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Often, the story of Lazarus and the rich man becomes an opportunity for preachers to make people feel guilty for having money or possessions. The contrast between Lazarus’ poverty and the rich man’s wealth and comfort is a tempting feature of the story upon which to concentrate. Yet, Lazarus ends up in paradise with Abraham. Abraham is one of the richest men in the Bible, a billionaire by the standards of the day.

This weekend, we hear a rather difficult parable: the corrupt steward who, nonetheless, is praised for his craftiness. One theory concerning the parable is that the steward takes money off the bill of his master’s clients, because his master had overcharged them. There wasn’t much the master could do but acknowledge that the steward was terribly clever.

If you are like me, sometimes confession can be a frustrating experience. I forget what I want to say or I feel that I over explain myself. Below are seven suggestions to make confession a more spiritually fruitful event.

Jesus was very clear in his public teaching regarding the cost of following him. The Christian life is more than attending (most) Sunday Masses and Holy Days. If we live our Christian faith as Christ would have it, we will come into direct conflict with the prevailing values of this world.

I want to do an ad campaign for our parish and I am looking for members of the parish who would agree to be photographed. Because we are a diverse parish, I hope to get a good cross section of the community involved. Basically, we want to show this part of the metro that we have people of every stripe imaginable practicing the Catholic faith here at St. Eugene. Contact the parish office if you would be agreeable to the project and a brief photo shoot. 

Catholic schools are often the heart of ministry in parishes. The need to prepare the next generation for leadership, discipleship can be a difficult but urgent task. Here at St. Eugene, our school serves to hand on our Catholic faith and values, but also to create a community.

On Monday, August 1, I will leave with a group of forty pilgrims for a trip to Ire- land. This pilgrimage was wrecked by Covid twice, but the third time proved fruitful.

I firmly believe that, when we pray, we should tell the Lord what it is that we desire out of life. Yes, of course, God knows us better than we know ourselves, but the more we pray for our heart’s desires, the more we are able to clarify what is truly important to us. Each day, go to God and offer him your needs, your dreams. 

This year, the Archdiocese faced a very uncomfortable shortage of priests to staff our various parishes. For example, Ponca City had long had two priests in service there, but now only one. The entire panhandle of Oklahoma is currently being served by just two priests. Here, at St. Eugene, we had three priests, but now we have two. And, we share our Associate, Fr. Krug, with Mt. St. Mary High School. 

In Roman society, patronage was a central idea holding society together. The wealthier classes had an obligation to accept the less well off as their clients. These clients could look to their patrons to help them if they needed to find a job, or secure a re- spected tutor for their children, or to help them out of legal trouble. The patronage system kept Roman society intact for centuries.

St. Eugene has a long history of very good pastors. I am honored to follow in their footsteps. As I begin this assignment, I ask for your prayers for me and for Father Krug. I have been seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to do my duty here faithfully and joyfully.

Hello, my name is Fr. Jerome Krug, and along with Fr. Jim, I am your new priest. I have been a priest three years. My first year as a priest was spent doing additional studies in marriage and family as well as in the intersection of psychology and theology. My most recent assignment before coming here was in the parishes of the Panhandle. There are four of them and they made for a very diverse and fascinating assignment.