For man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature. (Pope St. Paul VI from Humanae Vitae #31)

When I look back on my twenty years of priesthood one sustaining aspect of my journey is the virtue of hope. It is hope that I find rooted in the vow of obedience I offered and accepted from the Church on June 4, 2005. Placing my hands in Bishop Patrick’s hands I offered my obedience as she offered me an obedience based on the truth. An obedience of a firm foundation holding fast against the fads and trends of the world. It has been in this struggle of hope when obedience has and continues to be tested that some of my greatest struggles have been the insidious temptation I wrote about earlier “Truth and Love” (July 2025)

One of the greatest struggles with truth and obedience was the propagation of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae by Pope St. Paul VI. It through the Catholic Church in disarray as the saintly Pope stood firm on the teachings on family and the transition of life. If you haven’t read this prophetic work, I would invite you to take a look. It isn’t a long document and has many surprising truths that may open your eyes.
Getting back to hope, Both Pope Paul VI and our late Holy Father Pope Francis remind us that hope is based on obedience to love, obedience found in both the vows of priesthood and in the marriage of man and woman in sacramental love.
In His Papal Bull Spes non confundit Pope Francis reminded us, “This interplay of hope and patience makes us see clearly that the Christian life is a journey calling for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps towards the goal of our encounter with the Lord Jesus.” (#5)
Patience in the hope for something greater means that we must enjoy obedience, not because it is easier, not because it offers simple answers, but because it places us on the firm foundation of truth in our faith in the Word of God.
One of the clearest examples of this in my priesthood is our journey through our current pastoral plan. In this long journey, there are many hard decisions being made, there will be change, there is doubt and fear, and yes, there is dissension in the process. But there is hope! The foundation is built on the reality of the spiritual renewal of our Diocese of San Jose. Based on prayer, and hope, we are called to be obedient, even in the obscurity of our sin filled world believing and knowing the guidance of the Holy Spirt we will find our true destination…it may take more time than we thing, it may feel we are stumbling along, it may even feel like we are going in a million different directions…but if we live in true hope, in obedience to the truth of God divine providence, they we will find our way to him who is our truth, our light and our hope. Amen