-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30am on Saturday and 8am and 6pm on Sunday
What's New
With the beginning of Advent we start a new liturgical year of grace 2017. The question for us may be, "is there anything new?". The repeated annual liturgical calendar is a religious symbol for us as Catholics in which we are called to hear the invitation to conversion. Conversion is a fancy word that means "changing the direction in which we were looking for happiness".
In what direction have you been looking for happiness? How successful has your search for happiness been? Do you see on the horizon a new direction in which you might find true happiness? Maybe it is a direction which you have resisted in the past because it appears too difficult, to radical, to pious, too religious, too disruptive to your life? That resistance is precisely the powerful "self" that refuses to die.
This Advent, this new year, may be the opportunity of grace to go ahead and follow the Lord's call into that direction which you have been resisting but which promises true, deep, and lasting happiness.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Saturday, November 19, 2016
November 20 homily prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Saturday 9:30am Sunday (and 12:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes on 55th St)
Can we put Jesus Christ back on the throne?
Some of you may remember July 20, 1969 like I do. You might know exactly where you were and the people you were with. It was the day of the Apollo space landing on the moon and Ohioan Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the surface of the moon. We were all glued to a television set and filled with anticipation, solidarity, and pride as Americans.
The beautiful pictures taken from orbit of our planet earth spinning on its axis were relayed back to earth and for the first time we earthlings got to see what we look like from outer space.
That image of the earth seen from space was a revolution in our "worldview". It was an experience of no longer being the center of the universe but being a participant in a galaxy much bigger than ourselves.
Changing one's worldview is a process that happens in our personal lives every so often. We suddenly recognize that the king at the center of our lives and the universe in which we have been operating has changed from the center outward, and all of the relationships in our universe have shifted along with it..
We could use another word to explain our changing worldview, a shift in our paradigm, or in the Christian dispensation we could call it conversion. These shifts or conversions usually follow a "bottoming out": we hit bottom or hit the wall when we fail in succeeding in life lived according to our worldview with its values, rewards, and costs.
In these frustrating and often sad bottoms or walls on our life's journey we are suddenly open to a new world view, a new perspective, philosophy, or path going forward. For religious people or human beings created in the image and likeness of God this new path going forward is often the world view of the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ upon the throne.
The feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ king of the universe is the invitation for us to once again put God at the center of our world and of our lives. The funny thing about religious conversion in our lives is that until we hit bottom or hit the wall we don't even realize that we have been walking the wrong road. This opening of our eyes to who and what is the king of "our personal universe" is often shocking and painful. The death of a loved one, the loss of a lifelong career, the loss of personal health, the failure of our primary wife project… All of these things and many more are the difficult opening of our eyes to see who is the God that we serve.
The conversation between the two thieves crucified with Jesus is an example of our options today. One thief sees the Lord Jesus even crucified as redeemer and king offering him everlasting life while the other thief looks at the crucified Jesus and mocks him as diluted , helpless, and foolish in his proposed role as Messiah who can't even get us down off of this miserable cross.
Who or what is the king of your universe and what is the world view from which you are operating? How could Jesus replace that kingship in your life and thereby change your world?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Saturday 9:30am Sunday (and 12:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes on 55th St)
Can we put Jesus Christ back on the throne?
Some of you may remember July 20, 1969 like I do. You might know exactly where you were and the people you were with. It was the day of the Apollo space landing on the moon and Ohioan Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the surface of the moon. We were all glued to a television set and filled with anticipation, solidarity, and pride as Americans.
The beautiful pictures taken from orbit of our planet earth spinning on its axis were relayed back to earth and for the first time we earthlings got to see what we look like from outer space.
That image of the earth seen from space was a revolution in our "worldview". It was an experience of no longer being the center of the universe but being a participant in a galaxy much bigger than ourselves.
Changing one's worldview is a process that happens in our personal lives every so often. We suddenly recognize that the king at the center of our lives and the universe in which we have been operating has changed from the center outward, and all of the relationships in our universe have shifted along with it..
We could use another word to explain our changing worldview, a shift in our paradigm, or in the Christian dispensation we could call it conversion. These shifts or conversions usually follow a "bottoming out": we hit bottom or hit the wall when we fail in succeeding in life lived according to our worldview with its values, rewards, and costs.
In these frustrating and often sad bottoms or walls on our life's journey we are suddenly open to a new world view, a new perspective, philosophy, or path going forward. For religious people or human beings created in the image and likeness of God this new path going forward is often the world view of the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ upon the throne.
The feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ king of the universe is the invitation for us to once again put God at the center of our world and of our lives. The funny thing about religious conversion in our lives is that until we hit bottom or hit the wall we don't even realize that we have been walking the wrong road. This opening of our eyes to who and what is the king of "our personal universe" is often shocking and painful. The death of a loved one, the loss of a lifelong career, the loss of personal health, the failure of our primary wife project… All of these things and many more are the difficult opening of our eyes to see who is the God that we serve.
The conversation between the two thieves crucified with Jesus is an example of our options today. One thief sees the Lord Jesus even crucified as redeemer and king offering him everlasting life while the other thief looks at the crucified Jesus and mocks him as diluted , helpless, and foolish in his proposed role as Messiah who can't even get us down off of this miserable cross.
Who or what is the king of your universe and what is the world view from which you are operating? How could Jesus replace that kingship in your life and thereby change your world?
Friday, November 11, 2016
November 13 Homily Prep St. Albert "pray for us"
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Saturday and 11:00am on Sunday
St. Albert the Great, Pray for us!
This intercession is often used at the ends of our prayers here at St. Albert. I am convinced that 99.9% of us who have used that intercession have intended to intecede with our patron saint, Albert the Great. This isn't an uncommon practice of the church throughout the ages. In fact, one of the greatest musical prayers of the church has to be the Litany of the Saints in which we repeatedly invoke the individual saints by name and then pray...."pray for us".
On this year's celebration of St. Albert the Great our patron I am asking us to widen our thoughts about that phrase or prayer "St. Albert the Great, pray for us". You see, we are celebrating not only our patron saint, but our parish community. Beginning this weekend we are introducing a new prayer initative called "Adopt a Friend in Prayer". Over 450 members of our parish community are preparing to celebrate a Sacrament in this coming year, are serving in the military, or are grieving the death of a loved one. St. Albert the Great (parish), pray for us"!
We have created seven different prayer cards on which the name of one of these brothers or sisters has been written. "Adopt a Friend in Prayer" ministry is an opportunity for every member of our parish to adopt at least one of these people and to "pray for us"! We are called in this day and age to offer our parishioners a concrete experience of communion and that experience begins with prayer. Let's open the doors of our hearts and the doors of our church to these members of our parish who are approaching the the sacraments. Our prayer for them is a welcoming embrace.
Blessed feastday to all. St. Albert the Great, pray for us!
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Saturday and 11:00am on Sunday
St. Albert the Great, Pray for us!
This intercession is often used at the ends of our prayers here at St. Albert. I am convinced that 99.9% of us who have used that intercession have intended to intecede with our patron saint, Albert the Great. This isn't an uncommon practice of the church throughout the ages. In fact, one of the greatest musical prayers of the church has to be the Litany of the Saints in which we repeatedly invoke the individual saints by name and then pray...."pray for us".
On this year's celebration of St. Albert the Great our patron I am asking us to widen our thoughts about that phrase or prayer "St. Albert the Great, pray for us". You see, we are celebrating not only our patron saint, but our parish community. Beginning this weekend we are introducing a new prayer initative called "Adopt a Friend in Prayer". Over 450 members of our parish community are preparing to celebrate a Sacrament in this coming year, are serving in the military, or are grieving the death of a loved one. St. Albert the Great (parish), pray for us"!
We have created seven different prayer cards on which the name of one of these brothers or sisters has been written. "Adopt a Friend in Prayer" ministry is an opportunity for every member of our parish to adopt at least one of these people and to "pray for us"! We are called in this day and age to offer our parishioners a concrete experience of communion and that experience begins with prayer. Let's open the doors of our hearts and the doors of our church to these members of our parish who are approaching the the sacraments. Our prayer for them is a welcoming embrace.
Blessed feastday to all. St. Albert the Great, pray for us!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
November 6 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Symptoms of faith in Resurrection!
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, goodness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. The fruits of the Spirit (CCC). In the face of pain, loss, persecution, hatred, death - these fruits are the symptoms o faith in the resurrection.
Do you manifest and faith in the resurrection?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Symptoms of faith in Resurrection!
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, goodness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. The fruits of the Spirit (CCC). In the face of pain, loss, persecution, hatred, death - these fruits are the symptoms o faith in the resurrection.
Do you manifest and faith in the resurrection?
Friday, October 28, 2016
October 30 homily prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30am 6:00 PM mass on Sunday
Appearing Little
Evidently Saint Augustine said of Zaccheus that "he was willing to climb the tree in order to see Jesus". In that willingness to be publicly vulnerable Zaccheus found salvation. Saint Augustine was instructing his audience about the hesitancy to appear needy of Jesus in public.
In the current generation we have been called to grow the communion of the faithful by inviting others - "Every One Add One". Saint Augustine's interpretation of this gospel text says to me that Before we are effective in evangelizing our world we need two things: a keen and humble awareness of our need for Jesus and, second, a willingness to make that neediness public. And that, my friends, is a big problem.
On the first hand, admitting to our neediness is downright un-American let alone unlikely from our egocentric way of being in the world. So Catholic parishioners-turned-inviters are not very likely to admit their need for anything, let alone friendship with Jesus. It sounds childish, it seems weak, it is too vulnerable for adults. We have maybe too much Anglo-Saxon "put on a stiff upper lip" demand in our culture. We do not want to admit ( even to ourselves) weakness, neediness, vulnerability.
However there's a second problem with Saint Augustine's suggestion that we need not only admit to our need of Jesus but we need to do so publicly. Again I don't know if it's Catholic culture or American culture or simply human nature but we really have a privacy issue when it comes to our relationship with God and or Jesus. So we are not likely to admit even to ourselves our need for Jesus and we are certainly hesitant to make that dependence or reliance upon Jesus known publicly.
But, that is what is required of us if we are going to be effective missionary disciples of holy communion in the world. So, this Sunday's readings are inviting us to come clean on two very important and difficult features of our Christian discipleship. We have to understand and admit to our need for Jesus. How about that? Secondly we need to consider how willing we are to transform our public persona allowing others to see our neediness and reliance upon Jesus.
Tall order. Has anyone ever asked us to do this? I don't think so. Maybe Pope Francis.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30am 6:00 PM mass on Sunday
Appearing Little
Evidently Saint Augustine said of Zaccheus that "he was willing to climb the tree in order to see Jesus". In that willingness to be publicly vulnerable Zaccheus found salvation. Saint Augustine was instructing his audience about the hesitancy to appear needy of Jesus in public.
In the current generation we have been called to grow the communion of the faithful by inviting others - "Every One Add One". Saint Augustine's interpretation of this gospel text says to me that Before we are effective in evangelizing our world we need two things: a keen and humble awareness of our need for Jesus and, second, a willingness to make that neediness public. And that, my friends, is a big problem.
On the first hand, admitting to our neediness is downright un-American let alone unlikely from our egocentric way of being in the world. So Catholic parishioners-turned-inviters are not very likely to admit their need for anything, let alone friendship with Jesus. It sounds childish, it seems weak, it is too vulnerable for adults. We have maybe too much Anglo-Saxon "put on a stiff upper lip" demand in our culture. We do not want to admit ( even to ourselves) weakness, neediness, vulnerability.
However there's a second problem with Saint Augustine's suggestion that we need not only admit to our need of Jesus but we need to do so publicly. Again I don't know if it's Catholic culture or American culture or simply human nature but we really have a privacy issue when it comes to our relationship with God and or Jesus. So we are not likely to admit even to ourselves our need for Jesus and we are certainly hesitant to make that dependence or reliance upon Jesus known publicly.
But, that is what is required of us if we are going to be effective missionary disciples of holy communion in the world. So, this Sunday's readings are inviting us to come clean on two very important and difficult features of our Christian discipleship. We have to understand and admit to our need for Jesus. How about that? Secondly we need to consider how willing we are to transform our public persona allowing others to see our neediness and reliance upon Jesus.
Tall order. Has anyone ever asked us to do this? I don't think so. Maybe Pope Francis.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
October 23 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Saturday and 12:30pm on Sunday
What's Your Position?
On your communion map, where is God and where are you and where is everyone else? Where is your position in relationship to the position occupied by God and others? Like the Pharisee and the tax collector, our faith is all about relationship. Prayer is the expression of our faith. We live as we love and we pray as we live.
What do you think?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Saturday and 12:30pm on Sunday
What's Your Position?
On your communion map, where is God and where are you and where is everyone else? Where is your position in relationship to the position occupied by God and others? Like the Pharisee and the tax collector, our faith is all about relationship. Prayer is the expression of our faith. We live as we love and we pray as we live.
What do you think?
Saturday, October 15, 2016
October 16 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00 Saturday and 9:30am & 6pm on Sunday
Don't Weary, Have Faith
Bishop Robert Barron made a fascinating assessment of the first reading from this Sunday's mass and I can't think of anything more meaningful to say. The "warring with Amalek" can be a reminder to all of us that, like Israel, if one has faith to do God's will in the world they by necessity will be engaged in "the battle". Saint Paul famously referred to this fact by calling it "fighting the good fight, running the race".
I think I have been resisting this fact from before I entered the seminary. I think the dominant theme in the spiritual life at least for me is that if I am doing God's will and God is with me then I will not encounter hardship, conflict, or fighting with others. It's a maybe a naïve understanding of peace. Maybe St. Francis, in the popular interpretation, with his prayer for peace and his hanging around with all the animals and resolving conflict is my preferred notion of discipleship. However, it cannot be denied that all 12 apostles and St. Paul all died by violent conflict and rejection of people about fighting the "good fight"
Who we fight against, compete with, struggle with, can be the power of evil, the spirit of the world, the weakness of the flesh, the broken and whining false self. As a matter fact it is all of these and others. The example of Moses with his hands raised in prayer and the invitation of the persistent woman and the unjust judge in the Gospel both encourage two things.
First, we must never grow weary of pursuing God's will in the face of opposition, rejection, suffering, hopelessness, etc. We can never demand that we arrive in the destination of the promised land of perfect peace. We must admit that we are always aliens, homesick for our native land which is peace forever in the Lord.
Second, this persistence this attachment to God's will is manifest, experienced, accomplished, and realized in what we call prayer. Praying is the sacrament of our communion with God in faith. Praying is the experience of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God and our desire to be in deepening relationship with God can be compared to our most intimate human relations. The longing heart of the lover, the homesickness of the citizen in a foreign land, can be understood as the deepest and fundamental praying that Jesus teaches and demonstrates in the Gospels.
So, as people of faith we are possessed by the love of God and our intentional commitment to do God's will in the world will be experienced as conflict, striving, yearning, longing, battle against the broken and empty powers of the world and of our human condition. We can avoid growing weary in this good and constant fight by clinging to God's hand in prayer.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00 Saturday and 9:30am & 6pm on Sunday
Don't Weary, Have Faith
Bishop Robert Barron made a fascinating assessment of the first reading from this Sunday's mass and I can't think of anything more meaningful to say. The "warring with Amalek" can be a reminder to all of us that, like Israel, if one has faith to do God's will in the world they by necessity will be engaged in "the battle". Saint Paul famously referred to this fact by calling it "fighting the good fight, running the race".
I think I have been resisting this fact from before I entered the seminary. I think the dominant theme in the spiritual life at least for me is that if I am doing God's will and God is with me then I will not encounter hardship, conflict, or fighting with others. It's a maybe a naïve understanding of peace. Maybe St. Francis, in the popular interpretation, with his prayer for peace and his hanging around with all the animals and resolving conflict is my preferred notion of discipleship. However, it cannot be denied that all 12 apostles and St. Paul all died by violent conflict and rejection of people about fighting the "good fight"
Who we fight against, compete with, struggle with, can be the power of evil, the spirit of the world, the weakness of the flesh, the broken and whining false self. As a matter fact it is all of these and others. The example of Moses with his hands raised in prayer and the invitation of the persistent woman and the unjust judge in the Gospel both encourage two things.
First, we must never grow weary of pursuing God's will in the face of opposition, rejection, suffering, hopelessness, etc. We can never demand that we arrive in the destination of the promised land of perfect peace. We must admit that we are always aliens, homesick for our native land which is peace forever in the Lord.
Second, this persistence this attachment to God's will is manifest, experienced, accomplished, and realized in what we call prayer. Praying is the sacrament of our communion with God in faith. Praying is the experience of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God and our desire to be in deepening relationship with God can be compared to our most intimate human relations. The longing heart of the lover, the homesickness of the citizen in a foreign land, can be understood as the deepest and fundamental praying that Jesus teaches and demonstrates in the Gospels.
So, as people of faith we are possessed by the love of God and our intentional commitment to do God's will in the world will be experienced as conflict, striving, yearning, longing, battle against the broken and empty powers of the world and of our human condition. We can avoid growing weary in this good and constant fight by clinging to God's hand in prayer.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
October 9 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8:00am on Sunday
Gratitude
The telltale sign of a heart that is free is thanksgiving. Gratitude in every circumstance is the sign of a heart that sees clearly what is a blessing and is free from fear, sadness, and anger over what is not. Especially in moment of pain, loss, and persecution only the truly free person can be grateful for life, love, and eternal salvation. The only things of reality.
Death beds are the place where this freedom is most evident or it's absence is so obvious. At the end of life when everything has been "taken away" the one who is grateful sees rightly. For the grateful heart, everything except sin is gift, grace, and blessing. So gratitude is the only response.
What has imprisoned your heart? What are you NOT grateful for?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8:00am on Sunday
Gratitude
The telltale sign of a heart that is free is thanksgiving. Gratitude in every circumstance is the sign of a heart that sees clearly what is a blessing and is free from fear, sadness, and anger over what is not. Especially in moment of pain, loss, and persecution only the truly free person can be grateful for life, love, and eternal salvation. The only things of reality.
Death beds are the place where this freedom is most evident or it's absence is so obvious. At the end of life when everything has been "taken away" the one who is grateful sees rightly. For the grateful heart, everything except sin is gift, grace, and blessing. So gratitude is the only response.
What has imprisoned your heart? What are you NOT grateful for?
Saturday, October 1, 2016
October 2 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30am on Sunday
Is it Good Enough to Pray?
Have you ever felt confused or disappointed by God NOT answering your prayer? Today's gospel seems to say that simply praying is not enough. You must have sufficient faith. Any believer who says."God did not hear my prayer" is not believing in the God of Jesus.
Increase our faith!
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30am on Sunday
Is it Good Enough to Pray?
Have you ever felt confused or disappointed by God NOT answering your prayer? Today's gospel seems to say that simply praying is not enough. You must have sufficient faith. Any believer who says."God did not hear my prayer" is not believing in the God of Jesus.
Increase our faith!
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Sept 24 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8am and 11am on Sunday
What is Your Greater Sin?
The sin of the rich man is not richnesss, it is not lack of charity, idolatry, blasphemy, adultery, murder, or any of the commandments. It was blindness. Pucillanimous indifferencee. Small souled self absorbed lack of empathy.
Got any of that?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8am and 11am on Sunday
What is Your Greater Sin?
The sin of the rich man is not richnesss, it is not lack of charity, idolatry, blasphemy, adultery, murder, or any of the commandments. It was blindness. Pucillanimous indifferencee. Small souled self absorbed lack of empathy.
Got any of that?
Saturday, September 17, 2016
September 18 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Sat and 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
That's Ingenius!
The whole point of the second Vatican Council (1963 to 1965) was to "open the windows of the church" so that the gospel might flow more effectively into the world. This insight and purpose of the fathers of the church was repeated by Pope Francis at his election when he assessed the church as being "closed in on itself - self-referential".
Many critics of the church in the time since the second Vatican Council have misinterpreted the purpose of the council by evaluating the effects of the council on the church rather than seeing the effects of the church in the modern world. Many see that "opening the windows" of the church only as having invited modernity into the church, to have "modernized" the ancient church. They don't mean that as a compliment.
There is no denying that the efforts of the church to engage in and with the modern world has in fact invited modernity and worldliness into the church. However, this unintended consequence possibly can be foreseen in the perplexing parable today of the dishonest steward. What I mean by that is, that the use of the things, systems, technologies, communications, and other advances of the world in the mission of the church to the world is what I believe Jesus was communicating in this parable of the dishonest steward. Ingenuity!
The "children of light" have to become more ingenius in their efforts at spreading the gospel. Ingenuity, a mixture of smart and effective, is a tool and a path available to the ministries of the church to help them engage the hearts and minds of men and women in the world. I recently had a conversation with a parishioner who was expressing her complete alienation from and disenchantment with the ministry of our parish( in spite of her dedication to weekly Sunday worship). She was expressing her longing for the pre-Vatican II hay days of the Baltimore catechism, Monarchical bishops and priests, cultural warriors, Gregorian chant, antagonism with contemporary society. By contrast, she was being critical of all of the attempts of the church to engage with contemporary men and women.
I think the Lord's parable of the dishonest steward is a critique of this "self referential" anti-cultural, otherworldly approach to church and ministry. I am as frustrated as anyone with the failure of the church to become a priority in the lives of modern men and women, however, resorting to the pious, devotional, isolated, defensive disengaged, fortress-like existence of the pre-Vatican II church is not the solution. Besides, we cannot put the genie back in the bottle and even if we could, which several have tried, we would not succeed in Jesus's command to bring the gospel to all nations.
We must rather persevere in the ingenuity of engaging with the gifts and the minds and hearts of modern men and women with the purpose of drawing them more deeply into the heart of Christ which is the centerpiece of our Catholic faith, eternity lived in the communion of the faithful from now unto everlasting life.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Sat and 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
That's Ingenius!
The whole point of the second Vatican Council (1963 to 1965) was to "open the windows of the church" so that the gospel might flow more effectively into the world. This insight and purpose of the fathers of the church was repeated by Pope Francis at his election when he assessed the church as being "closed in on itself - self-referential".
Many critics of the church in the time since the second Vatican Council have misinterpreted the purpose of the council by evaluating the effects of the council on the church rather than seeing the effects of the church in the modern world. Many see that "opening the windows" of the church only as having invited modernity into the church, to have "modernized" the ancient church. They don't mean that as a compliment.
There is no denying that the efforts of the church to engage in and with the modern world has in fact invited modernity and worldliness into the church. However, this unintended consequence possibly can be foreseen in the perplexing parable today of the dishonest steward. What I mean by that is, that the use of the things, systems, technologies, communications, and other advances of the world in the mission of the church to the world is what I believe Jesus was communicating in this parable of the dishonest steward. Ingenuity!
The "children of light" have to become more ingenius in their efforts at spreading the gospel. Ingenuity, a mixture of smart and effective, is a tool and a path available to the ministries of the church to help them engage the hearts and minds of men and women in the world. I recently had a conversation with a parishioner who was expressing her complete alienation from and disenchantment with the ministry of our parish( in spite of her dedication to weekly Sunday worship). She was expressing her longing for the pre-Vatican II hay days of the Baltimore catechism, Monarchical bishops and priests, cultural warriors, Gregorian chant, antagonism with contemporary society. By contrast, she was being critical of all of the attempts of the church to engage with contemporary men and women.
I think the Lord's parable of the dishonest steward is a critique of this "self referential" anti-cultural, otherworldly approach to church and ministry. I am as frustrated as anyone with the failure of the church to become a priority in the lives of modern men and women, however, resorting to the pious, devotional, isolated, defensive disengaged, fortress-like existence of the pre-Vatican II church is not the solution. Besides, we cannot put the genie back in the bottle and even if we could, which several have tried, we would not succeed in Jesus's command to bring the gospel to all nations.
We must rather persevere in the ingenuity of engaging with the gifts and the minds and hearts of modern men and women with the purpose of drawing them more deeply into the heart of Christ which is the centerpiece of our Catholic faith, eternity lived in the communion of the faithful from now unto everlasting life.
September 18 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Sat and 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
That's Ingenius!
The whole point of the second Vatican Council (1963 to 1965) was to "open the windows of the church" so that The gospel might flow into the world. The inside of the fathers of the church was repeated by Pope Francis at his election when he assessed the church as being "closed in on itself - self-referential".
Many critics of the church in the time since the second Vatican Council have misinterpreted the purpose of the council by evaluating the effects of the council on the church rather than seeing the effects of the church in the modern world. Many see that "opening the windows" of the church as having invited modernity into the church, to have "modernized" the ancient church. They don't mean that as a compliment.
There is no denying that the efforts of the church to engage in and with the modern world has in fact invited modernity and worldliness into the church. However, this unintended consequence possibly can be foreseen in the perplexing parable today of the diss honest steward. What I mean by that is, that the use of the things, systems, technologies, communications, and other advances of the world in the mission of the church to the world is what I believe Jesus was communicating in this parable of the dishonest steward.
The "children of light" have to become more ingenius in their efforts at spreading the gospel. Ingenuity, a mixture of smart and effective, is a tool and a path available to the ministries of the church to help them engage the hearts and minds of men and women in the world. I recently had a conversation with a parishioner who was expressing her complete alienation from and disenchantment with the Ministry of our parish. She was expressing her longing for the pre-Vatican II hay days of the Baltimore catechism, Monarchical bishops and priests, cultural warriors, Gregorian chant, disengagement with contemporary society. By contrast, she was being critical of all of the attempts of the church to engage with contemporary men and women.
I think the Lords parable of the dishonest steward is a critique of this " self referential" anti-cultural, otherworldly approach to church and ministry. I am as frustrated as anyone else with the failure of the church to become a priority in the lives of modern men and women, however, resorting to the pious, devotional, isolated, defensive disengaged, island existence of the pre-Vatican II church is not the solution. Besides, we cannot put the genie back in the bottle and even if we could, which several have tried, we would not succeed in Jesus's command to bring the gospel to all nations.
We must rather persevere in the ingenuity of engaging with the gifts and the minds and hearts of modern men and women with the purpose of drawing them more deeply into the heart of Christ which is the centerpiece of our Catholic faith, eternity lived in the communion of the faithful from now on to everlasting life
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Sat and 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
That's Ingenius!
The whole point of the second Vatican Council (1963 to 1965) was to "open the windows of the church" so that The gospel might flow into the world. The inside of the fathers of the church was repeated by Pope Francis at his election when he assessed the church as being "closed in on itself - self-referential".
Many critics of the church in the time since the second Vatican Council have misinterpreted the purpose of the council by evaluating the effects of the council on the church rather than seeing the effects of the church in the modern world. Many see that "opening the windows" of the church as having invited modernity into the church, to have "modernized" the ancient church. They don't mean that as a compliment.
There is no denying that the efforts of the church to engage in and with the modern world has in fact invited modernity and worldliness into the church. However, this unintended consequence possibly can be foreseen in the perplexing parable today of the diss honest steward. What I mean by that is, that the use of the things, systems, technologies, communications, and other advances of the world in the mission of the church to the world is what I believe Jesus was communicating in this parable of the dishonest steward.
The "children of light" have to become more ingenius in their efforts at spreading the gospel. Ingenuity, a mixture of smart and effective, is a tool and a path available to the ministries of the church to help them engage the hearts and minds of men and women in the world. I recently had a conversation with a parishioner who was expressing her complete alienation from and disenchantment with the Ministry of our parish. She was expressing her longing for the pre-Vatican II hay days of the Baltimore catechism, Monarchical bishops and priests, cultural warriors, Gregorian chant, disengagement with contemporary society. By contrast, she was being critical of all of the attempts of the church to engage with contemporary men and women.
I think the Lords parable of the dishonest steward is a critique of this " self referential" anti-cultural, otherworldly approach to church and ministry. I am as frustrated as anyone else with the failure of the church to become a priority in the lives of modern men and women, however, resorting to the pious, devotional, isolated, defensive disengaged, island existence of the pre-Vatican II church is not the solution. Besides, we cannot put the genie back in the bottle and even if we could, which several have tried, we would not succeed in Jesus's command to bring the gospel to all nations.
We must rather persevere in the ingenuity of engaging with the gifts and the minds and hearts of modern men and women with the purpose of drawing them more deeply into the heart of Christ which is the centerpiece of our Catholic faith, eternity lived in the communion of the faithful from now on to everlasting life
Saturday, September 10, 2016
September 11 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email or on my facebook page.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Saturday, 8am, 11am, and 6pm on Sunday
Profiles in Lostness
In the scriptures for this week I am seeing a profile of "lostness" that I haven't seen before. I'm wondering how it sounds to you?
The great parables of "lostness" are the coin, the sheep, and the son. Let's look at these "profiles in lostness".
I am seeing the lost coin as a sign of those who are lost from the love of God in their embrace of a completely material existence. Like the coin, these souls are actually "inanimate" persons - they are lost from the love of God by their conviction that human life is completely devoid of God, faith, and eternity. They do not know that they are lost. They are fairly contented in the "material" world, its pursuits, and its rewards. They have no need of repentance.
The second profile in lostness is the lost sheep which is a sign to me of those who are lost from the love of God in their slavery to their emotional existence. This rather innocent creature knows through its basic instinct and its 'senses' that it is in trouble, it knows that it is isolated, it hurts in pain, it cries out for help from mother or flock. This emotional lostness believes IN God however the love of God is not influential in their daily life. Rather God is a distant figure who CAN make me feel better if and when He is so inclined. They are fairly pre-occupied with the roller coaster search for happiness in life. They have no need of repentance.
The third profile in lostness is the elder son on his father's plantation. These stand for me as a sign of those who are lost to the love of God in their religious existence. These persons are lost to the love of God in their arrogant and self-satisfied religious convictions. These are the strangest and most resistant of the lost - because they think they are found. In fact, these religiously lost people believe it is God who is lost, who has abandoned them in the pain of life because God has not been as faithful to them as they are to God. These persons live their lostness in resentment - resentment of God, of other religious people, of other lost people. They have no need of repentance, in fact, they have a theology of staying the way they are.
Repentance is the recognition of one's lostness and the acceptance of the never-changing, never-ending, never-withheld love of God. You are my beloved Son. Without repentance we remain lost. Lostness is the greatest and most powerful enemy of God's gift of salvation.
Does any of that connect with your story? Have you ever repented in your lostness?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Saturday, 8am, 11am, and 6pm on Sunday
Profiles in Lostness
In the scriptures for this week I am seeing a profile of "lostness" that I haven't seen before. I'm wondering how it sounds to you?
The great parables of "lostness" are the coin, the sheep, and the son. Let's look at these "profiles in lostness".
I am seeing the lost coin as a sign of those who are lost from the love of God in their embrace of a completely material existence. Like the coin, these souls are actually "inanimate" persons - they are lost from the love of God by their conviction that human life is completely devoid of God, faith, and eternity. They do not know that they are lost. They are fairly contented in the "material" world, its pursuits, and its rewards. They have no need of repentance.
The second profile in lostness is the lost sheep which is a sign to me of those who are lost from the love of God in their slavery to their emotional existence. This rather innocent creature knows through its basic instinct and its 'senses' that it is in trouble, it knows that it is isolated, it hurts in pain, it cries out for help from mother or flock. This emotional lostness believes IN God however the love of God is not influential in their daily life. Rather God is a distant figure who CAN make me feel better if and when He is so inclined. They are fairly pre-occupied with the roller coaster search for happiness in life. They have no need of repentance.
The third profile in lostness is the elder son on his father's plantation. These stand for me as a sign of those who are lost to the love of God in their religious existence. These persons are lost to the love of God in their arrogant and self-satisfied religious convictions. These are the strangest and most resistant of the lost - because they think they are found. In fact, these religiously lost people believe it is God who is lost, who has abandoned them in the pain of life because God has not been as faithful to them as they are to God. These persons live their lostness in resentment - resentment of God, of other religious people, of other lost people. They have no need of repentance, in fact, they have a theology of staying the way they are.
Repentance is the recognition of one's lostness and the acceptance of the never-changing, never-ending, never-withheld love of God. You are my beloved Son. Without repentance we remain lost. Lostness is the greatest and most powerful enemy of God's gift of salvation.
Does any of that connect with your story? Have you ever repented in your lostness?
Friday, September 2, 2016
September 4 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Saturday and 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday
"I can SEE you"
Remember Miss Barbara on Romper Room when we were kids? She did that crazy thing at the end of the show when she help up a mirror and then pretended to be able to see through the TV screen into the living room and she would call out everybody's name. "I see Bobby, and Susie, and Ricky, and Eddie..." ok, well she never said Eddile, but you remember.
I think this pretending kind of messes with our minds. Here we thought we could look into the TV and see her and she turned it around on us and appeared to be looking "in on us". Transparency - to be able to see through.
I believe Jesus' challenging saying in today's gospel is the invitation for us to peer through the created realities of our lives and to see God in all of it and under all of it. To love and serve and celebrate life BECAUSE God is under, beneath, behind, and at the end of all of it. Life must become more transparent for the disciples of Jesus.
The danger is to love, serve, or celebrate andthing in life as if it were an end in itself. Opaque. To see people, plans, things as goods inandof themselves is to be deceived.
What do you think? Do you see through the most important things in life, like Miss Barbara, see through them as if they were transparent and see God's behind them
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30pm on Saturday and 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday
"I can SEE you"
Remember Miss Barbara on Romper Room when we were kids? She did that crazy thing at the end of the show when she help up a mirror and then pretended to be able to see through the TV screen into the living room and she would call out everybody's name. "I see Bobby, and Susie, and Ricky, and Eddie..." ok, well she never said Eddile, but you remember.
I think this pretending kind of messes with our minds. Here we thought we could look into the TV and see her and she turned it around on us and appeared to be looking "in on us". Transparency - to be able to see through.
I believe Jesus' challenging saying in today's gospel is the invitation for us to peer through the created realities of our lives and to see God in all of it and under all of it. To love and serve and celebrate life BECAUSE God is under, beneath, behind, and at the end of all of it. Life must become more transparent for the disciples of Jesus.
The danger is to love, serve, or celebrate andthing in life as if it were an end in itself. Opaque. To see people, plans, things as goods inandof themselves is to be deceived.
What do you think? Do you see through the most important things in life, like Miss Barbara, see through them as if they were transparent and see God's behind them
Friday, August 26, 2016
August 28 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by emails
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.pariskhlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00on Sat and 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
What are you up to?
In both teachings of Jesus this weekend the basic question put to disciples of Jesus is this: what are you up to? When one accepts the invitation to a banquet what are you doing as you enter the banquet. Are you there for your host and his occasion or are you trying to accomplish something for your own ego- satisfaction?
Same thing with your invitation/hospitality. Why are you generous to others? What are you doing? Loving or building your reputation? Wow.
Just asking what is your motive in every choice you make? That's what is eternal.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.pariskhlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00on Sat and 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
What are you up to?
In both teachings of Jesus this weekend the basic question put to disciples of Jesus is this: what are you up to? When one accepts the invitation to a banquet what are you doing as you enter the banquet. Are you there for your host and his occasion or are you trying to accomplish something for your own ego- satisfaction?
Same thing with your invitation/hospitality. Why are you generous to others? What are you doing? Loving or building your reputation? Wow.
Just asking what is your motive in every choice you make? That's what is eternal.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
August 21 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 9:30am on Sunday
What makes the gate narrow?
I cannot help but think of the gospel passage about the camel passing through the eye of a needle. That camel is burdened with all the luggage and the goods of a beast of burden. Because of that heavy bulky burden the animal cannot fit through the opening.
When Jesus mentions the width or the size of the gate that leads to salvation I am anticipating that the "size" of the individual is what determines the width or the narrowness of the gate. So, the invitation or the opportunity for salvation is not the restriction. The restriction on who will be saved completely lies with the girth of the individual.
One can change the width or narrowness of the gate that leads to salvation by conforming his or her life to that of Christ. Trim the fat, lighten your load, lose the excess, dispossess, detach, and you will fit just perfectly
Remember the old playdoh machine in which you placed the Playdoh and then a fixed pattern or a dye to the front of the machine? We pushed the Playdoh down and it took on the shape of the pattern on the front. The playdoh was conformed to the "gate" rather than forcing a immalable mass through a definitive opening.
The material must be conformed to the pattern not the pattern changed to accommodate the material. Salvation is in Christ and through Christ and the way is only narrow to those who have not laid down their lives in imitation of his.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 9:30am on Sunday
What makes the gate narrow?
I cannot help but think of the gospel passage about the camel passing through the eye of a needle. That camel is burdened with all the luggage and the goods of a beast of burden. Because of that heavy bulky burden the animal cannot fit through the opening.
When Jesus mentions the width or the size of the gate that leads to salvation I am anticipating that the "size" of the individual is what determines the width or the narrowness of the gate. So, the invitation or the opportunity for salvation is not the restriction. The restriction on who will be saved completely lies with the girth of the individual.
One can change the width or narrowness of the gate that leads to salvation by conforming his or her life to that of Christ. Trim the fat, lighten your load, lose the excess, dispossess, detach, and you will fit just perfectly
Remember the old playdoh machine in which you placed the Playdoh and then a fixed pattern or a dye to the front of the machine? We pushed the Playdoh down and it took on the shape of the pattern on the front. The playdoh was conformed to the "gate" rather than forcing a immalable mass through a definitive opening.
The material must be conformed to the pattern not the pattern changed to accommodate the material. Salvation is in Christ and through Christ and the way is only narrow to those who have not laid down their lives in imitation of his.
Friday, August 12, 2016
August 14 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Sat and 11:00 on Sunday
Division
This summer the people of the world and especially we in the United States have been bombarded by the divisions among us. Holy War attacks by ISIS, violent racial conflicts, personal rancor between politicians, guerilla warfare executions of innocent law enforcement, gender-confusing impositions upon our school children......that's enough. All of it reveals and reminds us of the radical divisions within the human family. In fact, re-reading these sentences gives me a new understanding of the biblical image of the "tower of Babel". People are not engaging in passionate debate and dialogue, they are living on philosophical islands exchanging violent missiles in order to annihilate their enemies.
What's funny is that all of this division is born of a beautiful sounding concept: tolerance. Tolerance is a Socio-political Trojan horse, the love child of radical relativism and plain old sin. Sin is the devil's work of separating individuals(no longer human creatures) from God and one another. Relativism is the declaration and embrace of the notion that there is "no objective or revealed truth" beyond any one individual's perceived needs.
So, tolerance is the plan sold to us reasonable minded people. It appears to be the only way to survive. Tolerance demands that everybody identifies their own needs, identity, and pathway to personal fulfillment , happiness. Nobody, no God, no church, no laws can judge me (judgment is the only crime in relativism). Tolerance is the obligation of everyone to accept your feelings and stay out of your way in making yourself happy. After all, "the pursuit of happiness" is the American way, it's my right.
The way of diversity, tolerance, and relativism has broken our families, countries, and world into "Division".
Jesus prophecied that he Would bring such division on the earth in this weeks gospel. He knew that the appearance of "truth and love" in the flesh would be met by the powers of this world and they would annihilate/eradicate it from the face of the earth.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ over death and division – (remember my againstness homily) is the only path to healing the world. Division = death. Unity= life.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Sat and 11:00 on Sunday
Division
This summer the people of the world and especially we in the United States have been bombarded by the divisions among us. Holy War attacks by ISIS, violent racial conflicts, personal rancor between politicians, guerilla warfare executions of innocent law enforcement, gender-confusing impositions upon our school children......that's enough. All of it reveals and reminds us of the radical divisions within the human family. In fact, re-reading these sentences gives me a new understanding of the biblical image of the "tower of Babel". People are not engaging in passionate debate and dialogue, they are living on philosophical islands exchanging violent missiles in order to annihilate their enemies.
What's funny is that all of this division is born of a beautiful sounding concept: tolerance. Tolerance is a Socio-political Trojan horse, the love child of radical relativism and plain old sin. Sin is the devil's work of separating individuals(no longer human creatures) from God and one another. Relativism is the declaration and embrace of the notion that there is "no objective or revealed truth" beyond any one individual's perceived needs.
So, tolerance is the plan sold to us reasonable minded people. It appears to be the only way to survive. Tolerance demands that everybody identifies their own needs, identity, and pathway to personal fulfillment , happiness. Nobody, no God, no church, no laws can judge me (judgment is the only crime in relativism). Tolerance is the obligation of everyone to accept your feelings and stay out of your way in making yourself happy. After all, "the pursuit of happiness" is the American way, it's my right.
The way of diversity, tolerance, and relativism has broken our families, countries, and world into "Division".
Jesus prophecied that he Would bring such division on the earth in this weeks gospel. He knew that the appearance of "truth and love" in the flesh would be met by the powers of this world and they would annihilate/eradicate it from the face of the earth.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ over death and division – (remember my againstness homily) is the only path to healing the world. Division = death. Unity= life.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
August 7 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8am and 6pm on Sunday
Pop Quiz
Remember the thing called a "pop quiz" back in high school? You walk into the classroom and the teacher says "take out a piece of paper for a pop quiz." Ugh. The pop quiz is very different from a midterm or final exam. The exam is scheduled, explicit in its subjects, and the professor often provided study guides even. An exam measures the ability of the student to become familiar with a certain material (called "cramming") and to regurgitate it according to the professors requirements.
Not so, the "pop quiz" you may say. The pop quiz, we may complain, cannot be prepared for. However, that is a delusion. If we think about it the preparation for the pop quiz really is known, assigned, published and explicit. It is called homework. In fact, the pop quiz is a better measure of the quality of a student/learner than the exam. The pop quiz reveals whether or not the student is living a learning and obedient life, daily doing the reading and the assigned homework.
The Lord in the Gospel today is presenting us with two styles of discipleship( A certain type of student). On the first hand, those who are not concerned about doing the daily and diligent work of study being only concerned about the final exam/personal judgment and hoping to succeed in impressing the great master. In the second case, the style of discipleship which is regular and constant, obedience, steady, authentic learner.
Remember the kid in school who, during a passionate rant by the teacher, puts his hand up and asks (much to the teachers chagrin) "is this going to be on the test?"
Which type of disciple shall you be? The one counting on cramming for the exam or the one always prepared for the quiz-so it doesn't pop?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8am and 6pm on Sunday
Pop Quiz
Remember the thing called a "pop quiz" back in high school? You walk into the classroom and the teacher says "take out a piece of paper for a pop quiz." Ugh. The pop quiz is very different from a midterm or final exam. The exam is scheduled, explicit in its subjects, and the professor often provided study guides even. An exam measures the ability of the student to become familiar with a certain material (called "cramming") and to regurgitate it according to the professors requirements.
Not so, the "pop quiz" you may say. The pop quiz, we may complain, cannot be prepared for. However, that is a delusion. If we think about it the preparation for the pop quiz really is known, assigned, published and explicit. It is called homework. In fact, the pop quiz is a better measure of the quality of a student/learner than the exam. The pop quiz reveals whether or not the student is living a learning and obedient life, daily doing the reading and the assigned homework.
The Lord in the Gospel today is presenting us with two styles of discipleship( A certain type of student). On the first hand, those who are not concerned about doing the daily and diligent work of study being only concerned about the final exam/personal judgment and hoping to succeed in impressing the great master. In the second case, the style of discipleship which is regular and constant, obedience, steady, authentic learner.
Remember the kid in school who, during a passionate rant by the teacher, puts his hand up and asks (much to the teachers chagrin) "is this going to be on the test?"
Which type of disciple shall you be? The one counting on cramming for the exam or the one always prepared for the quiz-so it doesn't pop?
Thursday, July 28, 2016
July 31 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00 Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday
Call to Give
This week we have a missionary speaker for 2016 representing the Franciscan Mission Service. So I will not be preaching. Thanks for your generosity.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00 Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday
Call to Give
This week we have a missionary speaker for 2016 representing the Franciscan Mission Service. So I will not be preaching. Thanks for your generosity.
Friday, July 22, 2016
July 24 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30bon Sat, 11:00 and 6:00 pm on Sunday
Not what but how
I think Jesus is pretty clear about the format and the content of prayer. What is challenging is the attitude, the goal and the purpose of praying. Why do you pray? The how you are praying should reveal to you the Why.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30bon Sat, 11:00 and 6:00 pm on Sunday
Not what but how
I think Jesus is pretty clear about the format and the content of prayer. What is challenging is the attitude, the goal and the purpose of praying. Why do you pray? The how you are praying should reveal to you the Why.
Friday, July 15, 2016
July 17 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 8am and 11am on Sunday
Are you in it or just doing it?
The Gospel text of Martha and Mary is a classic and it has been the center of some serious debate about the spiritual lives of Catholics. For centuries the life of Mary has been the model of the "contemplative or religious life". Martha, to the contrary, has been the model of the "active life".
The problem with this stark distinction is obvious inasmuch as one might presume that all the "active" people do not have a sensitive heart listening to Jesus while all those who have a listening and sensitive heart to Jesus cannot be active.
In the latest generation I am pretty much convinced that the answer is not either/or but both/and - those who have an active life have a deep connection of a heart attached to Jesus and those who have an explicitly contemplative life/religious life must have love and service to one's neighbor.
So the question for each of us regardless of our life style or vocation must be asked, "are we "in it" or are we just "working it"? Whatever your "it" is, are you in the communion of God who is love?
Let me know how this sounds to all of you Marthas and Marys!
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 8am and 11am on Sunday
Are you in it or just doing it?
The Gospel text of Martha and Mary is a classic and it has been the center of some serious debate about the spiritual lives of Catholics. For centuries the life of Mary has been the model of the "contemplative or religious life". Martha, to the contrary, has been the model of the "active life".
The problem with this stark distinction is obvious inasmuch as one might presume that all the "active" people do not have a sensitive heart listening to Jesus while all those who have a listening and sensitive heart to Jesus cannot be active.
In the latest generation I am pretty much convinced that the answer is not either/or but both/and - those who have an active life have a deep connection of a heart attached to Jesus and those who have an explicitly contemplative life/religious life must have love and service to one's neighbor.
So the question for each of us regardless of our life style or vocation must be asked, "are we "in it" or are we just "working it"? Whatever your "it" is, are you in the communion of God who is love?
Let me know how this sounds to all of you Marthas and Marys!
Thursday, July 7, 2016
July 10 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 11:00am on Sunday
Compassion as the telltale sign of the Kingdom
Are you kind? I won't ask you to raise your hand but I'd like you to answer that question in your heart. Are you a kind person? People who work in the area of kindness education tell me that most of us would respond to that question by raising our hands.
The next question that I'd like to ask us is "when was the last time you were intentionally kind to someone with a kind act?" What we're the circumstances of that kind act? What prompted you to make that kind gesture? Was it sympathy? Pity? Empathy? Compassion?
That sensitivity, that alarm bell indicating to you that someone needed comfort, relief, mercy, help, a kind word, a hot meal....that is what the Lord calls the Kingdom of God within you.
How often does that alarm bell go off in you? If I were honest I might say that a different alarm bell goes off in my heart way too often: insulted, frightened, threatened, sad, offended, disgusted, condemning, criticism, etc. Those alarms do not call us to kindness, mercy, patience, love.
Might we need to sensitize our consciences
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 11:00am on Sunday
Compassion as the telltale sign of the Kingdom
Are you kind? I won't ask you to raise your hand but I'd like you to answer that question in your heart. Are you a kind person? People who work in the area of kindness education tell me that most of us would respond to that question by raising our hands.
The next question that I'd like to ask us is "when was the last time you were intentionally kind to someone with a kind act?" What we're the circumstances of that kind act? What prompted you to make that kind gesture? Was it sympathy? Pity? Empathy? Compassion?
That sensitivity, that alarm bell indicating to you that someone needed comfort, relief, mercy, help, a kind word, a hot meal....that is what the Lord calls the Kingdom of God within you.
How often does that alarm bell go off in you? If I were honest I might say that a different alarm bell goes off in my heart way too often: insulted, frightened, threatened, sad, offended, disgusted, condemning, criticism, etc. Those alarms do not call us to kindness, mercy, patience, love.
Might we need to sensitize our consciences
Saturday, June 25, 2016
June 26 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at Sat 4pm, and Sun 8am and 6pm
No Home Allowed
Two years after declaring that he was coming home and promising to bring a championship to his hometown, this past week LeBron James fulfilled that promise. At the celebrations of that victory this past week LeBron frequently reminded the crowds that he's "just a kid from Akron Ohio". Somebody very nicely made a video of all the kids that were at the parade on Wednesday and had them say the same line "I'm just a kid from…" but filling in their hometown.
As we know, there is "no place like home". I'm presuming that's why the teaching of the Scriptures today especially of Jesus in the Gospel is so hard for us to take. How can Jesus deny our attachment to home? But that's what he does. He holds himself out to his disciples as an example of one who does not have a home in this world. Where is his home? Well in the heavenly Jerusalem toward which he has resolutely set his sights.
I think this discussion of home and Jesus' discouragement from over attachment to our earthly home is an invitation for us to examine our priorities. Another teaching of Jesus comes to mind in this regard, "where your treasure lies so also your heart." Jesus is inviting us to follow him, to become his disciples, in fact to become his very voice hands face and heart for the world. That cannot happen as long as our deeper commitment is to family, self, comfort, satisfaction, and home.
This is radical teaching and it strikes at our natural over attachment to this world's treasure. Can we live in the world but be not of it? Can we be free to love others and the good projects and stuff of this world all as secondary to our love for God and our longing for heaven? It seems rather unnatural. But it is the invitation of Jesus and the call to conversion in our lives.
Can we, like Jesus, live and love in this world without dislocating our love for and desire for eternal life, life with God, life in heaven? Is there any detachment from our earthly and worldly "home" that allows for a deeper and more profound love of God and eternal life?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at Sat 4pm, and Sun 8am and 6pm
No Home Allowed
Two years after declaring that he was coming home and promising to bring a championship to his hometown, this past week LeBron James fulfilled that promise. At the celebrations of that victory this past week LeBron frequently reminded the crowds that he's "just a kid from Akron Ohio". Somebody very nicely made a video of all the kids that were at the parade on Wednesday and had them say the same line "I'm just a kid from…" but filling in their hometown.
As we know, there is "no place like home". I'm presuming that's why the teaching of the Scriptures today especially of Jesus in the Gospel is so hard for us to take. How can Jesus deny our attachment to home? But that's what he does. He holds himself out to his disciples as an example of one who does not have a home in this world. Where is his home? Well in the heavenly Jerusalem toward which he has resolutely set his sights.
I think this discussion of home and Jesus' discouragement from over attachment to our earthly home is an invitation for us to examine our priorities. Another teaching of Jesus comes to mind in this regard, "where your treasure lies so also your heart." Jesus is inviting us to follow him, to become his disciples, in fact to become his very voice hands face and heart for the world. That cannot happen as long as our deeper commitment is to family, self, comfort, satisfaction, and home.
This is radical teaching and it strikes at our natural over attachment to this world's treasure. Can we live in the world but be not of it? Can we be free to love others and the good projects and stuff of this world all as secondary to our love for God and our longing for heaven? It seems rather unnatural. But it is the invitation of Jesus and the call to conversion in our lives.
Can we, like Jesus, live and love in this world without dislocating our love for and desire for eternal life, life with God, life in heaven? Is there any detachment from our earthly and worldly "home" that allows for a deeper and more profound love of God and eternal life?
Saturday, June 18, 2016
June 19 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Who I am is who you Are, hopefully!
Jesus' conversation with his disciples about his identity and the path to discipleship in this Sunday's gospel reveals something "secret" about not only who Jesus is but who we are called to be in him and like him.
Usually in our democratic system, people elect or support a candidate for leader who is LIKE them and because that leader is promising to DO something for the followers. Jesus, as messiah, is revealed in The Gospel today as one who is very unlike his followers and promises that by us making him our leader ( becoming his followers) we will become like him as different as he is.
Even more complicating, the way that Jesus is going to be Messiah and leader for us is by suffering and death on the cross. So it is revealed that the only way for us to be authentic followers of him is to take on a cruciform shape of daily life We are not necessarily called to be crucified LIKE with ( on the wood of the cross of Calvary) but by our embrace of this cruciform approach to life, dying for the sake of others.
Would you vote for that?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Who I am is who you Are, hopefully!
Jesus' conversation with his disciples about his identity and the path to discipleship in this Sunday's gospel reveals something "secret" about not only who Jesus is but who we are called to be in him and like him.
Usually in our democratic system, people elect or support a candidate for leader who is LIKE them and because that leader is promising to DO something for the followers. Jesus, as messiah, is revealed in The Gospel today as one who is very unlike his followers and promises that by us making him our leader ( becoming his followers) we will become like him as different as he is.
Even more complicating, the way that Jesus is going to be Messiah and leader for us is by suffering and death on the cross. So it is revealed that the only way for us to be authentic followers of him is to take on a cruciform shape of daily life We are not necessarily called to be crucified LIKE with ( on the wood of the cross of Calvary) but by our embrace of this cruciform approach to life, dying for the sake of others.
Would you vote for that?
Friday, June 10, 2016
Homily Prep June 12
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Saturday and 6:00pm on Sunday
Did you get that?
The gospel scene observed by Simon and the others of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman is a reminder of the gospel text last Sunday of the raising of the widow's son. If you recall, when the people observed Jesus's miracle of raising the dead man they announced "a great prophet is among us. God has visited his people".
This week's Gospel story of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman produces almost the identical reaction, "who is this that forgives sin?" Both of these public acts of Jesus "reveal" who Jesus is.
This Sunday's miracle and revelation of who Jesus is strikes at a more personal note to all of us. It is by the forgiveness of sin that others come to see "who Jesus is". He is the savior, Joshua, who will save his people from their sins (as the angel said of him and his conception.)
Have you ever experienced the action of God in your life that has revealed to you that God is for you? Have you ever experienced the great mercy of God or forgiveness that prompted you to say "this is my God"?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Saturday and 6:00pm on Sunday
Did you get that?
The gospel scene observed by Simon and the others of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman is a reminder of the gospel text last Sunday of the raising of the widow's son. If you recall, when the people observed Jesus's miracle of raising the dead man they announced "a great prophet is among us. God has visited his people".
This week's Gospel story of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman produces almost the identical reaction, "who is this that forgives sin?" Both of these public acts of Jesus "reveal" who Jesus is.
This Sunday's miracle and revelation of who Jesus is strikes at a more personal note to all of us. It is by the forgiveness of sin that others come to see "who Jesus is". He is the savior, Joshua, who will save his people from their sins (as the angel said of him and his conception.)
Have you ever experienced the action of God in your life that has revealed to you that God is for you? Have you ever experienced the great mercy of God or forgiveness that prompted you to say "this is my God"?
Saturday, June 4, 2016
June 5 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8:00 and 12:30 on Sunday
Resuscitation is Revelation
God hates death. All those who live in God are the enemies of death. Who is responsible for your dying? Why doesn't Jesus and His Church resuscitate all dead and dying people? What role does dying have in your eternal happiness?
Restoring dead people is a miraculous revelation of God's prophet. Listen to him.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 8:00 and 12:30 on Sunday
Resuscitation is Revelation
God hates death. All those who live in God are the enemies of death. Who is responsible for your dying? Why doesn't Jesus and His Church resuscitate all dead and dying people? What role does dying have in your eternal happiness?
Restoring dead people is a miraculous revelation of God's prophet. Listen to him.
Friday, May 27, 2016
May 29 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Sat and 9:30 on Sunday
Corpus Christi: mirror
Great Saint John Paul I I wrote a document called the Church of the Eucharist in 2003. His point is that the Church takes its life from the Eucharist and the Eucharist is the fruit of the Church's life. In other words, for Catholics the church and the Eucharist are mirror images of one another.
My question is .do we as church look into the Eucharist and see our life and calling? Likewise do others look into the church and see the Eucharistic mystery in our living? If not, why not?
Do you see the Eucharistic qualities of you life? Take, bless, break, give? Do you see the presence of your church in the mystery of the Eucharist you celebrate?
Wondering....
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Sat and 9:30 on Sunday
Corpus Christi: mirror
Great Saint John Paul I I wrote a document called the Church of the Eucharist in 2003. His point is that the Church takes its life from the Eucharist and the Eucharist is the fruit of the Church's life. In other words, for Catholics the church and the Eucharist are mirror images of one another.
My question is .do we as church look into the Eucharist and see our life and calling? Likewise do others look into the church and see the Eucharistic mystery in our living? If not, why not?
Do you see the Eucharistic qualities of you life? Take, bless, break, give? Do you see the presence of your church in the mystery of the Eucharist you celebrate?
Wondering....
Saturday, May 21, 2016
May 22 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Sat and 8:00am, and 6:00pm on Sunday
Trinity in Love
Last week I spoke of who we are as being determative of how we are - the DNA example. Well, I believe this feast is calling us to the same reflection: who God is determines who we are in the church.
Might not be new, but it's important.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Sat and 8:00am, and 6:00pm on Sunday
Trinity in Love
Last week I spoke of who we are as being determative of how we are - the DNA example. Well, I believe this feast is calling us to the same reflection: who God is determines who we are in the church.
Might not be new, but it's important.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
May 15 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 11am on Sunday
Who you are is What is Sent!
As I began mentioning on Easter Sunday, while Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, it is for us all about baptism. And baptism is the means of our individual and collective conversion to life.
We have begun every Sunday celebration in this Easter season with the recalling of our baptism and the sprinkling with water. In the waters of baptism, we become a new creation. My question this Pentecost Sunday at the conclusion of this Easter season is: have we become who we are?
Does our identity as the children of God, cause us to "walk always as children of the light" as the rite of baptism says? Has our identity as members of one body, communion, caused us to enter this church today recognizing ourselves as "temporarily separated and now re- constituted" members of an organic body in Christ rejoicing in our communion and fortified to do what God has called us to do as one? Does our identity as the body of Christ invigorate us to "go" and bear the life of Christ in our bodies to every person, place, and situation we will encounter?
Pentecost is the celebration of God's chosen method (transforming unity) to turn individuals born and separated in sin into one face of mercy for the world and in the world. Have you seen His face on us? And do you see your face in us?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 11am on Sunday
Who you are is What is Sent!
As I began mentioning on Easter Sunday, while Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, it is for us all about baptism. And baptism is the means of our individual and collective conversion to life.
We have begun every Sunday celebration in this Easter season with the recalling of our baptism and the sprinkling with water. In the waters of baptism, we become a new creation. My question this Pentecost Sunday at the conclusion of this Easter season is: have we become who we are?
Does our identity as the children of God, cause us to "walk always as children of the light" as the rite of baptism says? Has our identity as members of one body, communion, caused us to enter this church today recognizing ourselves as "temporarily separated and now re- constituted" members of an organic body in Christ rejoicing in our communion and fortified to do what God has called us to do as one? Does our identity as the body of Christ invigorate us to "go" and bear the life of Christ in our bodies to every person, place, and situation we will encounter?
Pentecost is the celebration of God's chosen method (transforming unity) to turn individuals born and separated in sin into one face of mercy for the world and in the world. Have you seen His face on us? And do you see your face in us?
Sunday, May 8, 2016
May 8 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 11am on Sunday
Us in God, God in Us
Ascension theology draws us back to last Sunday's gospel. Jesus revealed that glorified humanity resides in the heart of God. And God resides in the heart of humanity. This week St. Luke in Acts says "see what Jesus did up to the resurrection..Now see what Jesus is doing in the church.
Be witnesses!
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 11am on Sunday
Us in God, God in Us
Ascension theology draws us back to last Sunday's gospel. Jesus revealed that glorified humanity resides in the heart of God. And God resides in the heart of humanity. This week St. Luke in Acts says "see what Jesus did up to the resurrection..Now see what Jesus is doing in the church.
Be witnesses!
Friday, April 29, 2016
May 1 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00 PM on Saturdayand 12:30 pm on Sunday
When you're in love, where is that?
You in me and I in them....communion. We are celebrating first communion this weekend at the 12:30 PM mass and I am aware of how we understand that Jesus gets into our first communicants. My question is how are we in Jesus?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4:00 PM on Saturdayand 12:30 pm on Sunday
When you're in love, where is that?
You in me and I in them....communion. We are celebrating first communion this weekend at the 12:30 PM mass and I am aware of how we understand that Jesus gets into our first communicants. My question is how are we in Jesus?
Friday, April 22, 2016
April 24th Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 PM and 11:00 AM on Sunday
What has God Done with You lately?
There are many reality TV programs on nowadays. Many of them are competitions between contestants that are chefs, or furniture designers, or business entrepeneurs. In all of these the contestants are presented with some "stuff" (either food, wood, metal, money) and they are challenged to "turn it into something" desireable.
In the first reading from this Sunday's Mass, the Acts of the Apostles says that Paul and Barnabas "called the church together and reported what God had done with them." I couldn't help but notice this use of a phrase. Paul and Barnabas are clearly being presented in the story as "instruments in the hand of God." The verse prior to this "done with them" comment the bible says "in Antioch... where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished." So, in the hand of God, operating under the grace of God a great deal can be "done with us".
I often speak to engaged couples is this way in order to express what the purpose of the sacrament of matrimony is all about. I remind them that God has called them "for" each other so that through the joys and vicissitudes of married life, they might be turned into a greater image of Christ. The spouses are instruments of God's grace for each other. The number one job of a spouse is to get their spouse to the holiness of heaven.
Often at a funeral mass I will be impressed with what God "has done with one simple life". When we live life or view life through the lens of this "instrumentality" we can see very clear expamples of God's power and grace working through simple human living. The practice of "daily examen" might be recommended for all of us. At the end of the day we take a moment to have our eyes opened to where and how God has used our daily journey for the building up of the Kingdom. We, like Paul and Barnabas can be impressed with what "God has done with us."
Do you think most people see themselves as instruments in the hand of God? Or do we too often think of our time and talent, our relationships and accomplishments as our tools for self-fulfillment, success, etc?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 PM and 11:00 AM on Sunday
What has God Done with You lately?
There are many reality TV programs on nowadays. Many of them are competitions between contestants that are chefs, or furniture designers, or business entrepeneurs. In all of these the contestants are presented with some "stuff" (either food, wood, metal, money) and they are challenged to "turn it into something" desireable.
In the first reading from this Sunday's Mass, the Acts of the Apostles says that Paul and Barnabas "called the church together and reported what God had done with them." I couldn't help but notice this use of a phrase. Paul and Barnabas are clearly being presented in the story as "instruments in the hand of God." The verse prior to this "done with them" comment the bible says "in Antioch... where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished." So, in the hand of God, operating under the grace of God a great deal can be "done with us".
I often speak to engaged couples is this way in order to express what the purpose of the sacrament of matrimony is all about. I remind them that God has called them "for" each other so that through the joys and vicissitudes of married life, they might be turned into a greater image of Christ. The spouses are instruments of God's grace for each other. The number one job of a spouse is to get their spouse to the holiness of heaven.
Often at a funeral mass I will be impressed with what God "has done with one simple life". When we live life or view life through the lens of this "instrumentality" we can see very clear expamples of God's power and grace working through simple human living. The practice of "daily examen" might be recommended for all of us. At the end of the day we take a moment to have our eyes opened to where and how God has used our daily journey for the building up of the Kingdom. We, like Paul and Barnabas can be impressed with what "God has done with us."
Do you think most people see themselves as instruments in the hand of God? Or do we too often think of our time and talent, our relationships and accomplishments as our tools for self-fulfillment, success, etc?
Saturday, April 16, 2016
April 17 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM on Sunday
Rich Little It
When I was a kid Rich Little was the greatest impersonator in the world. He could make himself sound like anybody and everybody. I think he could even sing like famous people. I think the invitation on this good Shepherd Sunday is to make our voices sound like Jesus. I think Jesus is voice sounds like mercy. i'm thinking about calling it "rich little it".
Fr. John, Fr. Joe and I are all talking about the same thing this week. We stole the idea from Fr. John. He is talking about my dog buddy and how Buddy responds to the sound of my voice whenever I walk in the rectory. Fr. Joe desperately wants to make friends with Buddy and saw he has resorted to "imitating" my voice when he comes in to the Rectory to try and fool body into responding. So Fr. Joe has taken to impersonating me so that he can get a rise out of body.
I'm sure you can imagine how funny this is especially with father Joe's very distinctive voice. Fr. Joe thinks that he is able to fake out the dog. He says when he imitates me the dog will lift up his head with interest and then when he catches a glimpse that it is really Fr. Joe and not me the dog puts his head back down and goes to sleep.
What is funny about this whole thing to me is that I don't think Fr. Joe's impersonation of me is credible at all even to the dog. He of course doesn't agree. And Fr. John has had to observe all of this. Fr. Joe and I also do other impersonations. For example, Fr. Joe's best impersonation is of Austin Carr commentating on the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games when a three-pointer is made and Austin screams "downtown".
Anyway, all of this has prompted the three of us to hear the words of John's Gospel today about the sound of one's voice. I am thinking that we might hear the call to be mercy as an invitation to impersonate the Lord Jesus in his voice, in what he has spoken to the human family on behalf of God.
How might we make our lives a more credible impersonation of Jesus the good shepherd? Maybe the priesthood and ministry is an excellent example of impersonating the Lord Jesus. Let's pray for all the ministers of the church and for vocations to ministry.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM on Sunday
Rich Little It
When I was a kid Rich Little was the greatest impersonator in the world. He could make himself sound like anybody and everybody. I think he could even sing like famous people. I think the invitation on this good Shepherd Sunday is to make our voices sound like Jesus. I think Jesus is voice sounds like mercy. i'm thinking about calling it "rich little it".
Fr. John, Fr. Joe and I are all talking about the same thing this week. We stole the idea from Fr. John. He is talking about my dog buddy and how Buddy responds to the sound of my voice whenever I walk in the rectory. Fr. Joe desperately wants to make friends with Buddy and saw he has resorted to "imitating" my voice when he comes in to the Rectory to try and fool body into responding. So Fr. Joe has taken to impersonating me so that he can get a rise out of body.
I'm sure you can imagine how funny this is especially with father Joe's very distinctive voice. Fr. Joe thinks that he is able to fake out the dog. He says when he imitates me the dog will lift up his head with interest and then when he catches a glimpse that it is really Fr. Joe and not me the dog puts his head back down and goes to sleep.
What is funny about this whole thing to me is that I don't think Fr. Joe's impersonation of me is credible at all even to the dog. He of course doesn't agree. And Fr. John has had to observe all of this. Fr. Joe and I also do other impersonations. For example, Fr. Joe's best impersonation is of Austin Carr commentating on the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games when a three-pointer is made and Austin screams "downtown".
Anyway, all of this has prompted the three of us to hear the words of John's Gospel today about the sound of one's voice. I am thinking that we might hear the call to be mercy as an invitation to impersonate the Lord Jesus in his voice, in what he has spoken to the human family on behalf of God.
How might we make our lives a more credible impersonation of Jesus the good shepherd? Maybe the priesthood and ministry is an excellent example of impersonating the Lord Jesus. Let's pray for all the ministers of the church and for vocations to ministry.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
April 10 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinCletter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:00, 11:00AM and 6:00PM on Sunday
Come, follow me
I am struck by the interaction between Jesus and his apostles in this resurrection story specifically in Jesus's command "come, have breakfast". It appears that the disciples did not respond to that command because it then says that "Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them." Apparently, they did not respond to his command "come"
I see a similar parallel in the conversation between Jesus and St. Peter. Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him and Peters answer is "yes". However, Jesus' response is, " don't simply say yes, but if you love me then come, move, feed , tend, follow".
Do we all suffer from this in authentic or incomplete response to Jesus's call? I am seeing a hesitancy on the part of those who are called or commanded to simply give ascent rather than response.
Do you notice this? Is this a distinction without a difference? I don't think so
Friday, April 1, 2016
Divine Mercy Sunday family prep
ast Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass 5:30 PM on Saturday, 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM on Sunday
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass 5:30 PM on Saturday, 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM on Sunday
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Easter Sunday Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this Easter Sunday at 9:30am in the hall and 11:00am in the church
Jesus Embraced Violence and Death so that Reconciliation and Peace might Live
The effect of the sin of Adam and Eve was isolating violence among God and God's creatures. Cain and Abel are the next generation and they manifest the isolated violence of envy and mistrust that results in death.
What God did in Jesus is to extend Himself to the most violent and hateful experience of human dying precisely so he could reveal so humanity that God is even there. He liberates humanity from their addiction to self and to violent and separating imposition of self upon others. Jesus' disciples, according to the broken human system, deserved the wrath of Jesus upon his resurrected return. But he offers them peace.
His message and power is the liberation from our slavery to self and our "againstness" toward God and others. We didn't know we could survive by loving as God loves. We thought we were doomed to violtent, isolating, competition, envy, rivalry, resentment, dog-eat-dog survival. God created us "for others" - we broke it by being "against" everyone but ourselves. Yuk.
Can we accept the liberation from the slavery of "againstness" and be seet free to be for God and others? That is the resurrection.
How can I say that to C&E christians? Any examples?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this Easter Sunday at 9:30am in the hall and 11:00am in the church
Jesus Embraced Violence and Death so that Reconciliation and Peace might Live
The effect of the sin of Adam and Eve was isolating violence among God and God's creatures. Cain and Abel are the next generation and they manifest the isolated violence of envy and mistrust that results in death.
What God did in Jesus is to extend Himself to the most violent and hateful experience of human dying precisely so he could reveal so humanity that God is even there. He liberates humanity from their addiction to self and to violent and separating imposition of self upon others. Jesus' disciples, according to the broken human system, deserved the wrath of Jesus upon his resurrected return. But he offers them peace.
His message and power is the liberation from our slavery to self and our "againstness" toward God and others. We didn't know we could survive by loving as God loves. We thought we were doomed to violtent, isolating, competition, envy, rivalry, resentment, dog-eat-dog survival. God created us "for others" - we broke it by being "against" everyone but ourselves. Yuk.
Can we accept the liberation from the slavery of "againstness" and be seet free to be for God and others? That is the resurrection.
How can I say that to C&E christians? Any examples?
Saturday, March 19, 2016
March 20 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 9:30am and 6:00pm
Enter in...
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 9:30am and 6:00pm
Enter in...
Friday, March 11, 2016
March 13 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 11:00am
The Misapplication of Faith
The Pharisees, who are the teachers of the Law are not the least bit concerned about this incident of the sin of adultery in their community. The Pharisees, who are the public keepers of the Law, are not at all concerned about ridding their community of such adulterous people. The Pharisees are not using their religious faith and authority to grow and protect their flock from the wolves of sin and error.
What the Pharisees are doing is using their considerable religious knowledge and their authority as teachers of the faith to destroy their brother rabbi, Jesus', credibility among their people.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 11:00am
The Misapplication of Faith
The Pharisees, who are the teachers of the Law are not the least bit concerned about this incident of the sin of adultery in their community. The Pharisees, who are the public keepers of the Law, are not at all concerned about ridding their community of such adulterous people. The Pharisees are not using their religious faith and authority to grow and protect their flock from the wolves of sin and error.
What the Pharisees are doing is using their considerable religious knowledge and their authority as teachers of the faith to destroy their brother rabbi, Jesus', credibility among their people.
The question for all of us who believe may be: are we misusing our religious faith in an effort to protect ourselves from something that is threatening our position, our standing, our comfort in the world?
What do you think?
Thursday, March 3, 2016
March 6th Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm, 12:30pm
Which Son Was Not Living at Home?
This famous and beautiful story of the Prodigal son has always focused upon the runaway son and the merciful father, and rightly so. Few of us have committed such a hideous abandonment of our elder's love and trust. However, the figure of the older brother and his relationship to the father's love is classic and repeated in all of our lives to a certain extent. We have been so busy avoiding the behavior of the younger son that we may have missed the imitation of the older brother.
What exactly is the older brother guilty of? Not living our lives. While he "apparently" remained faithful and hardworking on his father's plantation, the older son was not really alive to his father's loving embrace, he never really lived the life of a son. Although he was giving the impression of a faithful son, his heart was hardened against his father and his brother. He never felt appreciated by his dad. He was not living on the land as if it all belonged to him. Which it did.
Aren't many of us living a life of hardened hearts. Suffering from the imperfect parenting, sibling rivalries, wounded egos, disappointed dreams. We are just living lives of quiet desperation with no real meaning or blessing in our lives.
Let's wake up. Let's recognize that our lives are not about us. Let's receive the gift of life as from the merciful Father's hand. Then we can really live life as IT is rather than as WE are. Who in your family is really not living at home (although they are occupying the property)?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm, 12:30pm
Which Son Was Not Living at Home?
This famous and beautiful story of the Prodigal son has always focused upon the runaway son and the merciful father, and rightly so. Few of us have committed such a hideous abandonment of our elder's love and trust. However, the figure of the older brother and his relationship to the father's love is classic and repeated in all of our lives to a certain extent. We have been so busy avoiding the behavior of the younger son that we may have missed the imitation of the older brother.
What exactly is the older brother guilty of? Not living our lives. While he "apparently" remained faithful and hardworking on his father's plantation, the older son was not really alive to his father's loving embrace, he never really lived the life of a son. Although he was giving the impression of a faithful son, his heart was hardened against his father and his brother. He never felt appreciated by his dad. He was not living on the land as if it all belonged to him. Which it did.
Aren't many of us living a life of hardened hearts. Suffering from the imperfect parenting, sibling rivalries, wounded egos, disappointed dreams. We are just living lives of quiet desperation with no real meaning or blessing in our lives.
Let's wake up. Let's recognize that our lives are not about us. Let's receive the gift of life as from the merciful Father's hand. Then we can really live life as IT is rather than as WE are. Who in your family is really not living at home (although they are occupying the property)?
Thursday, February 25, 2016
February 28 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm, 11:00am and 6:00pm
Got mercy?
A living tree without fruit is not alive!
I am reading the parable of the fig tree in a different way than I ever have before. Jesus' point, it seems, in describing this fruitless figtree is to point out that the tree has no value except in its fruit. The gardener, in contrast, seems to think that the tree is a living and valuable thing regardless of no fruit.
I cannot help but think of all of those people in the world that I encounter who claim to "love God" but have no association with God's values, God's son and God's church. I guess it's like the passage from St. James, "Faith without works is dead". The office it is an interesting thing to consider "good works without faith are valuable". At least those good works contribute to the benefit and the blessing of community.
I think in this year of mercy we might apply this teaching to the two features of God's mercy. One who relies upon and claims to have received the mercy of God for his sins and healing but does not show Mercy to others may very well have not authentically experienced the mercy of God in his heart. This would be the point underlying the Lords prayer "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others." So that if I am not forgiving others in my life I cannot claim and am not experiencing true forgiveness of God for my sins.
So the Christian who is not demonstrating the works of mercy in their life may very likely be considered a barren tree. In fact, we might be able to say that the faith of such a fruitless or merciless person has no value before God or within the Church. Such a one is dead. Remember the parable of the final judgment in Matthew 25, those who have not shown mercy to the least of my brothers and sisters will go off to eternal punishment.
Got mercy?
What do you think?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm, 11:00am and 6:00pm
Got mercy?
A living tree without fruit is not alive!
I am reading the parable of the fig tree in a different way than I ever have before. Jesus' point, it seems, in describing this fruitless figtree is to point out that the tree has no value except in its fruit. The gardener, in contrast, seems to think that the tree is a living and valuable thing regardless of no fruit.
I cannot help but think of all of those people in the world that I encounter who claim to "love God" but have no association with God's values, God's son and God's church. I guess it's like the passage from St. James, "Faith without works is dead". The office it is an interesting thing to consider "good works without faith are valuable". At least those good works contribute to the benefit and the blessing of community.
I think in this year of mercy we might apply this teaching to the two features of God's mercy. One who relies upon and claims to have received the mercy of God for his sins and healing but does not show Mercy to others may very well have not authentically experienced the mercy of God in his heart. This would be the point underlying the Lords prayer "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others." So that if I am not forgiving others in my life I cannot claim and am not experiencing true forgiveness of God for my sins.
So the Christian who is not demonstrating the works of mercy in their life may very likely be considered a barren tree. In fact, we might be able to say that the faith of such a fruitless or merciless person has no value before God or within the Church. Such a one is dead. Remember the parable of the final judgment in Matthew 25, those who have not shown mercy to the least of my brothers and sisters will go off to eternal punishment.
Got mercy?
What do you think?
Friday, February 19, 2016
February 21 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 12:30pm
Do We Really Need a Change?
The experience of the transfiguration, the biblical story for this Sunday's mass, raises the question more than once as to whether or not we believe that this change about which Jesus is speaking ( repentance) is really necessary. Jesus of course announces his program/mission as "repent, the kingdom of God is near". But we must acknowledge and submit to his changing grace in our lives.
This word repent could be defined as "changing the direction in which you are looking for happiness". The fundamental word in that definition is "change". The Pharisees, the disciples, and we, the contemporary followers of Jesus, cannot believe that change is really necessary.
This lack of "repentance" ( The conviction and the affection for change) ties into the great year of mercy. We cannot experience the mercy of God until and unless we acknowledge our need of mercy. Do we really need to change?
In our parish vision for "every one add one" the first step of accomplishing that vision is "renew". Do we see the need to be renewed in our faith? To change or grow the way that we find fulfillment and happiness in our faith as Christians and Catholics in our parish life and communion of St. Albert the great
This idea of "repentance" or as we might say "change" or as Jesus discusses in the Gospel today transfiguration - changing in the shape of our appearance as the children of God- is at the heart of our ability to change. If we do not see the need to change ( repentance) we can not respond to God's call to change. God and God's grace does the changing but our acknowledgment/repentance is necessary for God to accomplish this change.
I know God is all-powerful however he will not change us without our inviting that change in our lives
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 12:30pm
Do We Really Need a Change?
The experience of the transfiguration, the biblical story for this Sunday's mass, raises the question more than once as to whether or not we believe that this change about which Jesus is speaking ( repentance) is really necessary. Jesus of course announces his program/mission as "repent, the kingdom of God is near". But we must acknowledge and submit to his changing grace in our lives.
This word repent could be defined as "changing the direction in which you are looking for happiness". The fundamental word in that definition is "change". The Pharisees, the disciples, and we, the contemporary followers of Jesus, cannot believe that change is really necessary.
This lack of "repentance" ( The conviction and the affection for change) ties into the great year of mercy. We cannot experience the mercy of God until and unless we acknowledge our need of mercy. Do we really need to change?
In our parish vision for "every one add one" the first step of accomplishing that vision is "renew". Do we see the need to be renewed in our faith? To change or grow the way that we find fulfillment and happiness in our faith as Christians and Catholics in our parish life and communion of St. Albert the great
This idea of "repentance" or as we might say "change" or as Jesus discusses in the Gospel today transfiguration - changing in the shape of our appearance as the children of God- is at the heart of our ability to change. If we do not see the need to change ( repentance) we can not respond to God's call to change. God and God's grace does the changing but our acknowledgment/repentance is necessary for God to accomplish this change.
I know God is all-powerful however he will not change us without our inviting that change in our lives
Friday, February 12, 2016
Feb 14th Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm
Got Mercy? Need Mercy?
This lent we are attempting to walk the "way of Mercy". This Lent is the annual check up on the quality of our believing. Faith in our good God can be (and has been described by Jesus) as "loving God and our neighbor as our self." I am suggesting that we examine our love of God and our love of neighbor against the measurement of mercy.
As Jesus was tested by Satan in the desert, so we might test our relationship with God. Is there any mercy in God's love for us? Do we need his mercy? Do we recognize our need for mercy? If not, let's start.
Secondly, in our love of neighbor (and I presume we are all loving some neighbors) is this quality called mercy present and active? Isn't it possible that we have been "loving" someone(s) for a long time (at least we thought we were loving) but we have no mercy on them, for them? So much of our loving is "tough love" as they called it in the 90's. No tenderness, no kindness, no empathy - just the hard true love(this is going to hurt me more than you....type).
So, is there any mercy in there? That's what I'm thinking about this Lent.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm
Got Mercy? Need Mercy?
This lent we are attempting to walk the "way of Mercy". This Lent is the annual check up on the quality of our believing. Faith in our good God can be (and has been described by Jesus) as "loving God and our neighbor as our self." I am suggesting that we examine our love of God and our love of neighbor against the measurement of mercy.
As Jesus was tested by Satan in the desert, so we might test our relationship with God. Is there any mercy in God's love for us? Do we need his mercy? Do we recognize our need for mercy? If not, let's start.
Secondly, in our love of neighbor (and I presume we are all loving some neighbors) is this quality called mercy present and active? Isn't it possible that we have been "loving" someone(s) for a long time (at least we thought we were loving) but we have no mercy on them, for them? So much of our loving is "tough love" as they called it in the 90's. No tenderness, no kindness, no empathy - just the hard true love(this is going to hurt me more than you....type).
So, is there any mercy in there? That's what I'm thinking about this Lent.
Friday, February 5, 2016
February 7th Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am and 12:30pm
What's Your Fishing Boat?
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus gets in or better, invades not just Peter's fishing boat - but his very livelihood. Uninvited, Jesus asserts himself into Peter's world, his stuff, his expertise, his space and he takes over. And Peter lets him.
That "invasion and surrender" is what the Lord wants to do in all our lives. So, two questions! What is your fishing boat? Will your surrender?
What is your livelihood, your life's work, your expertise, your realm in which you operate and lead in life? Maybe we each have more than one. Do you know that Jesus wants to get in there? Are you prepared tto surrender to him there?
Some of these boats are great things like work, art, athletics, exercise, parenting, relationships, etc. some of these are less good - leisure time, sexuality, entertainment, alcohol, etc. Yes, Jesus is invading there too.
In as much as we perceive his invasion and surrender to his values, friendship, guidance, insertion, grace - to that extent the real living in freedom can begin.
I think most of us stubbornly and jealously hold onto control of our boat. Not even Jesus can insert himself in that realm of our lives. We prefer that Jesus stay in church and let us worry about life.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am and 12:30pm
What's Your Fishing Boat?
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus gets in or better, invades not just Peter's fishing boat - but his very livelihood. Uninvited, Jesus asserts himself into Peter's world, his stuff, his expertise, his space and he takes over. And Peter lets him.
That "invasion and surrender" is what the Lord wants to do in all our lives. So, two questions! What is your fishing boat? Will your surrender?
What is your livelihood, your life's work, your expertise, your realm in which you operate and lead in life? Maybe we each have more than one. Do you know that Jesus wants to get in there? Are you prepared tto surrender to him there?
Some of these boats are great things like work, art, athletics, exercise, parenting, relationships, etc. some of these are less good - leisure time, sexuality, entertainment, alcohol, etc. Yes, Jesus is invading there too.
In as much as we perceive his invasion and surrender to his values, friendship, guidance, insertion, grace - to that extent the real living in freedom can begin.
I think most of us stubbornly and jealously hold onto control of our boat. Not even Jesus can insert himself in that realm of our lives. We prefer that Jesus stay in church and let us worry about life.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Homily Prep January 31
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at wwwusccb.org/readings
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 8:00am and 6:00pm
Loss is Life in Christ, or vice Versa!
I am thinking that the Nazarenes are rejecting the truth that "loss is a part of life with God". I struggle with that same truth. How many people have turned against the church because our church preaches Jesus crucified? How many Catholics have been lost to God because the church DIDNT preach "loss is the path of Christian life"?
Wadayathink?
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 8:00am and 6:00pm
Loss is Life in Christ, or vice Versa!
I am thinking that the Nazarenes are rejecting the truth that "loss is a part of life with God". I struggle with that same truth. How many people have turned against the church because our church preaches Jesus crucified? How many Catholics have been lost to God because the church DIDNT preach "loss is the path of Christian life"?
Wadayathink?
Saturday, December 12, 2015
December 13 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm and 11:00am
Look me in the eye…
The official logo for the Jubilee year of mercy is a Christ figure, the good shepherd with humanity straddled on his shoulders. Uniquely, while there are two faces there are only three eyes. The designer of the image as presented these two faces with a shared eye in the center to indicate the need for Christians to see one's neighbor as Christ. That means we are to see our neighbor as the way Christ sees them and that we ought to see the neighbor as Christ to us.
You know doubt recall the last judgment of Matthews gospel chapter 25 in which the Lord says, "when you have done these things to the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done them to me." John the Baptist's prophetic teaching to various groups in the society is the advent call to be merciful. The last judgment of Matthew 25 and John the Baptist today in this year of mercy call us to The concrete expressions of mercy which we traditionally know as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Do the corporal and spiritual works of mercy challenge you in your daily life? How many of these "works" do you practice on a weekly basis, for example?
Let's make this year of mercy and this adventure time of Christian charity concrete-let's look at our neighbor especially the suffering one (remember Misericordiae) "in the eye" and with the "eyes of Christ".
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm and 11:00am
Look me in the eye…
The official logo for the Jubilee year of mercy is a Christ figure, the good shepherd with humanity straddled on his shoulders. Uniquely, while there are two faces there are only three eyes. The designer of the image as presented these two faces with a shared eye in the center to indicate the need for Christians to see one's neighbor as Christ. That means we are to see our neighbor as the way Christ sees them and that we ought to see the neighbor as Christ to us.
You know doubt recall the last judgment of Matthews gospel chapter 25 in which the Lord says, "when you have done these things to the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done them to me." John the Baptist's prophetic teaching to various groups in the society is the advent call to be merciful. The last judgment of Matthew 25 and John the Baptist today in this year of mercy call us to The concrete expressions of mercy which we traditionally know as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Do the corporal and spiritual works of mercy challenge you in your daily life? How many of these "works" do you practice on a weekly basis, for example?
Let's make this year of mercy and this adventure time of Christian charity concrete-let's look at our neighbor especially the suffering one (remember Misericordiae) "in the eye" and with the "eyes of Christ".
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Advent I - Nov 29 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 6:00pm
Walking the Line, standing on the threshold
The meaning of the word Advent (appearance) has special significance this Advent because of the Jubilee of Mercy that will begin on Dec. 8th. What it is that is appearing every year in Advent, of course, is the reign of God. The jubilee image of the Holy Door seems to me to be a great place for us to look to find the reign of God appearing.
You remember the tent or dwelling place that Moses built was a series of partitioned "areas" divided by curtains. No one could enter the holy of holies and visit with the Lord but Moses. The temple in Jerusalem was built on this pattern, a set of concentric rooms, separated by gates, doors, curtains. God's presence was veiled.
You recall when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was torn in two. Also, recall the the Lord himself says that I stand at the door and knock. As if your heart and mine is the holy of holies separated from the Lord, on the other side of the door.
I think we are called to live in this era as if the door has been remove and the "opening" the threshold is before us. In faith we are called to see that the dividing wall between heaven and earth has been destroyed and heaven is right at the threshold, the reign of God is just at hand and we are to live and move in contact with God's Kingdom.
Is that how your faith operates? Standing on the threshold of the reign of God.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 6:00pm
Walking the Line, standing on the threshold
The meaning of the word Advent (appearance) has special significance this Advent because of the Jubilee of Mercy that will begin on Dec. 8th. What it is that is appearing every year in Advent, of course, is the reign of God. The jubilee image of the Holy Door seems to me to be a great place for us to look to find the reign of God appearing.
You remember the tent or dwelling place that Moses built was a series of partitioned "areas" divided by curtains. No one could enter the holy of holies and visit with the Lord but Moses. The temple in Jerusalem was built on this pattern, a set of concentric rooms, separated by gates, doors, curtains. God's presence was veiled.
You recall when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was torn in two. Also, recall the the Lord himself says that I stand at the door and knock. As if your heart and mine is the holy of holies separated from the Lord, on the other side of the door.
I think we are called to live in this era as if the door has been remove and the "opening" the threshold is before us. In faith we are called to see that the dividing wall between heaven and earth has been destroyed and heaven is right at the threshold, the reign of God is just at hand and we are to live and move in contact with God's Kingdom.
Is that how your faith operates? Standing on the threshold of the reign of God.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Nov 22 Christ the King Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available Click Here: S
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 12:30pm
One in Truth
I am remembering Jesus words "You call me Lord, Lord but I say to you, I don't know you". So there is something greater about Jesus' kingdom than Jesus' name, claiming to be a friend of Jesus. It's deeper than that.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 12:30pm
One in Truth
I am remembering Jesus words "You call me Lord, Lord but I say to you, I don't know you". So there is something greater about Jesus' kingdom than Jesus' name, claiming to be a friend of Jesus. It's deeper than that.
How about the teaching that "there is no other name than that of Jesus" or "no one can come to the Father but through me". The Kingdom of Jesus has got to bigger than our speech, our name, his name. Jesus even said "righteous Father, I made known to them your name" Using the name of Jesus or claiming to be his disciple as a Christian, making the sign of the cross on oneself or NOT cannot be what it means to belong to Christ's Kingdom. Is bigger than that.
To belong to the Kingdom of Christ our King must mean that one "belongs to the Truth" as he says in the gospel today.
The "coin of the realm" of Christ the King is Truth. That's capital T Truth, as in an objective reality out there that we know is THE Truth! Recall that Jesus promised his followers the Spirit of Truth "who will remind you everything that I taught you". And again, "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth" (not to Jesus?????)
With all the hate, violence, terror, in the name of religion going on in the world today it is impossible by listening to people's words to identify those who are of the kingdom of God. One must really put on the "ears of the Spirit" and look for the truth.
All who belong to the TRUTH listen to Jesus. In fact all who belong to the TRUTH belong to Jesus.
Are you of the Kingdom of Christ our King? Do you belong to the TRUTH? How can the world tell?
To belong to the Kingdom of Christ our King must mean that one "belongs to the Truth" as he says in the gospel today.
The "coin of the realm" of Christ the King is Truth. That's capital T Truth, as in an objective reality out there that we know is THE Truth! Recall that Jesus promised his followers the Spirit of Truth "who will remind you everything that I taught you". And again, "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth" (not to Jesus?????)
With all the hate, violence, terror, in the name of religion going on in the world today it is impossible by listening to people's words to identify those who are of the kingdom of God. One must really put on the "ears of the Spirit" and look for the truth.
All who belong to the TRUTH listen to Jesus. In fact all who belong to the TRUTH belong to Jesus.
Are you of the Kingdom of Christ our King? Do you belong to the TRUTH? How can the world tell?
Friday, November 13, 2015
November 15 Homily Prep
This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinCLetter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend on Saturday at 5:30pm and 11:00am on Sunday
Ready, set.....
This apocalyptic scriptures call our attention to how things are going to "end for us". The typical question in this regard is "If you were informed that you had a definite time of life left on this earth, what would you do differently?". St Thomas Aquinas is quoted to have answered "I'd finish this billiard game?" In other words, those who live life in obedience to God's will don't need to amend anything.
St Pope John XXIII is famous for some very funny remarks. One was in response to the receptionist calling and saying, "there is a man here who claims to be the Lord Jesus Christ, what shall we do?" Supposedly the Holy Father answered "look busy."
Our patronal feast day of St. Albert might encourage us to answer this question as a parish? If the Lord was arriving this afternoon, what would we do differently to improve the Lord's encounter with us? "Every One Add One" of course comes to my mind.
How might we start living our parish life more closely in line with the way we want the Lord to "catch us"? Live "ready"!
-check out this weeks LinCLetter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend on Saturday at 5:30pm and 11:00am on Sunday
Ready, set.....
This apocalyptic scriptures call our attention to how things are going to "end for us". The typical question in this regard is "If you were informed that you had a definite time of life left on this earth, what would you do differently?". St Thomas Aquinas is quoted to have answered "I'd finish this billiard game?" In other words, those who live life in obedience to God's will don't need to amend anything.
St Pope John XXIII is famous for some very funny remarks. One was in response to the receptionist calling and saying, "there is a man here who claims to be the Lord Jesus Christ, what shall we do?" Supposedly the Holy Father answered "look busy."
Our patronal feast day of St. Albert might encourage us to answer this question as a parish? If the Lord was arriving this afternoon, what would we do differently to improve the Lord's encounter with us? "Every One Add One" of course comes to my mind.
How might we start living our parish life more closely in line with the way we want the Lord to "catch us"? Live "ready"!
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Nov 8 Homily Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinCLetter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend on Saturday at 4:00pm, and 8:00am (12:15 at Cathedral) and 6:00pm on Sunday
Those Pharisees!
So often the widow's mite gospel text that we have this weekend is the opportunity to talk about the sacrificial nature of our lives. We church people especially like to reflect on tithing or financial support of the church. I don't know if I would do that though.
Back in the 1980s a scripture scholar put this story of the widow's mite into the context of the previous episodes in Marks Gospel when Jesus was being critical of the Pharisees. From that perspective the widow's mite is not recommended practice for Christians but rather a critique of the Pharisees who are willing to put heavy burdens on other people's backs without lifting a finger to help them.
You recall Jesus is criticism of the "marketplace mentality" of the temple life. He was upset with the "quid pro quo" of buying and selling in the relationship with God. Why would we have a situation in which everyone "must" make an offering at the temple into the treasury if they don't have anything to live on? I'm wondering how are we carrying out this "marketplace mentality" in our practice of catholicism.
I'm thinking particularly of the difficult responsibility of Christian parenting where in some cases parents put the obligation and expectation, for example, upon their children of receiving first holy Communion and Confirmation while not living a life in communion with the church or under the influence of the Holy Spirit in their very homes. Children often feel the burden of having to be a better catholic then their parents are willing to be.
In what ways do we fall under this criticism by Jesus of pharisaicalism? It is the "hyper legalistic self-centered marketplace"approach to life with God in religion?
-check out this weeks LinCLetter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend on Saturday at 4:00pm, and 8:00am (12:15 at Cathedral) and 6:00pm on Sunday
Those Pharisees!
So often the widow's mite gospel text that we have this weekend is the opportunity to talk about the sacrificial nature of our lives. We church people especially like to reflect on tithing or financial support of the church. I don't know if I would do that though.
Back in the 1980s a scripture scholar put this story of the widow's mite into the context of the previous episodes in Marks Gospel when Jesus was being critical of the Pharisees. From that perspective the widow's mite is not recommended practice for Christians but rather a critique of the Pharisees who are willing to put heavy burdens on other people's backs without lifting a finger to help them.
You recall Jesus is criticism of the "marketplace mentality" of the temple life. He was upset with the "quid pro quo" of buying and selling in the relationship with God. Why would we have a situation in which everyone "must" make an offering at the temple into the treasury if they don't have anything to live on? I'm wondering how are we carrying out this "marketplace mentality" in our practice of catholicism.
I'm thinking particularly of the difficult responsibility of Christian parenting where in some cases parents put the obligation and expectation, for example, upon their children of receiving first holy Communion and Confirmation while not living a life in communion with the church or under the influence of the Holy Spirit in their very homes. Children often feel the burden of having to be a better catholic then their parents are willing to be.
In what ways do we fall under this criticism by Jesus of pharisaicalism? It is the "hyper legalistic self-centered marketplace"approach to life with God in religion?
Friday, October 16, 2015
October 18 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinCLetter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
There is something I want God to do for me!
The approach of the disciples to Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel does, oddly, sound like a lot of my prayers and maybe yours. In fact, I'm afraid for many people this petition or request or intercession is the only way that God is addressed.
I know that this doesn't sound that strange to a lot of parents. In fact I often hear folks say, "the only time that kid calls me is when he needs something." This "need-fulfillment" basis for a relationship is one that raises some serious questions about our prayer life.
I recently was asked by someone, "how do I know that God is talking to me?" After making sure the person wasn't hearing voices, I clarified the question and realized that what was really being asked is "how do I listen to God?" That is a refreshing approach to prayer - listening to God.
In last week's homily I was speaking about our attachment to the survival mode of living that makes it difficult to choose real life. Someone asked me during the week "how do I get out of the rat race and start living life?" My answer is this homily today. Being free from the survival mode of existence begins with our re-imagining who God is. And our prayer habits are the quickest way to understand who God is for us.
Like the disciples, the way we address God reveals what we think of God. I'm wondering if you would be able to create a "profile" of your God based upon your habit of praying. You say, "I don't pray at all outside of Mass"? That is certainly an understanding of God that says you don't need God in your life.
So, what is your habit of praying? What does that tell you about who God is in your world? Let's look at the prayer that Jesus taught us. What does that prayer tell us about who God was for Jesus? Could our God start to look more like Jesus' God? I bet we're all going to have to change the way we pray.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinCLetter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sunday
There is something I want God to do for me!
The approach of the disciples to Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel does, oddly, sound like a lot of my prayers and maybe yours. In fact, I'm afraid for many people this petition or request or intercession is the only way that God is addressed.
I know that this doesn't sound that strange to a lot of parents. In fact I often hear folks say, "the only time that kid calls me is when he needs something." This "need-fulfillment" basis for a relationship is one that raises some serious questions about our prayer life.
I recently was asked by someone, "how do I know that God is talking to me?" After making sure the person wasn't hearing voices, I clarified the question and realized that what was really being asked is "how do I listen to God?" That is a refreshing approach to prayer - listening to God.
In last week's homily I was speaking about our attachment to the survival mode of living that makes it difficult to choose real life. Someone asked me during the week "how do I get out of the rat race and start living life?" My answer is this homily today. Being free from the survival mode of existence begins with our re-imagining who God is. And our prayer habits are the quickest way to understand who God is for us.
Like the disciples, the way we address God reveals what we think of God. I'm wondering if you would be able to create a "profile" of your God based upon your habit of praying. You say, "I don't pray at all outside of Mass"? That is certainly an understanding of God that says you don't need God in your life.
So, what is your habit of praying? What does that tell you about who God is in your world? Let's look at the prayer that Jesus taught us. What does that prayer tell us about who God was for Jesus? Could our God start to look more like Jesus' God? I bet we're all going to have to change the way we pray.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
October 11 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm on Sunday
Freedom for Life
The young man in the gospel is not free to accept the gift of eternal life. To what is your heart attached so much so that you would choose it over the offer of real life?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm on Sunday
Freedom for Life
The young man in the gospel is not free to accept the gift of eternal life. To what is your heart attached so much so that you would choose it over the offer of real life?
Saturday, October 3, 2015
October 4 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm, 8:00am and 11:00am
A vocation to life
Pope Francis addressed the bishops of the world gathered in Philadelphia for the World Meeting on Families and he spoke to them about their vocations as pastors (www.http://abc7.com/religion/pope-francis-remarks-to-bishops-in-philadelphia/1004471/). He said, "You must first pray. Secondly, you must preach." The pope continued by instructing the bishops as to what their prayerful preaching ought to be to the young: become holy through family love and life - marriage!
The understanding of marriage/family as God's call and path to holiness was then explained as the vocation of the young, a vocation to life and love. From the beginning God has revealed this human vocation, "cling to your spouse and build a family home with your children". This vocation to life and love is the only path to true happiness in this world and unto eternity.
The pope explained to the bishops that young people today are afraid of marriage and the self-sacrifice of family life. Many young people are convinced (and intimidated) by the spirit of the world that tells them that "happiness" (not marriage and family) is the human vocation.
This self-centered spirit of the world says that one must first be satisfied as an individual, be fulfilled first as an individual, be competent as a grown up, get your life in order SO THAT you can be happy. Is it any wonder that sociologists tell us the adolescence now extends into the 40's - everyone is being encouraged to put off adulthood (our human vocation to "leave your mother and father and cling to your wife), to focus on self-fulfillment and thus prevents one from our only real path to happiness = our vocation to life and love - family
Only such happy people according to the vocation of the world should look for a spouse. The number one "job" of that spouse is to keep this very self-centered human creature "happy" according to the vocation of the world . And those of you who are married know better than I that marriage cannot keep a self-seeking adult creature happy.
The whirly vocation to happiness then tells young people that after being happily married for awhile, getting to know each other, maybe travel, advance in your career, get a suitable house THEN possibly think about "having kids".
This approach to our human vocation is a strategy for emptiness. The biblical vocation of marriage and family life is the only authentic road to happiness in this world and the next. The world is working hard to separate happiness from family life. All of our social problems begin in this delusion. Can we resurrect the God centered vocation to life and love, the natural law, the image of God in the human family and culture?
Let's see
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm, 8:00am and 11:00am
A vocation to life
Pope Francis addressed the bishops of the world gathered in Philadelphia for the World Meeting on Families and he spoke to them about their vocations as pastors (www.http://abc7.com/religion/pope-francis-remarks-to-bishops-in-philadelphia/1004471/). He said, "You must first pray. Secondly, you must preach." The pope continued by instructing the bishops as to what their prayerful preaching ought to be to the young: become holy through family love and life - marriage!
The understanding of marriage/family as God's call and path to holiness was then explained as the vocation of the young, a vocation to life and love. From the beginning God has revealed this human vocation, "cling to your spouse and build a family home with your children". This vocation to life and love is the only path to true happiness in this world and unto eternity.
The pope explained to the bishops that young people today are afraid of marriage and the self-sacrifice of family life. Many young people are convinced (and intimidated) by the spirit of the world that tells them that "happiness" (not marriage and family) is the human vocation.
This self-centered spirit of the world says that one must first be satisfied as an individual, be fulfilled first as an individual, be competent as a grown up, get your life in order SO THAT you can be happy. Is it any wonder that sociologists tell us the adolescence now extends into the 40's - everyone is being encouraged to put off adulthood (our human vocation to "leave your mother and father and cling to your wife), to focus on self-fulfillment and thus prevents one from our only real path to happiness = our vocation to life and love - family
Only such happy people according to the vocation of the world should look for a spouse. The number one "job" of that spouse is to keep this very self-centered human creature "happy" according to the vocation of the world . And those of you who are married know better than I that marriage cannot keep a self-seeking adult creature happy.
The whirly vocation to happiness then tells young people that after being happily married for awhile, getting to know each other, maybe travel, advance in your career, get a suitable house THEN possibly think about "having kids".
This approach to our human vocation is a strategy for emptiness. The biblical vocation of marriage and family life is the only authentic road to happiness in this world and the next. The world is working hard to separate happiness from family life. All of our social problems begin in this delusion. Can we resurrect the God centered vocation to life and love, the natural law, the image of God in the human family and culture?
Let's see
Saturday, September 26, 2015
September 27 Homily Prep
Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 12:30pm
With Us!
Jesus' teaching in the Gospel today declaring that "those who are not against us are with us" seem to touch upon the gift of the presence of Pope Francis in the United States and the world family gathering in Philadelphia this weekend. The connection seems to be "with us". It all centers upon God's invitation for us to be one, together, communion.
The most startling example of this call to communion was the celebration on Friday at the 9/11 memorial with Pope Francis and the representatives of the world religions. In addition to it being an absolutely beautiful prayer service it was an even more beautiful image of God's children gathered around the call to love and compassion in the face of the world's aberration of religious violence and division.
The disciples of Jesus like Joshua in the first reading are approaching life in the church as a privileged position to which not everyone is invited. John's assessment of those who were casting out demons in the name of Jesus but "they do not follow us" exposes the role that judgment, competition, and self-promoting desires and perceptions play in our understanding of communion.
This judgment of John in the Gospel text today is something that we experience often in our families, in our church, and in our society. In fact, the differences or the lack of conformity is for some of us the first thing that we notice when relating to others. The difference in the way they dress, they pray, they live.
When this type of "looking for the difference" strikes our marriages and our families it is particularly destructive. When members of the family begin to judge others as "unlike" ourselves the destruction of the relationships is not far behind.
We see this "looking for the difference" most vividly and regularly in our political lives. This notion of "polarization" is the philosophical and political expression of this "looking for the difference" affliction.
What Jesus and, like him, Pope Francis seem to be calling us to is the other end of the telescope, to stop noticing the difference or the imperfection and to capitalize upon the unity, the same in us, the common good. This will require for most of us a change in approach since this "looking for the difference" is a habit of the mind and heart that comes from our broken human condition. The grace of communion is the ability to find and capitalize upon what makes us one, One creation, one human family, one married couple, one family, one community. This common calling is nothing other than the imprint of God our Creator and father of all.
May we crucify our "fear of the difference" and be raised up and transformed into this community of God. It would be noticed in our simple and regular affirmation of the goodness of others before we notice the imperfections in them and the differences among us. As Jesus prayed in John's Gospel that "all may be one".
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 12:30pm
With Us!
Jesus' teaching in the Gospel today declaring that "those who are not against us are with us" seem to touch upon the gift of the presence of Pope Francis in the United States and the world family gathering in Philadelphia this weekend. The connection seems to be "with us". It all centers upon God's invitation for us to be one, together, communion.
The most startling example of this call to communion was the celebration on Friday at the 9/11 memorial with Pope Francis and the representatives of the world religions. In addition to it being an absolutely beautiful prayer service it was an even more beautiful image of God's children gathered around the call to love and compassion in the face of the world's aberration of religious violence and division.
The disciples of Jesus like Joshua in the first reading are approaching life in the church as a privileged position to which not everyone is invited. John's assessment of those who were casting out demons in the name of Jesus but "they do not follow us" exposes the role that judgment, competition, and self-promoting desires and perceptions play in our understanding of communion.
This judgment of John in the Gospel text today is something that we experience often in our families, in our church, and in our society. In fact, the differences or the lack of conformity is for some of us the first thing that we notice when relating to others. The difference in the way they dress, they pray, they live.
When this type of "looking for the difference" strikes our marriages and our families it is particularly destructive. When members of the family begin to judge others as "unlike" ourselves the destruction of the relationships is not far behind.
We see this "looking for the difference" most vividly and regularly in our political lives. This notion of "polarization" is the philosophical and political expression of this "looking for the difference" affliction.
What Jesus and, like him, Pope Francis seem to be calling us to is the other end of the telescope, to stop noticing the difference or the imperfection and to capitalize upon the unity, the same in us, the common good. This will require for most of us a change in approach since this "looking for the difference" is a habit of the mind and heart that comes from our broken human condition. The grace of communion is the ability to find and capitalize upon what makes us one, One creation, one human family, one married couple, one family, one community. This common calling is nothing other than the imprint of God our Creator and father of all.
May we crucify our "fear of the difference" and be raised up and transformed into this community of God. It would be noticed in our simple and regular affirmation of the goodness of others before we notice the imperfections in them and the differences among us. As Jesus prayed in John's Gospel that "all may be one".
Saturday, September 19, 2015
September 20 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am and 6:00pm on Sunday
Receive
In the gospel this Sunday Jesus teaches us about faith. He says, "become like a little child". In child-like faith we are called to receive everything from our Father - including most importantly, our Father. For too many it seems, believing or faith has failed to receive our Father, the communion of the Blessed Trinity. So that many very adult-like Christians do not have God dwelling within them.
Such adult-like faith would therefore be experienced as intellectual assent to the truth about Jesus and eternal life but not welcoming the presence of God in adult life. So a Catholic could spent their entire adult life believing in God and not receiving God's kingdom into one's heart and life. This adult-like faith that does not receive God into the heart of life would be noticeable when daily life is perceived as painful and failing. In moments of suffering the intellect is often blinded - we can't think things through - and thus God is absent from our experience. We most often described this "I feel like God has abandoned me, he's forgotten me, he fails to hear my prayers".
Child-like faith has received God into life and in fact has received life from God. Believing that God will never let go of my hand, I experience God's secure presence in all of life's moments. Like a child, as long as mom or dad is with me I am not afraid.
Of course this is why Jesus continually challenged the adult faith of his disciples by asking, why were you so fearful? Why do you have such little faith? Did I not tell you that I am with you always?
Receive him and believe. Emmanuel.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am and 6:00pm on Sunday
Receive
In the gospel this Sunday Jesus teaches us about faith. He says, "become like a little child". In child-like faith we are called to receive everything from our Father - including most importantly, our Father. For too many it seems, believing or faith has failed to receive our Father, the communion of the Blessed Trinity. So that many very adult-like Christians do not have God dwelling within them.
Such adult-like faith would therefore be experienced as intellectual assent to the truth about Jesus and eternal life but not welcoming the presence of God in adult life. So a Catholic could spent their entire adult life believing in God and not receiving God's kingdom into one's heart and life. This adult-like faith that does not receive God into the heart of life would be noticeable when daily life is perceived as painful and failing. In moments of suffering the intellect is often blinded - we can't think things through - and thus God is absent from our experience. We most often described this "I feel like God has abandoned me, he's forgotten me, he fails to hear my prayers".
Child-like faith has received God into life and in fact has received life from God. Believing that God will never let go of my hand, I experience God's secure presence in all of life's moments. Like a child, as long as mom or dad is with me I am not afraid.
Of course this is why Jesus continually challenged the adult faith of his disciples by asking, why were you so fearful? Why do you have such little faith? Did I not tell you that I am with you always?
Receive him and believe. Emmanuel.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
September 6 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am on Sunday
Are we interested in the powerful and real God that Jesus offers us? Or, only in the miraculous and powerful works Jesus does for us?
I will confess, even as a very young child, to being very interested in and attacted to the TV evangelist Ernest Angely, or for that matter Benny Hine, and even Oral Roberts. What attracted me most were the miraculous healing services. I loved it. I'm not sure I believed any of it - but I loved watching these miracle services. I was certainly interested in their typical by-line "Gaaaawd has a miracooool for YOUUUUU!"
Ernest Angely was the best, though, as he withdrew his hand from the afflicted spot on each person's body he'd say "in the name of JEEEEEzus"...I loved it.
People flock in the thousands to such miraculous healers - as to Jesus in the gospel text today. What we have discovered however and we will hear explicitly from Jesus in next Sunday's gospel - Jesus did not come to miraculously heal the sick and raise the dead. Jesus came, rather, to reveal and extend the perpetually present and life-saving love of God. Jesus came to heal and cure the affliction called "death" so that earthly dying would no longer command us - but instead eternal life might begin in us today.
Wow. Jesuit Father John Foley writes
"Jesus moves toward the events that will show God’s solidarity with us in our suffering, our rejections, and in that famous event which each and every one of us will face sooner or later: dying. Beyond cures, which are wonderful yet partial, God gives us companionship within each instant of our life.
This Sunday at Mass, let us ask ourselves whether the intimate presence of God is part of what we desire in our own lives. Do we know that Christ is deeply involved with us? Do we let his love flow into us and through us to others, or must it fight its way around us?"
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am on Sunday
Are we interested in the powerful and real God that Jesus offers us? Or, only in the miraculous and powerful works Jesus does for us?
I will confess, even as a very young child, to being very interested in and attacted to the TV evangelist Ernest Angely, or for that matter Benny Hine, and even Oral Roberts. What attracted me most were the miraculous healing services. I loved it. I'm not sure I believed any of it - but I loved watching these miracle services. I was certainly interested in their typical by-line "Gaaaawd has a miracooool for YOUUUUU!"
Ernest Angely was the best, though, as he withdrew his hand from the afflicted spot on each person's body he'd say "in the name of JEEEEEzus"...I loved it.
People flock in the thousands to such miraculous healers - as to Jesus in the gospel text today. What we have discovered however and we will hear explicitly from Jesus in next Sunday's gospel - Jesus did not come to miraculously heal the sick and raise the dead. Jesus came, rather, to reveal and extend the perpetually present and life-saving love of God. Jesus came to heal and cure the affliction called "death" so that earthly dying would no longer command us - but instead eternal life might begin in us today.
Wow. Jesuit Father John Foley writes
"Jesus moves toward the events that will show God’s solidarity with us in our suffering, our rejections, and in that famous event which each and every one of us will face sooner or later: dying. Beyond cures, which are wonderful yet partial, God gives us companionship within each instant of our life.
This Sunday at Mass, let us ask ourselves whether the intimate presence of God is part of what we desire in our own lives. Do we know that Christ is deeply involved with us? Do we let his love flow into us and through us to others, or must it fight its way around us?"
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