February 15, 2026

Dear Parishioners,

“Everybody plays the fool” is a song from 1972 by the band The Main Ingredient. Aaron Neville remade the song in 1991 (I prefer Aaron Neville’s version). It’s a beautiful tune, but an even more interesting and beautiful way to talk about love, especially having your heart broken. Perchance a fitting reflection for Valentine’s Day weekend? The readings also strike somewhat at this theme: not calling your friend or lover ‘fool’ or raqa, trying to reconcile, staying faithful to your commitment of love in marriage, etc.

First, the song is encouraging, almost a positive way to look at tribulations. If you have struggled in a relationship, struggled with love, well, then, join the club. “There’s no exception to the rule,” says one of the verses. You’re not unique and you haven’t messed up, so don’t feel bad. Everybody goes through this.

Sometimes we feel in the spiritual and moral life we need to always ‘get it right.’ We don’t give ourselves room for error. Or, we don’t think God and the Church give us room for error. The Church and the preacher expect perfection, we feel. But this is not true. For one, we wouldn’t have the sacrament of reconciliation in our Church if this was the case. Reconciliation is the Church’s assumption that we all will play the fool. There is a second chance (a million second chances) for everyone. If it were otherwise, the Church would simply say with one sin we are condemned to hell. So, yes, be encouraged by your failures and hurts. They are actually a source of communion. They make you even more beautiful.

Now, because I’m a celibate Catholic priest, when I play or sing songs, especially love songs, I always imagine I’m singing them to God and the Church (or to Mary). So, ‘everybody plays the fool’ I imagine singing about my relationship to God. Maybe you can too. But, wait, you ask, how can it be foolish to love God? Well, if you really give your heart entirely away to God, completely surrender to him, then you might find moments where you got played. Let me explain.

God may have called you to do something–something you prayed about and considered carefully. Perhaps it was to take a job, move houses, take up a hobby, even marry someone. But then that thing didn’t end well. Or, nothing special happened. Did you discern incorrectly? Did God change his mind? Did you mess something up? No, no, and no. You simply got “fooled” by God.

You see, God did indeed call you to that thing at the time. But then he called you to something else. The thing that didn’t work out was a painful experience for you, and you are left humbled. And this is precisely why God “changed” it up on you–he wants to draw close to you in your pain. He wants to be a savior for you. He wants you low so he can raise you up. Again, God isn’t interested in having you be flawless in your life. He is interested in receiving your heart as it is. And it’s most real and human when it is hurting and needy.

“If you trust in God,” says Sirach, “you too shall live” (Sirach 15:15). Real living could be something very different than what we’re doing right now. If we give ourselves over to God entirely in love, then he very well could call us to a new way of life. Then we feel like a fool, for we didn’t expect that. Our lives, we felt, were not terrible. Oh, but God has something even better in store.

The saints are examples of this. Francis of Assisi loved God so much. When Francis committed his life to God, God called him to sell everything and do something radical for the Church. Francis wasn’t planning on this. It changed his life and even brought him suffering. But it was all for the best. Francis ‘played the fool,’ and he was all the better for it.

It’s my hope that when it comes to loving God we will be reckless. I pray we will be fools and sing these somewhat rueful songs together on our way to heaven.

+

This weekend is the Annual Catholic Appeal. We will listen to a short homily from the Cardinal at all the Masses and conduct the in-pew solicitation, for those who haven’t already sent in their pledge cards. This year, our assessment is $154,129, which is 7% of our previous year’s offertory income. Thank you for your support of the ACA and helping us reach our assessment. This is an important collection for the Archdiocese, as it allows the church to provide the necessary ministries and services to keep parishes and programs operating.

Happy President’s Day. Please note, there will be no 6:25am Mass and no 8am Confessions on Monday for the holiday. We will still have the 8:30am Mass.

Ash Wednesday is this week, February 18th. We will have Masses at 6:25am, 8:30am, 10am (school), 12pm, 4:15pm (just a prayer service with ashes), and 7pm. We will also have Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent at 7pm.

Please feel free to drop off your old palms at church this weekend. We will burn the palms on Tuesday morning in preparation for Ash Wednesday

Beginning on Wednesday, the Archdiocese is offering every parish the opportunity to fill out the Disciple Maker Index. Please go online to this link to fill out a survey about our parish: https://portal.catholicleaders.org/dmi/survey/pb833p. (Please note, the link won’t be active until Wednesday, February 18.) We have until the end of March to obtain as many responses as possible, and then our Evangelization Team will analyze the data to see how we are doing in offering opportunities for people to deepen their faith and if there is anything we can add to our programs here at St. Paul of the Cross.

Our Adoration Chapel is in need of more committed adorers. Please consider signing up for an hour slot and even encourage someone else to also sign up.

A blessed Lent to you all.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace