Rector’s Reflections

December 28, 2025

Dear People of God,

I pray your Christmas was filled with Christ, joy, family, friends, laughter, stories, great food, and gift-giving.  Despite the hustle and bustle, our Christmas Season is both an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus and become ever more aware of God’s presence in our lives. How? We succeed by realizing that in life all is a gift and that the key to happiness is making our life a gift to others through compassion, care, and forgiveness, always in the name of the Lord Jesus.

On this Feast of the Holy Family, I share with you the following story — a wonderful way to balance our lives (and families) as we together open the curtain on a New Year later this week.

Seven Wonders of the World                                                   

A group of geography students studied the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of that section, the students were asked to list the Seven Wonders of the World.  Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes.

1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter’s Basilica
7. China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn’t turned in her paper yet. So, she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there are so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are —”

• 1. to touch
• 2. to taste
• 3. to see
• 4. to hear…she hesitated a little, and then she said…
• 5. to run
• 6. to laugh
• 7. and to love, pray, and forgive.

It is far too easy for us to look at the exploits of people and refer to them as “wonders” while we overlook things that are truly wonderful — wonderful gifts from God to be shared with our sisters and brothers.

And great food for thought as we together to bring 2025 to a close….

There was a rich Silicon Valley billionaire who was disturbed one day to see a fisherman sitting lazily beside his small boat near the shore 

“Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked.

“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman.

“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked. 

“What would I do with them?” he asked. 

“You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply,“and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish.

You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have fleet of boats and be rich like me.”  

The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?”

“You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the billionaire.  

What do you think I’m doing now?”  the fisherman replied. 

 A blessed, joyous, and healthy New Year to all,              

                                       Fr. Greg 

P.S. With sad yet grateful hearts, we bid farewell to Fr. Joe Tito once again. We have been truly blessed by his willingness to come out of retirement and support our Cathedral Faith Community. As he takes on a new assignment as Parish Administrator at St. Jerome Parish in Rogers Park, we reflect on the immense gift he has been our Cathedral family, staff, and sisters, and the priests of our house. His unwavering dedication and hard work have been matched only by the joy he brings to every person he encounters. Though we will miss him deeply, we are profoundly grateful for all he has given us.