Dwelling place

From Knowing About to Knowing: The Humble Journey to Encounter Christ

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of John 1:29-34

Dear friends in Christ,

I want to begin this morning with a story that might sound familiar. Erin had always heard about Jesus. Growing up, she sat through Sunday school, recited prayers, and watched her grandmother light candles at church. It was all familiar, like the hum of a refrigerator—always there, easily ignored. Faith, for Erin, was something for the old or the desperate, not for someone with a job, friends, and plans for the weekend.

But life has a way of shaking our assumptions. In Erin’s last year of college, her parents split up. Her best friend drifted away. She felt like she was watching her life from the outside, unable to get back in. One night, overwhelmed and sleepless, she wandered outside, the air sharp with the promise of rain. She stared at the sky and, with nothing left to lose, whispered, “If you’re real, I need to know you.”

Nothing dramatic happened. No lightning, no voice from the clouds. But the very next day, a classmate she barely knew stopped her after class. “I know this is random, but would you want to come to my church group tonight?” Erin almost laughed. It felt too coincidental, but she said yes.

That evening, she sat in a circle of strangers as they read from the Gospel of John. When someone read, “I did not know Him, but the reason why I came… was that He might be made known,” something shifted inside her. Erin realized she’d never truly known Jesus—she’d only known about Him.

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With You I Am Well Pleased: Living God’s Call Through Humble Service and Love

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 3:13-17 – The Baptism of the Lord

Dear friends in Christ,

Today, I want to share with you the story of Daniel, a man from our own parish—a story that quietly echoes inside each of us as we wonder how we might help build the Kingdom of heaven around us. And the truth is, it’s often easier than our doubts let us believe.

Since he was young, Daniel sensed God calling him to something more at every Sunday Mass, but he always kept his faith private, convinced he wasn’t holy or knowledgeable enough. Years passed until his parish’s faith formation director retired and Daniel’s pastor asked if he’d consider taking on the role. Daniel almost laughed it off, doubting his worthiness. But the priest smiled and told him, “Sometimes that’s exactly what we need.”

Daniel wrestled with the invitation, thinking of the Gospel story we hear today—Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan. Even John felt unworthy, but Jesus stepped forward, not for His own sake, but to do the Father’s will. Daniel saw that he, too, could spend his life waiting to feel ready, or he could trust that God’s grace would meet him if he stepped forward in faith. He said yes.

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Guided by the Light: From Stormy Seas to the Star of Bethlehem

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Epiphany of the Lord. The Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12

Dear friends in Christ,

They say the sea has a mind of its own, but on the night of February 18, 1952, it was a monster. The wind howled over Cape Cod, Massachusetts, turning the Atlantic into a black, heaving wilderness. Two tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, broke in half, scattering sailors across the freezing waves. The radio called it a “dual disaster,” and for a while, it looked like nobody would come back alive.

Bernie Webber was a young Coast Guardsman, steady but quiet, not the sort who chased glory. He took the helm of the CG-36500, a wooden lifeboat barely 36 feet long—just big enough for a handful of men and a prayer. The Coast Guard didn’t expect much. The storm was too fierce, the water too cold, the Pendleton mostly gone. But Bernie and his crew set out anyway, following the flickering beam of the Chatham light into the wild unknown.

They found the Pendleton’s stern battered but afloat, thirty-two men huddled on deck, faces lit by the ship’s emergency lamps and the jagged blue of lightning. Every wave threatened to smash the little boat to pieces. But the men jumped, one by one, and Bernie caught them all. When he’d taken on the last man, the boat was so loaded it barely cleared the waves. The compass was gone, swallowed by the storm. The radio was dead. There was no way to steer home except by faith.

That’s when the miracle happened. As the rescue boat neared the shore, the men saw a strange glow on the horizon—dozens of car headlights, shining out from the parking lot at Chatham. Families, friends, strangers and townsfolk all lined the coastline, their cars pointed toward the sea, their lights blazing to guide the lost men home. It was hope writ large, a signal fire made of headlights, a promise that someone was waiting, that the darkness would not win. The CG-36500 followed those lights all the way to safety. Every man survived.

The story of that night is retold in books and movies—The Finest Hours—because it’s more than just a rescue. It’s about what happens when people risk everything to follow the faintest hint of light, refusing to let fear or darkness have the last word.

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Shining Like Joseph: Building the Kingdom in Everyday Family Love

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Dear brothers and sisters,

It was Christmas Eve in a small town nestled between snowy hills. The streetlights glimmered on the dusting of fresh snow, and every window on Maple Avenue seemed to glow with warmth. Inside one house near the end of the block, Daniel—a father of three—was finishing the last of the Christmas decorating with his youngest, Anna, perched on his shoulders. As she reached up to place a paper star atop the tree, a sense of hope and quiet joy filled the room.

Daniel had always loved Christmas, but this year was different. Only weeks before, he had lost his job. The security they’d known was gone and the search for new work in their small town was slow. There had been anxious late-night talks with his wife, Grace—whispered concerns about the mortgage, the future, how they’d stretch what they had to make it through. Yet Daniel refused to let fear steal the joy of Christmas from his family. As those familiar Gospel readings filled their home, Daniel heard them with new ears. The story of St. Joseph, quietly leading the Holy Family to Egypt, called to him—not as a figure out of reach, but as a father just trying to keep his family safe and wrap them in hope.

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Emmanuel: Welcoming God with Us into the Heart of Advent

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 1:18-24

My friends, as we continue our journey through Advent, the Church invites us to look deeply at what it means to welcome Christ into our homes and our hearts right here and right now. Advent isn’t simply a time of waiting; it’s a season of recognizing that God is with us, even before the manger, and even in the messy and mysterious corners of our lives.

Let me begin with a story about a man named Jared. Maybe some of you can relate. Jared never thought of himself as a “church guy,” let alone someone who mentors children. He kept his life tidy and God at a respectful distance — present, but not too close. But when a friend asked him to become part of the “Big Brother” program as a mentor to Marcus, a quiet twelve-year-old whose father wasn’t around, Jared’s first instinct was to say no. He wasn’t good with kids, and his own childhood wounds still hurt. Despite his hesitation, he said yes.

Their first meetings were awkward and silent. Jared wondered if he was wasting anyone’s time. But gradually, things shifted. They fixed bikes together, swapped jokes, and looked at books about dinosaurs; and one evening, Marcus looked up at him and asked, “Why do you care?” Jared answered honestly: “I needed someone once too. And I think God cares, even when it’s hard to feel it.”

By stepping out of his comfort zone, Jared discovered something remarkable — Marcus found steadiness and friendship, and Jared’s own heart began to heal. Through his willingness to show up, with all his doubts, both Jared and Marcus were changed. God was with them — present in every hesitant step, every awkward pause, and every act of uncertain kindness.

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Rejoicing in Hope: Welcoming Christ with Patience in Our Waiting

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 11:2-11

Today, I want to share with you not just a message, but a story. It’s a story that could belong to any of us. It’s the story of James, a husband and father of three whose life was upended just days before Christmas. For sixteen years, James worked at a factory, building a future for his family. Two days before what should have been a season of joy, his company announced layoffs. Just like that, he was out of a job, his last paycheck barely enough to cover the rent. He watched the lights go up in his neighbors’ windows and heard families sing and celebrate, but instead felt the heavy shroud of anxiety and sadness descend on his home.

Waiting in the Dark: When Advent Feels Heavy Instead of Hopeful

James tried to stay brave for his wife, Amy, and their children: twelve-year-old Allie, who grew serious and careful almost overnight; eight-year-old Ben, still stubborn enough to believe in Christmas magic; and little Sophie, who just wanted her father to smile. But at night, James would lie awake, staring into the darkness, wondering how to say there would be no gifts, not even a tree. He felt a different kind of emptiness, a pressure he’d never known before, questioning not just his future but God’s presence.

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Preparing the Heart for Christmas: Welcoming Jesus, Bearing Good Fruit 

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 3:1-12 

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, 

As Advent unfolds before us, we’re handed an invitation—not just to more lists, more shopping, or more frantic hustle, but to something riskier and far more honest. Let’s take a glimpse at someone in our own midst—a woman like Samantha, perhaps someone you know, perhaps someone a little like you. 

Every year, Samantha mapped out her perfect Christmas with military precision: menus, presents, decorations, endless lists promising a season that would finally feel right. And every year, as she sat among the torn wrapping paper and cold leftovers, a hollow ache settled in. “Hollowed out by the holidays,” she joked. But beneath that joke—loneliness, disappointment, a hunger for something real. 

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