BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for July 27, 2014
Just like last week, today’s gospel includes three parables about the kingdom of heaven. But today’s parables differ because each of them are told from the viewpoint of individuals who recognize that they have found or collected something that is worth far more than they could have ever imagined or hoped for. So they will spend the time, cost, and effort necessary to secure it for themselves.
BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for July 20, 2014
We all have ideas of what heaven is going to be like for us one day. An avid reader might picture heaven to be a library or bookstore with every available title. A golfer might picture heaven as endless rounds of golf on perfectly manicured fairways and greens. Someone who likes to travel or someone who spends a great deal of their life working probably pictures heaven as an endless vacation resting on a sunny beach or hiking, biking, or camping among gorgeous mountains or other beautiful scenery. Certainly each one of us looks forward to meeting our Lord, getting reacquainted with our loved ones, and spending eternity without pain, suffering, illness, or loss at the banquet of heaven. We each have thoughts about heaven and our visions reflect a hope that we are one day going to spend eternity enjoying ourselves in a most wonderful place.
BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for July 13, 2014
Anyone that has ever tried to get grass to grow on a bare spot in their lawn knows how difficult and what a time consuming process this can be. You have to make sure that before you plant any seed that the area is well prepared. You have to rake to remove rocks and loosen the soil to the proper depth and put extra nutrients into the ground with compost or fertilizer. After scattering seed over the area you must keep the area moist by watering it at least once a day for a couple of weeks, keep the area clear of foot traffic and birds, and remove any weeds that sprout up that will take moisture and nutrients from the seedlings. You have to nurture the grass for it to grow properly. It is a lot of work, but your results depend on how much work you are willing to put into it.
BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for July 6, 2014
We are now well within the summer vacation season, our time to get away from our busy lives and simply relax. But Jesus says in today’s gospel:
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Today’s gospel is a reminder for us that we truly rest only when we rest in our Lord. So whether we are heading out to a city, park, or beach for a quick weekend getaway or a two-week dream vacation, when we get away from it all, we should not include our faith and our Sunday obligation among the things we are getting away from.
BULLETIN
Published as a message in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for December 22, 2013
Holy Sepulcher Christmas
I would like to wish all of you a most blessed Christmas!
Receive the gift of our Lord and Savior with praise and thanksgiving. Mary your hearts be warmed by His love, may your days be brightened by his light, and may your lives reflect the joy of His gospel.
May the Lord bless you and grant you His peace, both now and throughout the coming year!
BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for October 20, 2013
Today’s readings focus on two important keys for our spiritual life: Scripture and prayer. Sacred Scripture is important because it gives “wisdom for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” and helps us to be “competent, equipped for every good work” as Paul tells Timothy in the second reading. Prayer is so important that Jesus teaches the disciples in today’s gospel about “the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” But how can we find time to obtain wisdom and deepen our faith through Scripture or pray without becoming weary in our already busy lives? The answer is something that we are probably already doing – multitasking!
BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for October 13, 2013
Thanksgiving is coming up soon! It is November 28 this year, just over a month away. How are your preparations coming along? For Canadians Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, Monday of this week, so their preparations should be just about completed. For practicing Jews Thanksgiving is not a day, but a week-long festival called Sukkot (pronounced Sue Coat, also known as the Festival of Tabernacles) whose date moves much like Easter does for Christians, and is held sometime between September and October. It ended on September 25 this year, so they have already cleaned up and finished for the year. Today’s gospel reminds us that Thanksgiving should not be a holiday or festival that lasts just a day or a week. Today’s gospel calls us to regular Thanksgiving.
BULLETIN
Published as a column in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for October 6, 2013
Often during Sunday homilies priests and deacons do not cover the Old Testament readings in any detail, if at all, because the gospel is the most important reading and so it gets most, if not all, of the attention. So I thought I would devote some time in the bulletin this week with an Old Testament reading that I believe speaks very well to us in 2013. In today’s first reading we hear from Habakkuk (rhymes with “have a look”), a prophet who was upset about what was happening in the world around him. Today’s reading, as in much of the short book of Habakkuk, we hear the prophet complaining very directly to God: Continue reading
BULLETIN INSERT
Published as an insert to in the Holy Sepulcher Bulletin for August 4, 2013
My vanity plate
1. Tell us a little about yourself…where did you grow up?
I was born in Butler and I lived one block from the hospital my entire childhood with my father, mother, and two younger sisters. I was baptized and confirmed Lutheran. I attended public school and graduated from Butler High School. Continue reading
Written July 1, 2013, the day of my assignment to Holy Sepulcher Parish and subsequently published on the parish website
Hello! I am David Miller, your new deacon at Holy Sepulcher! I have officially been your deacon for about a minute now, but I thought that I would take this opportunity just to say, “Hello!”
My wife Karen and I are parishioners at St. Catherine of Sweden, but we live in Gibsonia very close to Routes 8 and 910 and so your parish is very much convenient for us. In fact time wise I think we are closer to Holy Sepulcher. We recently visited the parish and got the grand tour with Father John. This past weekend we attended Mass at 6PM on Saturday just to get a feel for how liturgy happens at the parish. The parish seems very vibrant, very welcoming, and very much growing. We are truly blessed that I have been assigned to your parish and to be able to work with Father John and the staff.
My wife Karen and I look forward to meeting all of you very soon!
Know that all of you are in our prayers!
Deacon David Miller
Deacon DSM 