As a teenager growing up, I developed the practice of going to daily Mass during the summer. It was an opportunity for me to continue to grow and mature in my faith. It allowed me to begin developing a regiment of prayer and ultimately spending time before the Lord.

Just a few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit one of our Catholic schools for Catholic Schools Week. It has always been a great experience for me to spend some time with our schoolchildren and their teachers. One of the highlights of these visits is the question-and-answer time the students would have with the priest.

Since I was a kid, I have always had issues with my eyesight. I remember sitting in class struggling to read the blackboard. My teachers noticed me squinting when reading books or other texts. As I grew older, eyeglasses were very much a part of my life. They were able to help me see much more clearly.

Just over three weeks ago, I traveled to Lima, Peru, at the kind invitation of my online Spanish teacher, who lives in this beautiful and historic South American capital city, and offered to show me around his city before he relocates. This trip emerged after I randomly expressed to him that I had a dream that I was flying in an airplane and had a bird’s-eye view of the spectacular ruins of Machu Picchu, a place on my bucket list.

I can never forget the first baptism I celebrated. I was a transitional deacon assigned to a parish in the Archdiocese of Boston (I attended Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts). The little baby girl who presented for baptism was of Southeast Asian descent and precious to behold. I was so nervous about celebrating the sacrament and unsure of myself that I asked my pastor supervisor to stand next to me in the event I did not do something correctly.

I was recently saddened to learn that the kind man who has been teaching me Spanish is an agnostic. This past year, I have talked about many personal topics with him in my nascent Spanish — my priesthood and discipleship in Jesus Christ, my strong support of the pro-life movement, and my passion for upholding
the culture of life in my preaching and life as a priest; the passing in October of my brother, Dr. Joseph Panicali, from pancreatic cancer at age 65 — and all manner of topics religious, spiritual, and cultural.

In 2022, the book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain was banned from many school districts because some found the language offensive. I can understand that sensitivity, but I think the critics of this book missed the greater picture. The offensive word that was used in the book reflects the language of the time and place – it does not condone or approve of it but simply represents it with historical accuracy.

According to Wikipedia, in 1984, Mark Lowry wrote the words for the modern Christmas classic, “Mary, Did You Know?” It was put to music by Buddy Greene in 1991. Although its lyrics are not the most theologically profound, it poses simple questions asking Mary if she knew at his birth the things Jesus would later do