Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture I am embarrassed to admit that I frequently find myself dining and socializing with people who have millions and sometimes billions of dollars. I've eaten more caviar, lobster and wagyu steak than most people on the planet. I justify it by saying it's part of my job. But I have seven pairs of nice jeans and expensive shoes.

Before I was a priest, I was a lazy worker for a retail Apple store. Hearing a rumor that my boss was going to fire me, secretly sold iPhones for half-price, gave away dozens of free iPads, and donated several brand-new laptops to managers in other stores in the mall. After a week, my boss called me into his office. He knew what I was up to. He said I had cost the store thousands of dollars. "Really great work, John," he said. "I am going to recommend you to be my assistant manager and double your pay." I was amazed.

One of my favorite movies is the 1991 comedy What About Bob? Bill Murray plays a troubled, paranoid hypochondriac named Bob Wiley who innocently but annoyingly hounds Dr. Leo Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss. Bob is paralyzed by his fear of, well, everything, and is convinced the psychologist can heal him. But Dr. Marvin’s failed attempts to heal Bob end up driving the doctor to attempt to murder Bob. He fails. The surprise is that, having faced death head on, Bob is suddenly healed. He attributes his healing to Dr Marvin for break-through “death therapy.” In facing the cause of his deepest illness and dysfunction, Bob is healed.

One hot Arizona summer afternoon my car ran out of gas. I phoned the parish office and begged for help. My secretary came and helped me fill the gas tank. She chided me, “If you can’t manage getting your car from A to B, how can we expect you to guide the parish where it needs to go?” Point taken, Julie. I vowed to always make sure I have plenty of gas in my car.