August 12, 2025 | Read Online

Tuesday 2025-08-12

Learning how to say 'Yes' and 'No'

Tuesday @ LunchMusings from Deacon Michael Halbrook for your Tuesday lunch time

Saying ‘Yes’ & ‘No’

After last week's email and update about my new role with the Archdiocese of Mbarara Foundation, a former pastor and beloved priest friend of ours, Father Larry, sent me a note...

"I couldn’t help but remember what I had told you in my office years ago that you had one flaw. You didn’t and can’t find a way to say no."

I smiled when I received that. I always smile when I receive Father's notes, but this one warmed my heart.

It was sage advice - close to twenty years ago! Read more about it.

Interesting Stuff

Two opinion pieces on Artificial Intelligence (AI) caught my attention last week. The first was by some of my favorite thinkers at New Polity: AI Chatbots are Evil. The second is related and by one of my peers & coworkers at Adobe: The Dichotomy of AI: Building For Humanity While Embracing Technooptimism. I’d love to hear from you about what you think of one or the other (or both) of them.
Men: Have you ever felt a call to service as a deacon? There’s going to be an information session for a new deacon formation class starting in our diocese. The session is on Sunday, September 7 after the 10:00 Mass at our Cathedral in Springfield. If you’d be interested in going, let me know. You can read more about the diaconate in our diocese (including a video with yours truly) here.

Two opinion pieces on Artificial Intelligence (AI) caught my attention last week. The first was by some of my favorite thinkers at New Polity: AI Chatbots are Evil. The second is related and by one of my peers & coworkers at Adobe: The Dichotomy of AI: Building For Humanity While Embracing Technooptimism. I’d love to hear from you about what you think of one or the other (or both) of them.

Men: Have you ever felt a call to service as a deacon? There’s going to be an information session for a new deacon formation class starting in our diocese. The session is on Sunday, September 7 after the 10:00 Mass at our Cathedral in Springfield. If you’d be interested in going, let me know. You can read more about the diaconate in our diocese (including a video with yours truly) here.

We’re bringing back the Royal Run 5K & 1K Fun Run at St. Elizabeth this November. Read more and sign up.

Liturgy, Feasts, Memorials, & more

Thursday is the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He’s known for laying down his life in exchange for the father of a family and died by lethal injection at Auschwitz. He’s the patron of drug addicts and recovery from drug addiction.
Friday is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation.
Saturday is the Memorial of Saint Stephen of Hungary, the great-grandfather of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the patron of our parish.

Thursday is the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He’s known for laying down his life in exchange for the father of a family and died by lethal injection at Auschwitz. He’s the patron of drug addicts and recovery from drug addiction.

Friday is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation.

Saturday is the Memorial of Saint Stephen of Hungary, the great-grandfather of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the patron of our parish.