Homily from last Sunday is available at the Estok Homily Library>>>>>>
This Sunday's readings are available at usccb.org "daily reading" >>>>>>
I will be presiding and preaching at the 11:00am Mass on Sunday 3/21.
Something New!
The warning of the prophet that "God is doing something new" is less of a warning and more of a hopeful promise. This promise feeds into my Lenten theme of conversion. Recall we are invited to make a re-turn to the Lord but our destination (deeper reconciliation in communion with God and neighbor) is not some place where we have been before. It sounds a bit like Alice in Wonderland but we are called back to a place we've never been before!
St Paul speaks eloquently of the state of those called to a converted life in Christ....not that he is living it perfectly but he is fixed on the new destination. He is turning away from what was and he is moving toward the new thing before him.
Have we accepted the liberation from what was, what never was and committed to what can be with God?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Lent Week 4 - Laetare Sunday - Be Ambassadors of Reconciliation
I will be preaching at the 9:30am and 12:30pm Masses this Sunday March 14th.
The readings for this Sunday can be found at http://www.usccb.org/nab/031410c.shtml
The homily from Lent 3 is available at the Estok Homily Library to the right of the page.
The elder brother in the story of the prodigal (younger) son is an "icon" if you will of precisely where we do not want to be and, sadly, where all of us, to some extent, are . The tragedy of the older brother is two fold:
1. He refuses to enter the celebration of life and love that the Father has invited him to share and
2. He thinks he has been and is faithful enough to his Father.
Both failures on the elder brother's part are failures to live in the Communion of the Father. They are especially tragic because in both cases the elder brother stands arrogantly upright in his misunderstanding. He doesn't know what he doesn't know. Ouch!
How much he looks like me. I so often refuse to enter the Communion of life and love that God offers to me in the present moment. I am hurt, sad, or frightened that what God is offering is somehow going to mean a "loss" for me (and a win for someone else). Even more tragically, what contributes to my stubborn failure to embrace Communion with God is the mis-understanding that I am sufficiently "righteous" - I don't need anymore because I have responsibly lived my faith up to now.
Ouch. Isn't it funny that our perceived "success" at being faithful religious people can become the obstacle to our becoming truly religious people "reconciled with God and others".
To be truly religious, truly converted, truly turned toward the Lord we must be reconciled in the blood of Christ - made more deeply one with Him. The only believable proclamation of such a converted life is the deeper and deeper reconciliation with our neighbor.
This is a tall order this week. Let's pray for one another.
The readings for this Sunday can be found at http://www.usccb.org/nab/031410c.shtml
The homily from Lent 3 is available at the Estok Homily Library to the right of the page.
The elder brother in the story of the prodigal (younger) son is an "icon" if you will of precisely where we do not want to be and, sadly, where all of us, to some extent, are . The tragedy of the older brother is two fold:
1. He refuses to enter the celebration of life and love that the Father has invited him to share and
2. He thinks he has been and is faithful enough to his Father.
Both failures on the elder brother's part are failures to live in the Communion of the Father. They are especially tragic because in both cases the elder brother stands arrogantly upright in his misunderstanding. He doesn't know what he doesn't know. Ouch!
How much he looks like me. I so often refuse to enter the Communion of life and love that God offers to me in the present moment. I am hurt, sad, or frightened that what God is offering is somehow going to mean a "loss" for me (and a win for someone else). Even more tragically, what contributes to my stubborn failure to embrace Communion with God is the mis-understanding that I am sufficiently "righteous" - I don't need anymore because I have responsibly lived my faith up to now.
Ouch. Isn't it funny that our perceived "success" at being faithful religious people can become the obstacle to our becoming truly religious people "reconciled with God and others".
To be truly religious, truly converted, truly turned toward the Lord we must be reconciled in the blood of Christ - made more deeply one with Him. The only believable proclamation of such a converted life is the deeper and deeper reconciliation with our neighbor.
This is a tall order this week. Let's pray for one another.
Monday, March 8, 2010
A New Twist - Faith Formation on the Blog
Coffee and Crumbs with the Pastor
This one hour conversation may be of interest to you. The theme is faith, church and conversion. Give a listen at "www.archive.com". Search "Estok" and the title is....Coffee and Crumbs!
This one hour conversation may be of interest to you. The theme is faith, church and conversion. Give a listen at "www.archive.com". Search "Estok" and the title is....Coffee and Crumbs!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Recordings Update
Well, you know that I was having problems operating my digital recorder. I am working on the operator (me). I realized that Lent Homilies 1,2, and 3 weren't "up". Now they are. Thanks for the heads up. That means somebody's logging in! Welcome!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Lent III - Holy Ground
The Homily from last weekend can be found at http://www.archive.org, search keyword Estok, Titled: Lent 2 - February 28, 2010
I am celebrating mass on Saturday 3/6 at 4:00pm and on Sunday 3/7 at 8:00am.
The readings for this Sunday can be found http://www.usccb.org/nab/030710.shtml
I am thinking again about encounter with the God who loves us. Moses meets up with God in the holy place of the burning bush. God is revealed in this meeting to be the God "Who Is". Holy Ground. Moses' encounter with the living God reveals who God is and it changes or 'exposes' who Moses really is - the one called to lead Israel to freedom - Holy Ground.
I am thinking that during this Lenten season 2010 we are being invited again to meet the God "Who Is" on Holy Ground - encounter. In doing so it is revealed to us who we really are. Encounter with God who is Truth reveals who we are and we are Love.
The teaching of Jesus in the gospel says that if we know WHO we really are then the fruit of that reality ought to reveal it. If we meet God Who Is Love and we discover again that WE are in His loving image - then the fruit of our lives will be the love we bear.
What do you think?
I am celebrating mass on Saturday 3/6 at 4:00pm and on Sunday 3/7 at 8:00am.
The readings for this Sunday can be found http://www.usccb.org/nab/030710.shtml
I am thinking again about encounter with the God who loves us. Moses meets up with God in the holy place of the burning bush. God is revealed in this meeting to be the God "Who Is". Holy Ground. Moses' encounter with the living God reveals who God is and it changes or 'exposes' who Moses really is - the one called to lead Israel to freedom - Holy Ground.
I am thinking that during this Lenten season 2010 we are being invited again to meet the God "Who Is" on Holy Ground - encounter. In doing so it is revealed to us who we really are. Encounter with God who is Truth reveals who we are and we are Love.
The teaching of Jesus in the gospel says that if we know WHO we really are then the fruit of that reality ought to reveal it. If we meet God Who Is Love and we discover again that WE are in His loving image - then the fruit of our lives will be the love we bear.
What do you think?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Dis-, Con-,Trans-figured! Lent Week II
This Sunday I will be presiding and preaching at the 9:30am and 11:00am Masses. The Sunday readings can be found at: www.usccb.org/nab/022810.shtml.
Last week's homily is available at: www.archive.com[search: Estok].
This week is the Second Sunday of Lent and the week we traditionally hear the story of Jesus' Transfiguration. If we take the word apart (as the title of this post indicates) we can readily see that it means "changed image". Customarily and understandably we think of it as the "change in Jesus' look" - the showing of him in a new image. What I am thinking is that the change that takes place is not in Jesus at all - but in his disciples.
While Jesus was "changed in his image" or transfigured, it is his disciples that were trans-formed or "changed in shape". It is the shape of their faith and understand that was changed by what they beheld in Jesus. Lent is a time for such transformation in us. Transformation is a more helpful word then our typical lenten word of "repent". Repenting can be understood as confessing error and "returning" to our former state of relationship with God.
I prefer transform or convert to express the call of our lenten journey. We are not called "back to" where we were but rather to "turn into" something that we have never fully been. Our journey to Communion with God is not a so much a staircase to heaven (one step forward and closer after another) but a spiral path that circles around familiar places while increasingly growing closer to the love of God.
What do you think?
Last week's homily is available at: www.archive.com[search: Estok].
This week is the Second Sunday of Lent and the week we traditionally hear the story of Jesus' Transfiguration. If we take the word apart (as the title of this post indicates) we can readily see that it means "changed image". Customarily and understandably we think of it as the "change in Jesus' look" - the showing of him in a new image. What I am thinking is that the change that takes place is not in Jesus at all - but in his disciples.
While Jesus was "changed in his image" or transfigured, it is his disciples that were trans-formed or "changed in shape". It is the shape of their faith and understand that was changed by what they beheld in Jesus. Lent is a time for such transformation in us. Transformation is a more helpful word then our typical lenten word of "repent". Repenting can be understood as confessing error and "returning" to our former state of relationship with God.
I prefer transform or convert to express the call of our lenten journey. We are not called "back to" where we were but rather to "turn into" something that we have never fully been. Our journey to Communion with God is not a so much a staircase to heaven (one step forward and closer after another) but a spiral path that circles around familiar places while increasingly growing closer to the love of God.
What do you think?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Back in the Ring!
I am preaching at the 5:30 Feb. 20th Saturday evening Mass and the 11:00am Feb. 21st Sunday morning Mass on this First Week of Lent.
Here is he link to the Sunday Readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/022110.shtml
In addition to considering each of the weekly Scriptures,the entire season of Lent can be considered as a whole. I am sometimes given to such "series" of homilies in a season. I am not considering doing so this year.
My first reaction to Sunday's readings is "prove it!". The first reading instructs the Jews to remember who they are and to prove it by tithing. Tithing is that practice of dedicating the first born, the first fruits, and the best portion (ten percent usually) to the Lord. This act of devotion is to indicate recognition of the source of all blessings. Everything is God's (including me) and He deserves the symbolic "first/best" of the harvest. I demonstrate "whose" I am by how I handle my stuff.
In a similar but almost opposite way, Jesus refuses to prove "who" he is to the devil with external works. In doing so he proves his true identity. This is a very human temptation, that is, to try to win the respect or approval of "the world" by proving that you are "one of them". We try to prove ourselves to be "players" with those the "really" matter.
I think the hungry world is looking toward religious people and asking us to prove what we teach by who we are. The pope calls them "witnesses" rather than teachers. The deeds of love, justice, and charity are the authenticating "proof" of who we claim to be. What proof is there that we are the children of God, family of Jesus, members of the Church in the best sense of the Word?
Here is he link to the Sunday Readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/022110.shtml
In addition to considering each of the weekly Scriptures,the entire season of Lent can be considered as a whole. I am sometimes given to such "series" of homilies in a season. I am not considering doing so this year.
My first reaction to Sunday's readings is "prove it!". The first reading instructs the Jews to remember who they are and to prove it by tithing. Tithing is that practice of dedicating the first born, the first fruits, and the best portion (ten percent usually) to the Lord. This act of devotion is to indicate recognition of the source of all blessings. Everything is God's (including me) and He deserves the symbolic "first/best" of the harvest. I demonstrate "whose" I am by how I handle my stuff.
In a similar but almost opposite way, Jesus refuses to prove "who" he is to the devil with external works. In doing so he proves his true identity. This is a very human temptation, that is, to try to win the respect or approval of "the world" by proving that you are "one of them". We try to prove ourselves to be "players" with those the "really" matter.
I think the hungry world is looking toward religious people and asking us to prove what we teach by who we are. The pope calls them "witnesses" rather than teachers. The deeds of love, justice, and charity are the authenticating "proof" of who we claim to be. What proof is there that we are the children of God, family of Jesus, members of the Church in the best sense of the Word?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Time Off!
I will be out of communication for two weeks beginning Friday January 29 to February 12. Pray for the refreshment of the well - the living springs of God's Word welling up within us.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ordinary Time - Week 3
The homily for Ordinary Week 3 is now available at search "Estok".
Mass Schedule for January 23-24
Sunday 1/24 - 9:30am
Sunday 1/24 - 12:30pm
This Sunday's texts pose a real dilemma for me and maybe for you too - what's your mission? Experts have said that everyone ought to have a clear statement of their mission, twelve words or less, that you can recite "at the point of gun." This mission or vision statement would serve us well in our religious lives. Jesus clearly is presented in Luke's gospel as someone with a clear mission. He reads his from Isaiah..."the spirit of the Lord is upon me...".
I think the danger in not having a clear mission is best stated by the spiritual song that goes, "If you don't stand for something, you're liable to fall for anything." Without a rational, spirit-filled, and positive understanding of what we are doing in our lives, especially religiously, we can start wandering.
I also believe that as Catholic Christians, by our incorporation into Christ, we have received a mission. As Jesus was a priest, prophet and shepherd king - so too we are baptised into his mission. Our communion with Jesus is the mission and purpose of our lives. Can we recite that under pressure, when life gets complicated, when we are frightened or angered?
Well - what's your mission? Listen to Jesus.
Mass Schedule for January 23-24
Sunday 1/24 - 9:30am
Sunday 1/24 - 12:30pm
This Sunday's texts pose a real dilemma for me and maybe for you too - what's your mission? Experts have said that everyone ought to have a clear statement of their mission, twelve words or less, that you can recite "at the point of gun." This mission or vision statement would serve us well in our religious lives. Jesus clearly is presented in Luke's gospel as someone with a clear mission. He reads his from Isaiah..."the spirit of the Lord is upon me...".
I think the danger in not having a clear mission is best stated by the spiritual song that goes, "If you don't stand for something, you're liable to fall for anything." Without a rational, spirit-filled, and positive understanding of what we are doing in our lives, especially religiously, we can start wandering.
I also believe that as Catholic Christians, by our incorporation into Christ, we have received a mission. As Jesus was a priest, prophet and shepherd king - so too we are baptised into his mission. Our communion with Jesus is the mission and purpose of our lives. Can we recite that under pressure, when life gets complicated, when we are frightened or angered?
Well - what's your mission? Listen to Jesus.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday 17 Homily
Well, for the second time in as many weeks, I pushed the wrong button on my recorder. So, this homily is a summary of the real deal. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Feel Like a Wedding?
A lot of people got engaged this Christmas. And guess who they called right afterward? Yep, me (or one of the other priests in their life). They are arranging for weddings. What they find out after inquirying with someone like me is that, while we're in the wedding business we are really all about marriage.
This week's wedding feast at Cana is a great opportunity for us to think about God's wedding feast. Yes, God is married and guess who's the lucky bride - US! Another manifestation of the love of God is our status as the bride of Christ and the invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Last week's homily is available at the "Estok Homily Library" or by following this link.
http://www.archive.org/details/January102010-BaptismOfTheLord25thAnniversary
This week's wedding feast at Cana is a great opportunity for us to think about God's wedding feast. Yes, God is married and guess who's the lucky bride - US! Another manifestation of the love of God is our status as the bride of Christ and the invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Last week's homily is available at the "Estok Homily Library" or by following this link.
http://www.archive.org/details/January102010-BaptismOfTheLord25thAnniversary
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
"Ordinarily" Speaking
Now that Ordinary Time has begun I wanted to alert you to the schedule for this coming weekend, Sat/Sun January 16/17:
Saturday - 5:30
Sunday - 9:30am
Sunday - 11:00am
More later .....
Saturday - 5:30
Sunday - 9:30am
Sunday - 11:00am
More later .....
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 10th - Baptism of the Lord - Feast Five!
(Preaching at the 12:30 Mass on Sunday - My Silver Jubilee)
[Mother of God and Epiphany Homilies available >>>> at Estok Homily Library!]
We wrap up the Christmas season with the feast of Jesus' Baptism in the Jordon at the hands of John the Baptist and the Word of God the Father. All the religious people in Jesus' experience were getting baptized. What is striking me most this year is that Jesus was the human revelation of God and He was a religious human being. God affirms Jesus' religious choice to be baptized within the religious community.
So God became a human being, Jesus assumed our human condition, and he showed us what godly humanity looks like. And it is religious. I have believed this sincerely. I have always wanted to be religious and have revered religion. It is a calling within the Christian calling. God wants us to be relgious too. Are you?
This weekend is my anniversary of ordination as a priest. It is a life dedicated to religion. I still believe it is of the essence of our human lives. Human lives like Jesus'. Revealing the love of God requires that we be religious. I can only hope and pray that my priesthood has furthered this project in the lives of the people of Cleveland. When we are gone will they be able to say "yes, he was religious!"
[Mother of God and Epiphany Homilies available >>>> at Estok Homily Library!]
We wrap up the Christmas season with the feast of Jesus' Baptism in the Jordon at the hands of John the Baptist and the Word of God the Father. All the religious people in Jesus' experience were getting baptized. What is striking me most this year is that Jesus was the human revelation of God and He was a religious human being. God affirms Jesus' religious choice to be baptized within the religious community.
So God became a human being, Jesus assumed our human condition, and he showed us what godly humanity looks like. And it is religious. I have believed this sincerely. I have always wanted to be religious and have revered religion. It is a calling within the Christian calling. God wants us to be relgious too. Are you?
This weekend is my anniversary of ordination as a priest. It is a life dedicated to religion. I still believe it is of the essence of our human lives. Human lives like Jesus'. Revealing the love of God requires that we be religious. I can only hope and pray that my priesthood has furthered this project in the lives of the people of Cleveland. When we are gone will they be able to say "yes, he was religious!"
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Epiphany - Feast Four of Christmas!
(preaching at 4pm and 11am Masses)
The Epiphany (the word means manifestation) is the fourth feast in this beautiful season of the Incarnation of our God. Humanity itself is now the vehicle by which God is revealed explicitly. Humanity was created in the "image and likeness" of God but it was not until this final age, the fullness of time that God is manifest (revealed) by man as man. Humanity is now entrusted with a higher calling. This human life of ours is the manifestation (or ought to be) of the eternal life which is God. As Paul says to the Ephesians, each human life is now a "stewardship of God’s grace." Wow!
Too few understand that their humanity is revelation of God's life. And all of us fail at times to perceive and thus receive the human life of others as it is - revelation of God. Look how God is entrusted today to the pagan Magi. Look even how the "old devil" Herod is given some role to play in the Magi arriving at the birth place. All human flesh radiates the presence and power of God. Epiphany.
Are there aspects of your human life that challenge this teaching? Are there human beings who hide the fact that they are stewards of God's grace? I guess that's all part of what makes life in Christ so engaging.
Why not tap on "comment" below and leave me an anonymous reaction. Or email me at (frete@saint-albert.org). Love to receive some manifestation of God's grace through you - afterall, you are its steward.
Check back here (Estok Homily Library - on right) for audio versions of these actual homilies.
The Epiphany (the word means manifestation) is the fourth feast in this beautiful season of the Incarnation of our God. Humanity itself is now the vehicle by which God is revealed explicitly. Humanity was created in the "image and likeness" of God but it was not until this final age, the fullness of time that God is manifest (revealed) by man as man. Humanity is now entrusted with a higher calling. This human life of ours is the manifestation (or ought to be) of the eternal life which is God. As Paul says to the Ephesians, each human life is now a "stewardship of God’s grace." Wow!
Too few understand that their humanity is revelation of God's life. And all of us fail at times to perceive and thus receive the human life of others as it is - revelation of God. Look how God is entrusted today to the pagan Magi. Look even how the "old devil" Herod is given some role to play in the Magi arriving at the birth place. All human flesh radiates the presence and power of God. Epiphany.
Are there aspects of your human life that challenge this teaching? Are there human beings who hide the fact that they are stewards of God's grace? I guess that's all part of what makes life in Christ so engaging.
Why not tap on "comment" below and leave me an anonymous reaction. Or email me at (frete@saint-albert.org). Love to receive some manifestation of God's grace through you - afterall, you are its steward.
Check back here (Estok Homily Library - on right) for audio versions of these actual homilies.
Mary, Mother of God - Feast Three of Christmas
(preaching at 4pm Vigil and 12:30pm on the day) Happy New Year!
Mary, is celebrated as Mother of God, which was a major accomplishment in the history of our developing church theology. She was always acknowledged as mother of Jesus - but not so as Mother of God. She is also then celebrated today as Mother of the Church (we are the Body of Christ). And on the first day of a new calendar year it is good that we celebrate Mary as the first and perfect disciple. As follower of Jesus, she believed. As obedient believer she conceived. As companion to all the faithful she leads us to heaven. Do you know her? Shouldn't you?
Mary, is celebrated as Mother of God, which was a major accomplishment in the history of our developing church theology. She was always acknowledged as mother of Jesus - but not so as Mother of God. She is also then celebrated today as Mother of the Church (we are the Body of Christ). And on the first day of a new calendar year it is good that we celebrate Mary as the first and perfect disciple. As follower of Jesus, she believed. As obedient believer she conceived. As companion to all the faithful she leads us to heaven. Do you know her? Shouldn't you?
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Holy Family - Feast Two of Christmas
Well, after the whole week of preparing for and celebrating Christmas, the preparation for the December 26/27 Feast of the Holy Family was short. I am uploading the homily to the archive (see Estok Library on right). I was mostly interested in seeing our families become more "churchy" (meaning praying, teaching, and serving like Christ) and our Church becoming for family-ish (meaning communion of life and love, brothers and sisters in the Lord).
See what you think?
See what you think?
Friday, December 25, 2009
Blessed Christmas - The Homily
I thought I'd upload the homily in between Masses today just in case. Blessings to all on this most holy Feast!
http://www.archive.org/details/Christmas2009Homily-ItsAWonderfulLife
Enjoy the Christmas tree in St. Albert rectory.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Blessed Christmas 2009!
(Preaching at 4:00pm, 10:00pm and 9:30am)
This is the first Christmas for the people of St Albert and their new pastor (that's me). What a grace. The priest is permitted to choose which of the four gospel readings of Christmas he prefers. I have chosen St. John's "In the beginning....the Word became flesh....this was life for the world".
Where my heart is drawn is back to the image on St Albert's altar of the Good Shepherd carrying the lost lamb back to the flock. This is what I see in the birth of Jesus as a human being. God not simply "became man" but took on the human condition trapped in the isolation of sin and self-satisfying materiality. We needed rescued and we could only be recovered by one like us. Jesus had to fall very far from heaven to the back of an old cave to reclaim "Old Adam". Now it is done - but it's not over!.
How do you see yourself still trapped in the old Adam of selfishness, material survival, the lost human condition? The liberation or rescue of Jesus birth made freedom possible for all - but faith is necessary for each one. Let me suggest that stress is the sign of our lack of being rescued in Christ. Stress! That's it. To the extent that you are "stressed" you're trapped. We need rescued still. Raise us up Lord Jesus and carry us to the freedom of new life in you! Hmmmm. What do you think of that?
This is the first Christmas for the people of St Albert and their new pastor (that's me). What a grace. The priest is permitted to choose which of the four gospel readings of Christmas he prefers. I have chosen St. John's "In the beginning....the Word became flesh....this was life for the world".
Where my heart is drawn is back to the image on St Albert's altar of the Good Shepherd carrying the lost lamb back to the flock. This is what I see in the birth of Jesus as a human being. God not simply "became man" but took on the human condition trapped in the isolation of sin and self-satisfying materiality. We needed rescued and we could only be recovered by one like us. Jesus had to fall very far from heaven to the back of an old cave to reclaim "Old Adam". Now it is done - but it's not over!.
How do you see yourself still trapped in the old Adam of selfishness, material survival, the lost human condition? The liberation or rescue of Jesus birth made freedom possible for all - but faith is necessary for each one. Let me suggest that stress is the sign of our lack of being rescued in Christ. Stress! That's it. To the extent that you are "stressed" you're trapped. We need rescued still. Raise us up Lord Jesus and carry us to the freedom of new life in you! Hmmmm. What do you think of that?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Advent IV Homily - Whew!
It may be my age, but I don't remember preaching for fifteen minutes. I did mention in the midst of this homily that "it was getting long." Anyway, give a listen and let me know what you think. Having trouble with my library. Please listen to the Advent IV homily called "The Last is History". It works fine.http://www.archive.org/details/AdventIv-TheLastIsHistory
Christmas anyone?
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