Memorial in the Grotto of St. Mary’s Cathedral. The inscription says: “In memory of the death of innocence of the victims of clergy sexual abuse. When innocence dies…a life stops. It is essential that we never forget.”
Although AI can provide support and assistance in managing tasks related to communication, in the long run, choosing to evade the effort of thinking for ourselves and settling for artificial statistical compilations threatens to diminish our cognitive, emotional and communication skills.
As I reflect on Communion — the Centennial pillar for March, am I willing to measure my participation in our diocesan life by the depth of my real thinking, listening, and engagement, or am I allowing artificial intelligence shortcuts to do the work for me—diminishing the very cognitive, emotional, and relational capacities that authentic communion about our “serious mistake” requires?
2. Meditatio
At The Glenn I measure everything. Feed in. Lambs out. Hay by the bale, grain by the scoop, mineral by the ounce. There is a sweet spot in pastoral life—a precise proportion that turns expense into abundance. Too little feed and the lamb suffers; too much and the profit does.
But Christ seems to suggest that the supernatural world runs on extravagance.
There is no “sweet spot” in mercy. There is only overflow. Packed together. Shaken down. Running over.
In my earthly economy, I guard the scales carefully. In my spiritual economy, I have used them like weapons.
Over the years I have measured out judgment with remarkable precision—especially on social media, where the digital grain silos are vast and the condemnations come pre-packaged. I have weighed bishops, priests, policies, and pronouncements as though I were Heaven’s appointed inspector of weights and measures.
There is, of course, a line between judging actions and judging persons. It is a fine and delicate line, like a sheep fence that must be maintained daily lest everything wander into confusion.
I have not maintained it.
I have sometimes erased it.
And Christ’s warning now feels less like poetry and more like prophecy: the measure with which I measure will be measured back to me.
Perhaps being transfigured is not about being transported away from reality, but about seeing reality suffused with divine light.
It is not that God is vindictive. It is that God is just—and more troubling still—merciful.
If I insist on a small cup of mercy for others, I should not be surprised if I receive a thimble myself.
3. Contemplatio (Chestertonian Synthesis)
The great paradox of mercy is that it multiplies when it is squandered.
In the pasture, excess feed is waste. In the Kingdom, excess mercy is glory.
The Father’s mercy is not a careful ration but a flood. He pours forgiveness into laps without consulting spreadsheets.
And yet He allows us the dreadful dignity of choosing our own measuring cup.
If I choose a narrow measure—tight-fisted, sharp-tongued, cautious in forgiveness—then I have chosen the world I will inhabit.
But if I dare to give without calculation, forgive without ledger, listen without rehearsing rebuttals—then the world expands.
The sheep do not count how often the shepherd calls them back. The shepherd does not weigh whether the lamb deserves rescue.
Mercy is not arithmetic. It is architecture. It builds the Kingdom.
4. Oratio
Lord,
Take the scales from my hands. Teach me to measure as You measure— not by scarcity, but by grace.
Where I have judged harshly, soften me. Where I have condemned, convert me.
Let my mercy be large, so that my heart may be larger still.
Amen.
5. Actio — In Light of Laudato Si’ and Synodality
The ultimate destiny of the universe is in the fullness of God, which has already been attained by the risen Christ, the measure of the maturity of all things.[53]
Laudato Si’ reminds us that everything is connected and that ecological conversion begins with interior conversion. A culture of encounter replaces a culture of accusation.
This week, as an act of synodality, I will refrain from public criticism and instead write one private word of encouragement or gratitude to someone in Church leadership.
In the Kingdom, the only true measure of a man is how freely he forgives.
7. Movie Pairing 🎬
🎬Movie:Bugonia (2025)
When humanity misjudges what it cannot understand, chaos follows. Mercy, not suspicion, is the only stable Measure of truth.
Move over, celebrity sightings…this is a Sacred Heart sighting! ❤️ Duane and Theresa are popping up in parishes everywhere, helping families put Christ at the heart of their homes and spreading devotion that’s anything but half-hearted. But wherever they go, they’re on fire for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 🔥 In this episode, Duane and Theresa talk First Fridays, 12 powerful promises, and why enthroning your home might be the best “heart upgrade” you’ll ever make. Warning: Sacred Heart enthusiasm may be contagious. ❤️🔥
Introvert + Apostle = Christian paradox unlocked. 🔓 Father Taylor Elzner explains how silence fuels mission, why labels aren’t boxes, and how to stop “communion to escape” and start living grace outward. Grace doesn’t delete your introversion — it perfects it! Introverts aren’t anti-social — we just need better WiFi with Heaven before mingling. This episode is introverted…but we make sure it is apostolic. 🌱
Your Eminence Cardinal DiNardo,
Grace and peace to you in Christ.
On behalf of many of the faithful in the Diocese of Amarillo, I wish to extend to you a heartfelt welcome as our Apostolic Administrator. Please know of my prayers for you as you shepherd us during this significant moment in our diocesan history.
As we continue celebrating our Centennial year, we give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon this local Church over the past one hundred years. At the same time, anniversaries naturally invite both gratitude and honest reflection.
It is in that spirit of reflection — and in the spirit of synodality so frequently emphasized in the life of the Church today — that I respectfully ask whether there might be an opportunity for renewed dialogue regarding the Tribute to Bishop Matthiesen and what former Bishop Zurek referred to as the “serious mistake” that brought about its existence.
My desire is not to reopen wounds or foster division, but rather to seek clarity, healing, and communion. I believe many of us long to celebrate our Centennial with consciences fully at peace, confident that we have honestly acknowledged our history while entrusting it to the mercy of Christ.
Synodality, as I understand it, calls us to walk together — clergy and laity alike — in truth and charity. If there is a path forward that allows for thoughtful listening, careful discernment, and pastoral guidance on this matter, I would be deeply grateful.
Thank you for your willingness to serve us during this transitional season. Please be assured of my continued prayers for your ministry and for the unity of our diocesan family.
Respectfully in Christ,
Darrell Glenn
My Story
Photo used by permission of Douglas Kirkland/Corbis via Getty Images
Memorial in the Grotto of St. Mary’s Cathedral. The inscription says: “In memory of the death of innocence of the victims of clergy sexual abuse. When innocence dies…a life stops. It is essential that we never forget.“
I was one of “the few” Bishop Zurek spoke of in this letter. He first posted it in August of 2019, and in response to my, “calling out all the more“, he kept reposting it atop the diocesan news page until December 11, 2019. There it remains to this day.
Fr. Ed Graff, brought here from Philadelphia by Bishop Matthiesen, was arrested in 2002 for sexually assaulting a minor and died later that year in jail. Despite the harm linked to his ministry, he was buried in an honored section of Llano Cemetery among our pioneering clergy — a decision that continues to wound survivors and raise hard questions for our diocese.
Bishop Matthiesen, who rode the white horse of public activism even as he brought abusive priests into our diocese such as John Salazar—wounds that still mark us today. I spoke with him often, pleading with him to reconsider his “no regrets” about bringing those priests here…
Bishop Zurek, who told the Diocese of Amarillo he had “no facts” about the Philadelphia report even as Amarillo’s connection to that tragedy was headline news. When I continued to speak out, as Bishop Yanta had once urged me to do, he later wrote that I was not among the faithful and loyal disciples whom the Lord Jesus desires.
