Father Kirby’s Korner

“A house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Today’s Gospel has been quoted by many throughout history. On June 16, 1858 more than 1,000 delegates met in the Springfield, Illinois, statehouse for the Republican State Convention where future President Abraham Lincoln uttered these words from...

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Inner Visions Fundraiser

The Social Concerns Committee is organizing a Baby Bottle Campaign for Inner Visions HealthCare. It is a local unplanned pregnancy and STD Medical Clinic. Their mission is to empower women in vulnerable and desperate situations to embrace their womanhood and motherhood and choose life. Starting June 9th, please take a bottle,...

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Father Kirby’s Korner

Today, let’s get philosophical! For those of you still recovering from the effects of your college philosophy class, this may be the salve to help heal the damage philosophical thought has done on your right side brain. Plato has much to do with today’s Gospel. But first let us recall...

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House of Mercy Project

The Social Concerns Committee will be collecting 4×6 frames for pictures Father Kirby will take of young moms and their children at House of Mercy in Des Moines. These young women are trying to help themselves so they can be good mothers. House of Mercy provides addiction and mental health treatment....

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Father Kirby’s Korner

I was listening to the comedian Gary Gulman and was amused at his analysis of the Bible and the Jewish people. I have to admit that I have been chuckling to myself about this, this whole week. Gulman is Jewish and had a humorous look at the Hebrew Scripture. He...

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Father Kirby’s Korner

Maybe it was because of my impressionable demeanor or maybe too much Star Trek at the time, but I always was intrigued by part of Luke’s version of the post-resurrection story. Luke tells us, that after Jesus made his miraculous entrance into the locked room where the disciples were, he...

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Father Kirby’s Korner

Can you imagine the chaos and the emotional whiplash the disciples must have gone through in the scene described in the Gospel today? They went from fear, disappointment, hopelessness and deep sadness to extreme shock and joy. This is no ghost standing in front of them, nor a heavenly vision. This...

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Father Kirby’s Korner

It’s too late, you are already settled and seated in your pew before you remember that the Passion readings are part of Palm Sunday Mass. Yes, it is a lengthy reading but the Passion Narrative contains most of the reasons and hopes for our Christian faith. If you think standing...

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Father Kirby’s Korner

In today’s Gospel John goes into great detail in describing the manner in which Jesus drove out the money changers.  John feels it necessary to describe Jesus’ “weapon” as a whip out of cords. Then Jesus quotes Psalm 69 “Zeal for my Father’s house consumes me.”  Why does Jesus have...

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