In no uncertain terms, Our Lord tells us that “to whom much is given, much will be expected.” I am aware, though certainly not to the degree that I should be, of the incredible blessings I have received in my life. I could never sufficiently thank God for my vocation, my family, my health, His continued care for me, the list goes on. Therefore, I should also expect Jesus to ask a lot of me, and I shouldn’t hesitate to do anything He might ask. Indeed, there are a great many things I am always willing to do: I try to work hard to discharge my office, I am committed to celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, I’ll get out of bed at all hours of the night to go to bring the sacraments to my spiritual children, you name it. But if there’s one thing that always gives me pause, it is being asked to look like a fool for Christ. Click title for full column.

Hello friends, As many of you probably remember, our Lenten Mission this year was focused on the blessings, difficulties, and opportunities of being a parish region with two significant language groups. I found it to be very fruitful, and I am grateful to the many, many people who have inquired as to how they can best get involved and help unify our parish families. It has made me proud to see people be open-minded and willing to leave their comfort zones for the sake of bringing souls to Christ. With that in mind, Fr. Jeff and I have been working with a dedicated group of staff and volunteers on an initiative to strengthen our unity as a region, and we’re ready to share more information to get people involved. Click on title for full column.

What would our parish region look like if everyone who was moderately connected to these parishes understood and lived out the call to evangelize? I don’t know for certain, but I can guarantee that things would be different, and perhaps the Archdiocese wouldn’t be at the beginning of a massive undertaking to re-examine parish regions, resources, and the entire way we’ve been doing ministry for decades now. This is not meant to be an indictment of just the parishioners, just the staff, or just the clergy. But since we hear the Gospel this weekend give us a detailed account of Jesus calling His disciples to Himself and then sending them out into the world to preach the Good News, it’s definitely a good opportunity to ask why we are reticent to live as though we are sent. Click title for full column.

It’s an understatement to say that there are very few things that are universally agreed upon in the Church these days. Most everything quickly becomes grounds for a rancorous debate, except for the universal belief that priests, and to some extent, parish staffs, should be more like Jesus. However, even that is contentious because of our tendency to move right past who Jesus actually is and interpret Him as we would like Him to be. A zealous young priest I met when I was in seminary referred to this phenomenon as “cocktail party Jesus;” the presentation of Jesus as someone interesting, novel, but above all else, not offensive to guests. Click on title for full column.

There are two wonderful opportunities for the young people of WWPR that I will highlight today: Totus Tuus and Serviam. TOTUS TUUS—July 26-30! First, Totus Tuus is Latin for ‘Totally Yours’ and a phrase popularized at the moto of the pontificate of Pope St. John Paul II. I have been blessed to be involved with Totus Tuus at several parishes and we are very excited to be able to offer it here in the WWPR. One of its greatest strengths is that college students and seminarians spend their summers as missionaries going from parish to parish to witness to the Gospel to the young people. Totus Tuus will replace VBS, but I promise you that it is well worth the swap! It offers just as much fun but with stronger formation in prayer and teaching the truths of the faith. Also, rather than only being for younger students, Totus Tuus has something to offer students from 1st grade through seniors in high school. Grades 1-6 meet during the day while there is an evening program for junior high and high school students. Click on title for full column.

Control. When we look at Rembrandt’s famous and dramatic painting Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee, we see two very different approaches to the situation. First, we have the Apostles panicking and trying to control the situation—steering the boat, waking our Lord, giving in to fear. Then, we have our Lord casually sleeping on the cushion. The Apostles desperately grasping for control in all the wrong places and the Son of God peacefully, calmly, and authoritatively actually in control. Click on title for full column.

Happy Sunday, friends. I have had a column idea kicking around in my head for some time now, and I’ve been keeping it in my back pocket for a week just like this one, when I am too busy to give the necessary time and attention to the word of God before it’s time to prep for preaching. So here, after an accumulating note on my phone from the last eighteen months, is: “Fr. McCullough’s Non-Comprehensive List of Things that Catholics Should Probably Know About, But Generally Do Not. Volume One.” An important word of caution: I am not treating any of these with the usual pastoral care and sensitivity for which I am (perhaps) known. At any rate, I am simply listing the facts as I see them, with the hopes that it helps someone get to Heaven. If you have any concerns, questions, or follow up, you know where to find me, and I hope you know that I say all this out of love. Click on title for full column.

One of the unexpected joys of life in seminary and in ministry has been the ability to live life according to the liturgical calendar. The rhythm of feasting and fasting, preparing and rejoicing, chanting and seeking silence is written into our hearts and it finds its place in the life of the Church. What I have only recently appreciated, however, is how that pattern of life has developed over centuries. I cannot imagine liturgical life without Feasts like Divine Mercy or memorials of more contemporary saints like Maximilian Kolbe or John Paul II, and yet it was not so long ago where these were absent from the Church. Even today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord has been celebrated for less than half of the Catholic church’s August history. Click title for full column.

The Most Holy Trinity is Three Persons, One God. The most perfect unity, the most perfect communion, the most perfect love. No analogy will ever come close to capturing the reality of the oneness and the distinction of the Trinity. Click title for full column.

Happy Pentecost, friends! There are a great many folks in the Church who celebrate this feast day with great solemnity:pulling out their red Sunday best, praying novenas, and celebrating with family. For others, it is just another Sunday, and that is a real shame, because devotion to the Holy Spirit is an essential ingredient in the life of a disciple. Click on title for full column.

I tell people with some regularity that, while I recognize that I am not old by any stretch of the imagination, I am not as young as I once was. Thirty-two is not old, but it is also not twenty-five. I have been revisiting this perspective more frequently lately, as the fifth anniversary of my ordination is coming up this week, and one wonders where the time has gone. We were often told in seminary that we would have two assignments of three years each as vicars to get our feet wet before we became pastors, so you can imagine my surprise at celebrating three years as a pastor before I got to five years as a priest. Every vocation is a blank check that the Lord fills out as He sees fit, and mine has not proven an exception to that rule. Click title for full column.

I have been accused, on more than one occasion, of holding grudges for almost impossible amounts of time. My struggles to forgive (outside the confessional, at least) extend even to ancient blood feuds in which I played no part. I missed Oliver Cromwell and his reign of terror by hundreds of years, but if you would like me to enumerate the reasons why I loathe him, I will gladly oblige on behalf of my people. Click title for full column.

There was a great irony when I sat down to begin brainstorming for this bulletin column…I fell asleep. Why is that ironic? Because this column is to let you all know that I have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder. If you have ever noticed me yawning a lot during confessions or appearing to be asleep during the readings (but never a deacon homily!), it is not because I am bored, but because I have a sleep disorder. It is also super fitting that my mom got me a sleeping St. Joseph statue for my birthday. At my previous parish, I once stood up for the Alleluia at Mass only to start drifting off to sleep so I didn’t realize that the deacon standing in front of me. He startled me awake by asking for my blessing before he read the Gospel. My frequent tiredness has led to many funny moments over the years. Click title for full column.

This weekend we have the collision of Good Shepherd Sunday and the first weekend of our new Vocations Chalice. I definitely can’t pass up this opportunity to talk about vocations and encourage new shepherds. We are always in need of more holy priests who are willing to imitate the words of Our Lord--I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.

Sunday, April 25, is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. We will celebrate this day by introducing a Vocations Chalice at Our Lady of the Rosary. The Vocations Chalice will be presented to a family, individual, or couple each Sunday at the conclusion of Mass. That family, individual, or couple will take the Vocations Chalice home and use it as a focal point while praying daily for an increase in religious vocations. In successive weeks, the Vocations Chalice is passed to other families, individuals, or couples. Click on title for full column.

Happy Easter, friends! On the Sunday within the Octave of Easter we celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy, which is a relatively new liturgical and historical development. While it is fairly recent, I believe that it speaks to a particular need in our day and age, much like the message of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was suited to its time and the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe came at precisely the right moment, all in God’s Providence. Click on title for full column.

I am frequently reminded, by the pastoral ministry aspects of my life, that we take a great many things for granted in this life, and that everything we hold dear is very tenuous and can disappear in a moment. Oftentimes when I am tired and heading into a hospital room, I take a moment to remind myself that the family I am going to visit is having one of, if not the sole, worst days of their life. It’s a humbling experience and reminds me to thank God for the many blessings of my own life. Click on title for full column.

I have enjoyed the last few weeks of being able to submit a sheet full of data from the Archdiocese about priests, retirement ages, seminary formation, and the geographical density of parishes. But now comes the time when I must write my own material, and we must confront the possibilities that this data suggests. In the cold light of day, it looks like quite the challenge. Click title for full column.

In what began with Safe Haven Sunday on February 7, 2021, we are eager to continue the fight against pornography. Pornography is an evil industry that the evil one is using to blind God’s children from the mercy and light of Christ. We cannot stand for this; we cannot let the evil one have this victory. Let us go courageously with Christ into battle to destroy this plague that is impacting too many individuals and families. If you haven’t had the chance to read through Equipped and sign up for its 7-day email challenge (by texting SECURE to 66866), please take the time to do so soon. If you weren’t able to pick up a copy, please let us know, as we do have extra copies. Click on title for full column.

In place of Fr. McCullough’s regular column we are reprinting information from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on Beacons of Light. Click on title for full article.