great to grow up rich like you did."   At first my Mother's reaction was to snap at him and correct him reassuring John that we did NOT grow up rich!  But then I asked him, "why would you say that we were rich Johnny, you saw the modest home we grew up in?"  He said, "well, your dad must have been rich because he had to feed all of you, buy you clothes, and he sent you all to Catholic grade school."  Little did Johnny know that Catholic grade school back then was free for must of us, we just had to pay a book bill, and clothes were handed down from one to another, but we did all get a new pair of shoes each year for school.  My dad used to go to the butcher and bring home s...