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Father Michael Ackerman

airline passengers

Led to the Truth

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A priest that I was friends with from seminary told me a humorous story about traveling on a plane. He said that he boarded a flight once when he heard a woman scream, “Oh, yes!” as she pointed at him and waved. He looked rather perplexed as to her greeting. She promptly replied, “Now, we Read More
friends

The Importance of Brotherhood

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Friendship is essential for all of us. The Book of Sirach states it well: “Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; / whoever finds one finds a treasure. / Faithful friends are beyond price, / no amount can balance their worth” (6:14-15). However, there are times that we may regret our friendships. Several years ago, friends Read More
silence

Finding Rest in the Silence

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One day while I was driving, I noticed a billboard that had a particularly humorous phrase on it: “Jesus Is Coming, Look Busy!” I am quite certain that many of us do not have to look busy. I imagine that we are all swamped with events this time of year — decorating, parties, liturgies and Read More
man praying

Hearing God’s Voice

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As a child, I used to attend Mass with my paternal grandparents, who worshipped at a beautiful Church that sat high on a hill overlooking the city of Pittsburgh. One particular Sunday, the priest gave a homily talking about hearing the voice of God. I can remember him saying, “If you listen hard, God is Read More
daydreaming

When Reality Gets in the Way of Our Dreams

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When I was a teacher, I often had to interrupt students who were dreaming, either because they were truly asleep (and drooling) or staring off into space. I imagine that lectures on ancient history were not terribly exciting for them, and the classroom did get unusually warm in the afternoons. If we are being honest, Read More
criticism and complaints

Criticisms and Complaints

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“My child, when you come to serve the Lord, / prepare yourself for trials” (Sir 2:1). This Scripture passage was presented to me once by my spiritual director for meditation, and I have pondered it greatly since becoming a pastor. Trials certainly can take many forms. They may present themselves as a financial crisis, a Read More
priest

Joy in Salvation

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“Nothing in this world is to be taken seriously, nothing except the salvation of a soul,” said St. Philip Neri. Or it might have been Archbishop Fulton Sheen. With the internet as the arbiter, it can even be tough to take attribution of quotes seriously. However, even salvation can present moments of whimsical enjoyment. A Read More
priest meets people

Interacting with People

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Not all that long ago, one of our church accounts was suspended at a local wholesaler due to a billing error. I thought that this would be a very simple thing to fix, but I was dead wrong. In calling to correct the error, I was bounced from one automated concierge to another. A very Read More
homily

Simplicity

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Even though most parishes now livestream Masses, our diocese for years has produced a Mass on local cable television for the faithful who are homebound or shut-in. The Mass is very well done, but since it is allotted a specific time, it must be completed in 28 minutes and 30 seconds. This is especially difficult Read More
Jesus little children

‘Let the Children Come to Me’

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Our parish is blessed to have a perpetual adoration chapel. Since people come to adore at all hours of the day and night, security is one of the factors that is always a concern. As a result, we have an infrared beam that extends across the front of the adoration chapel to protect the Eucharist. Read More